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50-602: The British South Africa Company had no more than 750 troops in the British South Africa Company's Police , with an undetermined number of possible colonial volunteers and an additional 700 Tswana (Bechuana) allies. Cecil Rhodes , who was Prime Minister of the Cape Colony, and Leander Starr Jameson , the Administrator of Mashonaland, also tried to avoid war to prevent loss of confidence in

100-589: A logistics officer who is responsible for allocating supplies as necessary to units who request them. Due to their vulnerability, supply depots are often the targets of enemy raids . In more modern times, depots have been targeted by long range artillery , long-range missiles , and bomber aircraft , due to the advantage that disrupted logistics can give to a belligerent force. Types of supply depots include base, station, forward, and reserve supply depots. An ammunition dump , ammunition supply point ( ASP ), ammunition handling area ( AHA ) or ammunition depot

150-756: A moment's notice all over Zimbabwe. During the Bush War, the Support Unit's primary task was to patrol the long distances in the Tribal Trust Lands and to maintain and reinstate order in the kraals (native villages). Ammunition dump Supply depots are a type of military installation used by militaries to store battlefield supplies temporarily on or near the front lines until they can be distributed to military units. Supply depots are responsible for nearly all other types of materiel , except ammunition . Supply depots are usually run by

200-530: A similar way were called the Police Anti Terrorist Unit or PATU. Police of all ranks to chief inspector, were obliged to perform PATU secondment on a regular rotation basis, and deployed to operational areas. Riot standby units were also maintained to deal with urban civil disorder on the same basis. Counter insurgency and advanced weapons training were mandatory by the 1970s in anticipation of PATU and district duties. The BSAP also oversaw

250-604: A staunch ally of the British. The Matabele army mobilised to prevent Forbes from reaching the city, and twice engaged the column as it approached: on 25 October, 3,500 warriors assaulted the column near the Shangani River . Lobengula's troops were well-drilled and formidable by pre-colonial African standards, but the pioneers' Maxim guns, which had never before been used in battle, far exceeded expectations, according to an eyewitness "mow[ing] them down literally like grass". By

300-497: A strength of anything from a dozen to forty personnel was often required to 'fly the flag' over an area comprising several hundred sq. kilometres. On 18 December 1978, Equitation Squad 14/78–the first multi-racial recruit squad-began training at Morris Depot in Salisbury (now Harare). Prior to this date, Black recruits were trained at Tomlinson Depot, while White officers were trained at Morris Depot. Included in this historic intake

350-717: A week later, being promoted to Patrol Officers. The organisation was formed by the BSAC in 1889 as a paramilitary, mounted infantry force in order to provide protection for the Pioneer Column of settlers which moved into Mashonaland in 1890. In common with several colonial police forces such as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), it was modelled on the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC), and its early officers were trained at

400-425: Is a military storage facility for live ammunition and explosives . The storage of live ammunition and explosives is inherently hazardous. There is the potential for accidents in the unloading, packing, and transfer of ammunition. Great care is taken in handling these dangerous explosives so as not to harm personnel or nearby ammunition. Despite the intensive preventive measures they get, ammunition depots around

450-807: The Rhodesian Bush War of the 1960s and 1970s. During the Bush War, the BSAP operated several anti-guerrilla units, most prominently the Police Anti-Terrorist Unit , which tracked and engaged Communist guerrillas; the Support Unit , which was a police field force , nicknamed the "Black Boots" because of the colour of their footwear; and the Civilian African Tracking Unit, composed mostly of black Rhodesian trackers using traditional skills. By 1980,

500-538: The State Opening of Parliament . Generally speaking, the force was the 'Senior Service' and performed ceremonials such as those allocated to the RCMP today. As such, discipline, presentation, and parade drill were of a very high standard. The Support Unit (known as the "Black Boots" due to their footwear) was a Police field force staffed by about 50 white and 1700 ( 1980) black regular and national servicemen. In

550-606: The police force of Southern Rhodesia and Rhodesia (renamed Zimbabwe in 1980). It was formed as a paramilitary force of mounted infantrymen in 1889 by Cecil Rhodes ' British South Africa Company , from which it took its original name, the British South Africa Company's Police. Initially run directly by the company, it began to operate independently in 1896, at which time it also dropped "Company's" from its name. It thereafter served as Rhodesia's regular police force, retaining its name, until 1980, when it

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600-585: The BSAP comprised about 46,000 personnel; 11,000 professionals (about 60% black), and the remainder reservists (mostly white). The organisation's rank structure was unique, with different levels of seniority existing for black and white officers respectively. Until 1976, black officers could rise no further than sub-inspector, while the commissioned ranks were all-white. Limitations on black aspirations were removed in 1976. The first promotion of African members to previously European-only ranks occurred on 21 October 1976 with 23 Sub-Inspectors and 8 Detective Sub-Inspectors,

650-495: The BSAP formed an important part of the white minority government's fight against Communist guerrillas. The force formed a riot unit; a tracker combat team (later renamed the Police Anti-Terrorist Unit or PATU); a police field force Support Unit (who were distinguished by wearing black boots), an Urban Emergency Unit, a Police Reserve Air Wing or PRAW, and a Marine Division, and from 1973 offered places to white conscripts as part of Rhodesia's national service scheme. At independence,

700-927: The Police Depot in the Phoenix Park in Dublin . The unit played a central role in both the First Matabele War (1893) and the Second Matabele War (1896/97) with many troopers serving in the Jameson Raid . Until 1896 the force was called the British South Africa Company's Police. The BSAP operated originally in conjunction with the Southern Rhodesia Constabulary (SRC), the town police force for Salisbury (now Harare) and Bulawayo , but amalgamated with

750-684: The Police in rural problem areas (latterly dissidents), as well as in urban emergencies. In November 1980, during the Entumbani I uprising , two sections of 60 men each from 5 Support Unit Troops (Mantle Echo, Mantle Charlie, Mantle Juliet, Mantle Hotel, Mantle Lima, 300 men in all), travelled from all over Zimbabwe to reach Bulawayo in 11 hours. Due to the Support Unit Troops being independent with their own vehicles, stores, ammunition, medical supplies, tents etc., they could deploy anywhere at

800-865: The SRC in 1909. As a paramilitary unit, the BSAP fought in the Second Boer War and in German East Africa during the First World War , while some members were seconded to the Rhodesia Native Regiment . From 1923, Southern Rhodesia was a self-governing colony of the British Empire , but the BSAP retained its title and its position as the senior regiment of the Southern Rhodesian armed forces. One of

850-507: The auspices of Col. Frank Rhodes , brother of Cecil, with the ultimate purpose of connecting the Cape with Cairo . The railway from Cape Town passed Mafeking , and approached the Rhodesian frontier, reaching Bulawayo in 1897. The east coast line to connect Salisbury (now Harare ) with Beira, Mozambique (then Portuguese East Africa Colony ) was completed in 1899. The First Matabele War

900-529: The centre point of the country, on 16 October 1893. Together the force totalled about 700 men, commanded by Major Patrick Forbes and equipped with five Maxim machine guns . Forbes' combined column moved on the Matabele king's capital at Bulawayo , to the south-west. An additional force of 700 Bechuanas marched on Bulawayo from the south under Khama III , the most influential of the Bamangwato chiefs, and

950-551: The charter in 1889. Cecil Rhodes used this document in 1890 to justify sending the Pioneer Column , a group of settlers protected by well-armed British South Africa Company's Police (BSAP) and guided by the big game hunter Frederick Selous , through Matabeleland and into Shona territory to establish Fort Salisbury (now Harare ). Throughout 1891 and 1892, Lobengula ensured that his raiding parties were directed away from their main target areas of Mashonaland and so precluded possible clashes between his zealous young commanders and

1000-420: The column before it reached the river. They were to tell the white people that the king admitted defeat, and offered this money in tribute if the BSAP would turn back. "Gold is the only thing that will stop the white men," Lobengula reportedly said. Petchan and Sehuloholu reportedly reached the column on 2 December 1893, and gave the money and the message to two men in the rear guard. No man who had been attached to

1050-506: The column confirmed this, but company authorities thought it unlikely that the Matabele would simply invent such a story. Two officers' batmen were accused of accepting the gold, then keeping it for themselves and not passing on the message. The evidence against them was inconclusive, but they were found guilty and sentenced to 14 years' hard labour by the Resident Magistrate. They were released after two years, however, because

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1100-713: The company flag and the Union Jack to a tree. The reconstruction of Bulawayo began almost as soon as the fires were out, with a new Company-run city rising atop the ruins of Lobengula's former residence. The column of Khama's men from the south had reached the Tati River , and won a victory on the Singuesi river on 2 November. Advanced scouts for the colonial forces, including Burnham and Selous , reached Bulawayo that same day, only to watch as Lobengula blew up his arsenal of ammunition rather than allow it to be captured by

1150-546: The company was exonerated from the charge by Lord Ripon , the Colonial Secretary . Following the end of the war, one of Lobengula's izinDuna said that just before Forbes' column had reached the Shangani on 3 December 1893, the king had attempted to buy the pioneers off. According to this story, two Matabele messengers, Petchan and Sehuloholu, had been given a box of gold sovereigns , and instructed to intercept

1200-510: The company. The town, mostly made up of wood-beam huts with mud (dagga) walls, was largely destroyed. On 3 November, Bulawayo was reached by the Victoria column from Mashonaland , accompanied by Jameson and Sir John Willoughby. By this time, Lobengula and his warriors were in full flight towards the Zambezi. An attempt was made to induce Lobengula to surrender, but no replies were received to

1250-652: The declaration of a republic by Ian Smith 's government in 1970, the St Edward's Crown was removed from the BSAP's badge, and the appointment of Her Majesty The Queen Mother as Honorary Commissioner was suspended. In place of St. Edward's Crown, the Zimbabwe Bird was displayed on cap badges. The British South Africa Police was renamed the Zimbabwe Republic Police in July 1980 following

1300-714: The first casualties of the BSAP in the Second World War was Keppel Bagot Levett , born in 1919, who died in active service with the BSAP in March 1941. Between the World Wars, the Permanent Staff Corps of the Rhodesian Army consisted of only 47 men. The BSAP were trained as both policemen and soldiers until 1954. During the period of the Rhodesian Bush War in the late 1960s and 1970s,

1350-796: The first phase lasting as long as 11 weeks (the RLI 's first phase was 6 weeks). Emphasis in selection depended on extreme physical fitness and aggression (running at an excess of 120 kilometres per week), mental strength in decision making and problem solving under extreme duress. The selection course consisted of a junior leader assessment in all areas concerning leadership. All Counter Operations Insurgency (COIN) battle drills were held in battle camps at Concession and Shamva . The pass rate among recruits amounted to only 30%. On passing out, recruits were deployed to one of 13 and latterly 14 troops (Troop company strength being 120 men; Mantle Mounted and November Troop being new additions in 1981). The Support Unit supported

1400-503: The force had a strength of approximately 11,000 regulars (about 60% black) and almost 35,000 reservists, of whom the overwhelming majority were white. A former BSAP officer, Daniel Carney , wrote a book titled Whispering Death about the BSAP in anti-terrorist operations which was later made into the film Albino . The BSAP's name remained unchanged by the Unilateral Declaration of Independence , although following

1450-536: The future of the territory. Matters came to a head when Lobengula approved a raid to forcibly extract tribute from a Mashona chief in the district of the town of Fort Victoria , which inevitably led to a clash with the company. The British government agreed that the British South Africa Company would administer the territory stretching from the Limpopo to the Zambezi under royal charter . Queen Victoria signed

1500-413: The guerrilla supply chain. The use of contaminated supplies resulted in the reported deaths of over 800 guerrillas, and the likely death toll probably reached well over 1,000. Until the late 1970s, black Rhodesians could not hold ranks higher than Sub-Inspector in the BSAP, and only white Rhodesians could gain commissioned rank. This changed after 1976 and after moderate black leader Bishop Abel Muzorewa

1550-731: The hostilities that developed the Ndebele sustained about 40 casualties; this led to their withdrawal. King Lobengula had given stern warning to his fighters when they started the raid. "If you shed one drop of the white man's blood on this raid into Mashonaland, I will have every one of you killed when you return". There was a delay of just over two months (August to October) while Jameson corresponded with Rhodes in Cape Town and considered how to amass enough troops to undertake an invasion of Matabeleland. BSAP columns rode from Fort Salisbury and Fort Victoria, and combined at Iron Mine Hill, around

First Matabele War - Misplaced Pages Continue

1600-850: The installation of Robert Mugabe as Prime Minister of Zimbabwe . A Criminal Investigation Department (CID) was founded in 1923; a Women's Section in 1941, and a Dog Unit in 1945. From 1957, the Police Reserve also had an airborne wing. Prior to the use of motor vehicles, extended rural patrols were carried out on horseback, and right up until the Force was renamed all white male officers were taught equitation as part of their basic traíning. Selected officers were retained in Morris Depot after "passing out" and tasked with training remount horses for future use by recruits and on ceremonial duties. Mounted Escorts were provided for occasions such as

1650-571: The intelligence collection function of the Selous Scouts . That function was performed by an embedded element of the BSAP's Special Branch (SB), commanded by Chief Superintendent Michael "Mac" McGuinness; the SB liaison team conducted interrogations of captured guerrillas, reviewed captured documents, and collated and disseminated intelligence. The SB team also oversaw the production and insertion of poisoned clothing, food, beverages, and medicines into

1700-574: The late 1970s a Civilian African Tracking Unit (C.A.T.U.) was added, to relieve the professional trackers in the pursuing of the enemy infiltrators into Rhodesia . Their tracking methods were based on the traditional skills and techniques of the Rhodesian Shangaan tribe. Their formations were called 'sticks', and consisted of a couple of white Rhodesian 'Patrol Officers', or 'Section Officers', and six to eight black Rhodesian trackers. Police Reservists and regular police officers organised in

1750-540: The maximum term the Magistrate could give was three months; the convictions were ultimately quashed altogether on a re-assessment of the evidence by the High Commissioner's legal team. The truth of the matter has never been conclusively resolved. In every step taken by the company, the guiding hand was that of Cecil Rhodes , a fact which received recognition when the company's territory officially received

1800-581: The messages. The United Salisbury Column later arrived in Bulawayo, and on 13 November, Major Patrick Forbes organized his column and started in pursuit of Lobengula. The pursuing party was delayed by difficult routes and heavy rains, and did not catch up with Lobengula until December 3. Major Allan Wilson , in command of thirty-four troopers known as the Shangani Patrol , crossed the Shangani river and bivouacked close to Lobengula's quarters. In

1850-544: The name " Rhodesia " on May 3, 1895. During this year there was great activity in exploiting Matabeleland , with "Stands" or plots being sold at extraordinary prices in Bulawayo . Within nine months the rebuilt town of Bulawayo had a population of 1,900 colonials with over 2,000 more prospectors in the various goldfields . A new company, the African Transcontinental Company, was founded under

1900-418: The news from Bembesi; in keeping with traditional custom, he and his subjects torched the royal town as they went. In the resultant conflagration, the city's large store of ivory, gold and other treasure was destroyed, and its ammunition magazine exploded. The flames were still rising when the British marched into the settlement the next day; they set up base in the "White Man's Camp" already present, and nailed

1950-534: The night the river rose, and early the next morning the Matabele surrounded the Shangani Patrol, overwhelming Wilson and his followers. 34 men of the Shangani Patrol perished in the encounter, while the remaining three (American scouts Frederick Russell Burnham and Pearl "Pete" Ingram, and an Australian named Gooding) crossed the swollen river under orders from Wilson, and returned to Forbes to request reinforcements. However, Forbes' forces were unable to cross

2000-512: The river in time. Lobengula died from smallpox on January 22 or 23 1894. Meanwhile, the Ndebele warriors gradually succumbed to the company's superior firepower. Soon after the king's death, the Ndebele izinDuna submitted to the British South Africa Company. Charges were later made in the British House of Commons against the company, accusing them of having provoked the Ndebele in order to secure their territory. However, after enquiry

2050-489: The same as those of UK police officers. Black officers engaged in operational police work worked alongside their white colleagues on investigations and patrols, necessarily acting as interpreters with the indigenous population, as well as patrolling alone and conducting their own crime investigations or as otherwise directed. Black "ground coverage" officers acted as undercover plainclothes intelligence gatherers in both rural and urban areas. A district (rural) police station with

First Matabele War - Misplaced Pages Continue

2100-458: The suitably aged young men and women and killed everyone else.) However, the local British South Africa Company administration felt that they had to intervene to avoid losing the confidence of the local people who complained that they were not being given any support against the raid. As a result, the Company officials demanded from the raiders that they leave immediately. The Ndebele refused and in

2150-452: The time the Matabele withdrew, they had suffered around 1,500 fatalities; the BSAP, on the other hand, had lost only four men. A week later, on 1 November, 2,000 Matabele riflemen and 4,000 warriors attacked Forbes at Bembesi , about 50 kilometres (30 mi) north-east of Bulawayo, but again they were no match for the crushing firepower of the major's Maxims: about 2,500 more Matabele were killed. Lobengula fled Bulawayo as soon as he heard

2200-462: The white settlers. However, in 1893, a chief in the Victoria district named Gomara refused tribute, asserting that he was now under the protection of the laws of the settlers. In order to save face, Lobengula was impelled to send a raiding party of several thousand warriors to bring his vassal to heel. The raiding party destroyed several villages and murdered many of the inhabitants. (In this they were more restrained than usual as they generally abducted

2250-451: The world suffer from non-combat fires and explosions. Although this is a rare occurrence, there are devastating consequences when it does happen. Usually, an ammunition depot experiencing even minor explosions in one of its sites/buildings is immediately evacuated together with surrounding civilian areas. Thus, all of the stored ammunition is left to detonate itself completely for days or weeks, with very limited attempts at firefighting from

2300-495: Was Patrol Officer Sinclair Roberts, the first mixed-race Police Officer accepted to the Force, 89 years after it was founded. The following is a list of commissioners of the British South Africa Police from the force's amalgamation in 1909 until its dissolution in 1980. From early 1978 to 1980, support, training, and selection consisted of 3 phases, culminating latterly in 6 months/24 weeks training, with

2350-494: Was also a training depot rank designation of Staff Lance Section Officer (also denoted by three gold bars). White officers were assigned separate mess facilities to the black police and were obliged to employ black 'batmen'. The batmen were skilled at presenting and maintaining several police uniform 'dress orders' worn throughout any given day, all of which were expected to be immaculate at all times. The responsibilities of these Caucasian police officers, once trained, were broadly

2400-752: Was elected in the 1979 elections the promotion of African members hastened. After Robert Mugabe took power, the force followed a racial policy " Africanisation ", in which senior white officers were forcibly retired and their positions filled by black officers. The rank structure was unique; black policemen (known colloquially as "Mapolisa") were Constables, Sergeants, Senior Sergeants, Sergeant Majors, and Sub Inspectors. The white police (known colloquially as 'Majoni') ranks began at Patrol Officer (single gold bar on each shoulder), proceeding to Senior Patrol Officer (two gold bars), Section Officer (three gold bars), and thereafter to Inspector, Chief Inspector and commissioned ranks, etc., as per UK police rank structures. There

2450-544: Was superseded by the Zimbabwe Republic Police , soon after the country's reconstitution into Zimbabwe in April that year. While it was in the main a law enforcement organisation, the line between police and military was significantly blurred. BSAP officers trained both as policemen and regular soldiers until 1954. BSAP men served in the latter role during the First and Second World Wars , and also provided several support units to

2500-794: Was the first wartime use of a Maxim gun by Britain and it proved to have a decisive impact. In less than optimal situations, such as hilly or mountainous terrain or dense vegetation with poor lines of sight, the Maxim gun resulted in little direct impact on enemy deaths. But as a psychological weapon, the Maxim gun was effective. It generated a sense of fear in the Ndebele and made the British South Africa Police seem invincible. In one engagement, for example, 50 company soldiers with four Maxim guns fought off 5,000 Ndebele warriors. British South Africa Police The British South Africa Police ( BSAP ) was, for most of its existence,

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