The Royal Rhodesian Rgt.

[lancashirefusilier]

John did you ever see a blue and white flash in use by the 4th battalion?

Cheers

Dave

[johnG]

Dave, I have not seen the blue and white in use, but have heard of it, nd can confirm its use by 4 RR.

I was a Bulawayo, Matabeleland boy, which was the home of 2 RR.

4RR were based in Umtali, Manicaland, the other side of the country - way out beyond the black stump, in what was once a really beautiful city, with a lovely rural atmosphere, with the fabulous Vumba Mountains (They were really hills) right on its doorstep, but now - renamed Mutare, it is a dump, I leave it to you to guess why.

Regards,
John

[lancashirefusilier]

Hello John

I don't need too many guesses...I'm really sorry.

All the best

Dave

[johnG]

I don't need too many guesses...I'm really sorry.

Yeah mate, so am I. The 'Impala Arms' on the Vumba Road used to be a favourite watering hole of mine when I visited Umtali on business, and I well recall the time when one could have bought a split level, four bed-roomed house there for peanuts , complete with sand-bagged loft to absorb a mortar bomb blast, but man, what a fantastic spirit there was in Umtali in thos e days, and the 'Mutare' of today can never take that away.


Cheers

[johnG]

Somewhere at the back of my mind is a niggling thought that I have seen a blue and white diagonal shape backing to the Rhodesia Regiment badge, and I mind it was plastic. I also have a notion I have seen a red diamond shaped plastic backing......but I am an old man and my memory........I forget what I was about to say....

[rhodesianmilitaria]

Originally Posted by lancashirefusilier

John did you ever see a blue and white flash in use by the 4th battalion?

Cheers

Dave

I have never seen anything to show that they did. I have the BCR group to WOII Malcolm Forbes in my collection and he was 4th (Manicaland) Battalion, The Rhodesia Regiment. In some photos he is shown wearing the RR beret with the blue and white feathers but none of them show a blue and white backing.

The beret in this photo belonged to a Captain in 6RR who transferred to 4RR. For whatever reason, instead of having the black RR beret badge he has kept the 6RR collar badge (quite often worn by officer's on their berets) but added the Blue & White feathers for 4RR. These genuine feathers are extremely hard to find today.

Beret made by SA Beret Manufacturers, one of the many brands of berets used in the Bush War.

[johnG]

I remember where I saw a red diagonal plastic backing to the Rhodesia Regt. badge - it was in 'Jon's Antique Shop', Fifth Avenue/Fife Street, Bulawayo, and being the generous soul he was then Jon was probably giving it away. I did not bother with it as I never thought then that one day I would wish I had. That was a long time ago.

[johnG]

I now have it on excellent authority the blue and white hackle was worn by 4RR, but never a blue and white backing to the badge, so memory played me false there........I really did think I had seen one......shows what old age does.....

[lancashirefusilier]

Originally Posted by johnG

I now have it on excellent authority the blue and white hackle was worn by 4RR, but never a blue and white backing to the badge, so memory played me false there........I really did think I had seen one......shows what old age does.....

Hello John and Peter

Dudley Wall mentions the light blue and white flash in his 4th Ed and has it Circa 1970.
Arniel has a drawing of it ...207,and Radford has a picture...512.
This is 3 major books getting it wrong?

Dave

[rhodesianmilitaria]

Originally Posted by lancashirefusilier

Hello John and Peter

Dudley Wall mentions the light blue and white flash in his 4th Ed and has it Circa 1970.
Arniel has a drawing of it ...207,and Radford has a picture...512.
This is 3 major books getting it wrong?

Dave

Hello Dave,

It may well be.

Dudley Wall's book ‘INSIGNIA AND HISTORY OF THE RHODESIAN ARMED FORCES 1890-1980′ (4th Edition) is in my opinion one of the best books on Rhodesian militaria.
Arneil's book "Badges and Insignia of the Rhodesian Security Forces 1890-1980" has many mistakes in it including showing fakes.
Mark Radford's book "Service Before Self" is a very good book as he was given the information by some of the major collectors at that time.

However there is not a definitive book on Rhodesian militaria.

[johnG]

Thank you for that write-up rhomil. It certainly clears up the situation.

In the early 1990's I puchased, from a shop in Bulawayo, a Rhodesia Regiment badge complete with red, diamond shaped, plastic backing. I cannot swear to it, but still have a notion I saw, in that same shop, a blue and white plastic backing. Perhaps memory plays me false, and I can only think that if I did see one then it was something considered, perhaps due to difficulty in getting hackles, but was never implemented.

[loupie1961]

A recently acquired example of Royal Rhodesian Regiment cap badge, provided with a diamond backing. Any info about the vintage of the badge (KC) and the meaning of the backing?

[rhodesianmilitaria]

Originally Posted by loupie1961

A recently acquired example of Royal Rhodesian Regiment cap badge, provided with a diamond backing. Any info about the vintage of the badge (KC) and the meaning of the backing?

Backing is 2Bn RRR.

[loupie1961]

Originally Posted by rhodesianmilitaria

Backing is 2Bn RRR.

Thank you Peter! Presumable vintage?

[lancashirefusilier]

1947-56 according to Owen.

Cheers

Dave