Original print from the "Uniforms of the Security Forces of Rhodesia" by Laird and Drake, as printed by Musketeer Press in Salisbury 1979. The original collector's edition is extremely rare, with only 500 elephant hide bound copies made at the end of the Rhodesian Bush War. For decades, many of these books were stripped for their prints and sold individually, often in shoddy condition. We are proud to reproduce poster prints from this long out of print work, with painting prints and text indicating histories of various Rhodesian Security Force units.
The legendary Rhodesian African Rifles of Bush War fame were formed as the "Rhodesian Native Regiment" in 1916 during the First World War. Deploying to East Africa, they fought German colonial Askari. The regiment stood down at the end of the war, only to re-mustered again in 1940 for service in the Far East against the Empire of Japan. It was while traversing through Natal that a chance encounter with Italian prisoners of war would result in the song "Sweet Banana" - later, the regiment's official marching song. After a nearly three year slog through Taungup, Arakan and Burma, the regiment proved it's mettle once again in the fires of combat. After a brief stand down period between 1945-46, the regiment was re-mustered for service in Egypt (1952), Malaya (1956-58), Nyasaland (1959) and the Congolese border (1961). Years of continous operational experience netted the regiment Rhodesia's finest soldiers and NCO's by the time of the Unilateral Declaration of Independence in 1965.
It was during the trying years of the Rhodesian Bush War that the elite regiment would distinguish itself during counter insurgency operations against communist terrorism. Serving in every operational area of the Rhodesian Bush War internally, and raids external towards the latter half of the conflict, the Rhodesian African Regiment fought with a zeal few could match. The Rhodesian African Rifles' Training Depot was also raised in 1976, providing some of the best training offered in the Rhodesian Army, and producing a vast majority of the future Selous Scouts. The regiment earned it's last honours during the 1981 Entumbane Upsiring, when they were pitted against the 1st ZIPRA Mechanized Brigade. Their actions had prevented a wider Zimbabwean Civil War, but their thanks from Robert Mugabe would be their disbandment by the end of the year. Though they have marched into history, the RAR and the "Sweet Banana" song, goes on forevermore.
Sticker Features:- Measures 3 x 2"
- Heavy-duty adhesive-backed vinyl construction
- Water-resistant lamination
- Printed, cut, and produced in Canada by Zaibatsu Manufacturing Concern
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