Anon (Oral history)

Rhodesian Air Force dog handler served during Bush War in Rhodesia, 1977-1979

REEL 1 Background in Rhodesia, 1957-1987: family and education. Enlistment in Rhodesian Air Force, 1974: training with dog section to guard air base perimeters. Recollections of operations with dog section during Bush War, 1977-1979: use of tracker dogs to track insurgents; how dogs tracked and radios attached to dogs; types of dog used; vehicles used by air force to follow dogs; why dogs had receivers attached to them; incident in which dog found insurgents, spring 1978; question of survival of dog once perpetrator found. REEL 2 Continues: incident in which dog used and failure to call in team soon enough to be effective, near Gutsa; degree of danger he felt himself to be in; involvement in fire fight, north of Salisbury, 1979; terror campaign by insurgents against villagers; fortified village system and 'Guard Force'; incident of hut burnt down with five elders inside, 1977; disposal of insurgent's bodies; nature of conflict and degree of optimism about outcome; opinion of British politicians; problems of finding new home after conflict. Period with military engineers in Zimbabwe after Lancaster house agreement: clearing mines using dogs; opinion of life under Mugabe government, 1980-1987. REEL 3 Continues: Question of why he left Zimbabwe, 6/1987