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Rhodesian BSAP PATU Cloth Badge

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Your Price: $5.00

Part Number: FFV-RA-BSAP-PATU01

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Reproduction cloth badges, as worn by members of the Rhodesian Security Forces serving in the British South Africa Police's elite Police Anti-Terrorism Unit (PATU).

The BSAP PATU was formed in 1966, as an early conceptual unit that specialized explicitly in counter insurgency tactics. Formed by BSAP Superintendent Bill Bailey, it was heavily inspired by Bailey's war-time service in the British Special Air Service, and his observations of the Long Range Desert Group. The theory of operations was that smaller specialist units could deploy faster and fare better than larger conventional units. This would result in the development of deployments in 5-man stickers, which would always be led by a black African member of the BSAP with skills as both a tactical tracker and local liaison. Initially operating in conventional khaki police uniforms, there was a great risk of friendly fire as communist guerillas often employed the same shade of khaki. Given their constant operational tempo in close quarters bush fighting, the unit would quickly adopt standard Rhodesian Army camouflage uniforms after 1967. As the war intensified, there was an extreme lack of volunteers with the skills necessary for this unit, resulting in frequent augmentations of urban policemen, reservists and sometimes even policemen seconded from South Africa. All of these men would have to train to the high standards set by Superintendent Bailey. Regardless of issues related the backgrounds of PATU members, limited resources, and the somewhat ad hoc nature of it's existence, the unit performed extremely admirably, with some individual sticks distinguishing them as elite teams on par with the regular army, and Special Forces teams. The unit was ultimately disbanded in 1980 upon the disestablishment of the British South Africa Police.

The unit insignia of PATU features a distinctive elephant footprint, representing the unit's focus on tracking skills and detecting spore. The criteria of it's wear was somewhat as ad hoc as the unit was, as it was not always worn universally by PATU members. It would however, be worn by members who had joined PATU, trained to a specific standard of bush fighting skills, and operated effectively in the bush.

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Rhodesian BSAP PATU Cloth Badge

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