BEST DAYS By TONY HUGHES PART 4 (Final )

Because of the sanctions imposed upon Rhodesia, we were often required to use our initiative and ingenuity to devise ways and means to get things done, both from a training and operational sense. We did not have the convenience of being able to call Air Force HQ and ask them to order/acquire some sexy bit of kit we desperately needed, or for them to find out how the “Brits” or the “Yanks” did things, without us having to re-invent the wheel. This was simply not possible under the sanctions regime.

 

This photograph was Basic Static Line #20 April 1966 and was Tony Hughes qualifying course as a PJI . He had instructed a section of these soldiers under the watchful eye of all the staff and had shown himself to be an excellent instructor. The PTS staff seated from L to R are Sgt Trevor Smith, W.O.1 Bill Maitland, Sqn Ldr Boet Swart, Flt Lt Derek de Kock, Sgt Frank Hales and Brand New Sgt PJI Tony Hughes Holding Sgt Fred Bear. 

What happened as a result of this impost, was that No.1 PTS, and the leaders of the specialist Army Units using parachuting, had to devise, learn, and develop our own unique operational operating techniques. This caused our enemy a succession of catastrophic defeats, and also attracted the “interested” attention of other forces overseas. I believe it is fair to say there was probably no more versatile, effective and committed unit in a “can do” sense than PTS. It truly could hold its own as a specialist unit of the Rhodesian Armed Forces, measured by any gauge against its peers, and in doing so earned the high regard and respect of Rhodesia’s (specialist) Armed Forces.

For all of the seriousness of our work and of the “best practice” ideology we strove to adhere to, it was just as important to have a lighter side to one’s working life. When men are at war, there is a saying “that they fight hard and then play hard”.

In all I’ve ever read on the Rhodesian economy during the war years I can find no reference to Rhodesian Breweries having a tough time selling its product in this period! Periodically, a pause, or slow- down in activity would come about, (often when we were deployed) and, provided there was no flying planned for the next day, we would support the Breweries.

Often, when there had been a successful operation, internal or external, there would be a request for a lot of lager, and if available, some hooligan juice, supported by a good meal.

My recollections throughout this time of conflict in Rhodesia, are of being part of “one superb team” - operating to one plan with one agenda irrespective of whether you where Army, Air Force, Police or whatever. Morale was always high, and men and women mucked in and supported each other to the full to get the job done regardless, for example, of say how much sleep one might have had in the last 48 hours. These were truly the best years of my life and to this day I miss the comradeship, excitement, training and the applications of these components, operationally.

Derek’s Note : I asked Tony to check his log books, and, if possible, to provide an example of one of his call ups. He would have been sent out into the bush with a Parachute Fire Force and the following was his reply. It should be remembered that at this time Tony was a Civilian and was liable to call up into the Air Force on an as required basis. This was rather often.

Derek, I've been through both log books in the period F/F was most active. 

And, deliberately without looking at any "Rambo" type incidents or detail, I thought what follows below would be, in a classically descriptive sense, useful to you. It highlights the quite intense and persistent use of the Fire Force and of the comparatively many number of occasions when we achieved nothing, verses those times the unit achieved kills!

This classically underscores the saying - War is 99% boredom and 1% frenetic activity! (Derek’s note: it most certainly illustrates this, but also how busy we were kept.)

The year is 1977, and I arrived for F/F duty at Buffalo Range, here's what took place between November the 1st and November the 15th:

The pilots were Flt/Lt D'hotman and Air Lt. Armstrong.

1st Nov.

06.20 N/S to West Nicholson - 1hr 35m

08.45 West Nich - Rutenga - 0.40m

10.00 Rutenga - Buffalo Range - 0.25m

11.35 Buff to Mabalauta 0.30m

15.45 Mabalauta - Lemon - 0.30m

17.00 Mabalauta - Buff - 0.30m

Nov 2nd.

06.00 Buff - Rutenga - 0.30m

16.45 Rutenga - Lemon 01hr.00m

17.50 Rutenga - Buff - 0.30m

Nov. 3rd.

06.00 Buff - Rutenga - positioning - 0.30m

17.00 Rutenga - Buff - 0.30m

Nov 4th.

06.00 Buff - Rutenga - Buff  - 01hr.10m

Nov 7th.

06.00 Buff - Rutenga - 0.30m

17.30 Rutenga - Buff - 0.30m

Nov 8th.

04.30 Buff - Rutenga - 0.30m

08.00 "Op" drop D.Coy 2 RAR, 1 stick of 16 - 3 kills - 01hr.00m

13.45 Rutenga - Lemon - 01hr.45m

18.00 Rutenga - Lemon - 01hr. 45m

19.10 Rutenga - Buff - 0.30m

Nov 9th.

09.00 - Buff - Rutenga - 0.30m

17.00 - Rutenga - Mabalauta - Buff - 01hr.00m

Nov 10th

06.00 - Buff - Rutenga - Buff - 01hr . 00m

Nov 11th.  

06.00 - Buff - Rutenga

09.20 - Rutenga - Lemon 

17.30 - Rutenga - Buff - 0.30m

Nov 12th.

05.30 - Buff - Rutenga 

               15.35 - Rutenga "op drop"  D. Coy. 2 RAR - 2 sticks of 8 - 2kills and 1 capture -            01hr.30m

18.30 Rutenga - Buff - 0.30 mins

Nov 13th.

06.00 Buff - Rutenga - 0.30m

06.45 - Rutenga - Buchwa uplift of troops - 2 RAR D. Coy - 01hr.00m

13.00 - Rutenga - "op drop" - 7 kills and 1 capture

17.15 - Rutenga - Buff - 0.30m

Nov 14th.

06.00 - Buff - Rutenga - 0.30m

Rutenga - Buff - 0.30m

Nov 15th.

05.40 - Buff - Rutenga - 0.30m

11.00 Rutenga - Bulawayo - 01hr.30m

Bulawayo - New Sarum - 01hr. 30m

Home until the next call up exciting stuff.

Thanks again Tony for sharing your story, and your great insight into the characters in the PTS. You were, and remain, a most valued member of the team.