| NEW ZEALAND FOLK * STORY | "Merry Christmas and Keep Your Head Down" Mike 'Subs' Subritzky |
In 1979, the New Zealand Government sent about 75 Kiwi soldiers to Rhodesia as part of a multi-national force to try and end the fighting between the Rhodesian government and communist Terrorists.
The Rhodesian war was fought between the Rhodesian Government of Ian Smith who had declared UDI from Great Britain on the 11 November 1965, and, opposing his government were two communist armies that were based on tribal loyalties. The larger army was ZIPRA (Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army) which had been trained by the Russians and East Germans and was loyal to Joshua Nkomo. The second army was known as ZANLA (Zimbabwe National Liberation Army). It had been trained by the Chinese and North Koreans and was loyal to Robert Mugabe.
The Rhodesian war was a silent, unglamorous, dirty little war which began almost immediately after UDI in 1965, and lasted until Independence Day on 18 April 1980, a period of some 14 years.
For us Peacekeepers, the entire operation was surreal, in that none of the warring sides really wanted us there. No-one actually trusted us, the blacks because we were white, and the whites because we represented the end of the dream of a free Rhodesia. We were regarded as "the enemy of all".
About a dozen Gunners served in Rhodesia including myself. We did the hop from Whenuapai - Alice Springs - Cocos Islands - Mauritius - Durban, leaving New Zealand on the 20 December 1979.
We flew from Durban in South Africa in a New Zealand C130 Hercules, and arrived in Salisbury just two days before Christmas, on 23 December 1979, flying in high above the airport and then corkscrewing down so as to avoid surface-to-air missiles which the communists were known to possess. The airport was packed with hundreds of people who had come to witness our arrival as well as the large USAF Galaxy cargo aircraft that were unloading stores for the operation. All of the whites at the airport gave us the fingers and thumbs down, and/or spat on the ground, whilst the black people simply stared at us...we were not popular. It was immediately obvious that there was a war on, as every white person carried a personal weapon, including women and children, and there were bunkers, outposts and heavy machine guns everywhere.We then drove to our billet which was at Morgan High School and once there unpacked our gear and waited for our orders. It was a typical Army set up, where no-one knew what was going on and we had to "Hurry up and wait!". There was malaria in-country and so we slept under mosquito nets, and most of us slept very fitfully that first night as there was a very real air of trepidation. Amongst our small group were quite a number of Vietnam veterans and we looked to them for guidance. I had been in the forces for nearly 13 years and had served overseas several times, but this tour was decidedly different, it was for real ... no blanks or thunderflashes this time.
After a rough night we were issued with a breakfast of local 'corn-pops' which tasted very similar to dandelion flowers. Because of the war it was impossible to obtain anything other than bare essentials and this was noticeable throughout every facet of daily life, including small comforts such as decent breakfast cereal. Camera film was unavailable, as were rubber tyres, vehicle parts, lollies (candy) and even chocolate; but the worst hardship was cellotape; due to the sanctions there was none to be had anywhere and so you simply tied everything together with string.
After a morning full of detailed briefings on everything from the locations of various Army camps and suspected communist bases, we were given our operational groupings. I was informed that I was going with Major Hewitt and about a 15 other Kiwis to a place on the Rhodesia/Botswana border that was to be known as "Assembly Place Lima". It was right in the heart of 'Indian Country'.
Later that night we were drinking Rhodesian Lion Beer on the second floor of the school when there was a firefight in Salisbury. We decided that it was prudent for us to drink the remainder of our beer sitting on the floor with our backs to the concrete wall. After the initial burst of gunfire it went quiet and so we stayed up until after midnight and wished each other "Merry Christmas" and "Good Luck". I was the only one of the four of us who was married and the other guys knew that I was quite homesick. When I turned in I allowed myself the luxury of a quiet prayer and a few thoughts of my wife and five sons who I knew would be really feeling my absence.
Another fitful night's sleep, and then after breakfast myself and the other 'Left Footers' went to Christmas Day Mass in Salisbury. The church was beautiful and the only thing that seemed out of place during the church service was the variety of weapons carried by members of the congregation. It was a little like a church service in a cowboy movie. After church we took the opportunity to walk around Salisbury and what a beautiful place it was. Many of the streets were lined with Jacaranda trees that were in full bloom and there wasn't a scrap of rubbish to be seen anywhere. At mid-day our entire contingent were driven to the Monomatapa Hotel which was a five star hotel and it was there that the New Zealand Contingent celebrated Christmas Day.
There were about 75 of us and a similar number of white Rhodesians also. After a few stiff minutes between us and them, Rhodesian hospitality took over and everyone made us welcome and we sat with various family groups. Myself, Ash and Mac sat at the table of a badly wounded Rhodesian Light Infantry officer and his mother. He had been blown up in an armoured vehicle and then trapped underneath for several hours.
During the luncheon the Rhodesians sangs songs to us and we responded in kind with such songs as "Pou Karekare Ana" and "Haere Mai". The festivities ended with an impromptu Haka by the Kiwis.
I think that everyone really felt not being home in New Zealand on that special day, especially those guys with young families, and so to take our thoughts away from that fact we tried harder to enjoy ourselves. The only presents we got were out of the Christmas crackers. Stu Ashworth gave me a 'Lucky Clover' while John Nagle gave me a plastic bible as a joke, I still have both gifts inside my message pad.
Just before we stood to leave, the Rhodesian officer's mother kissed each of us, and told us to "Keep your head down" which in Rhodesia was a universal farewell. Her son shook my hand and said "Remember this, Kiwi. In Rhodesia, every road's a minefield, every corner's an ambush, and every Af's a Terr." (Terrorist).
Boxing Day was spent with more briefings and PT runs. Rhodesia is very high in altitude and we were trying our best to acclimatise as quickly as possible so that we would be up to any task that lay ahead. While on the run a white Rhodesian stopped his car and threatened two of our guys with a hand grenade. And during the night a drunken black soldier entered the billet with a fully loaded FN, and after a tense stand-off, he was removed.
On the 27 December, we were woken at 0430 and drove to a transit camp. There were Press reps everywhere as this was 'the main event' so to speak. Our sub-group bordered a bus with a group of Brit Marines and at 0730 we drove from Salisbury to Bulawayo. During the day there were a number of contacts at various locations and the body count for the day was 19 communists KIA, 3 Rhodesian Security Forces KIA and 17 black civilians murdered. We reached Brady Barracks at Bulawayo and were stopped at the entrance by a Brit officer who sadly informed us that a C130 with a white cross on it had been shot up and as well a Puma helicopter had gone in with four Peacekeepers killed. They were our first casualties, there were to be a number of others.
That evening we attended a further briefing by a Rhodesian Army Corporal and he told us more in one hour than all of the previous multitude of briefings that we attended to date. There is nothing like experience.
28 December 1979 was 'D minus 1'. Reveille was at 0500 and today was the day. We attended an O Group at 0645 and were informed to expect mines and ambushes on our way into Assembly Place Lima, which was a grid reference sited directly over the ruin of an old kraal (native African farm). We drove out of Brady Barracks and just out of sight of the Rhodesian Army we stopped and received our communist Liaison Officer. His name was Lieutenant Colonel Albert Zikhali and he was armed with a brand new Russian-made AKM65 Assault rifle complete with a grenade launcher and taped magazines, East German rice pattern camouflage, a red Cuban Army issue baseball cap, and Russian chest webbing. He was aged about 27 and was very well connected in the ZIPRA heirachy; he was a personal friend of "The Old One" (Joshua Nkomo). He spoke excellent English and also Russian as he had been trained in Cuba, East Germany and Russia. If I thought that I was scared, Colonel Zikhali was terrified and was chain smoking, as were all of the smokers in our Croc.
We had been driving for about 30 minutes, deep in the heart of Indian Country, when Colonel Zikhali began to get concerned and started yelling "I think we're in the shit! I think we're in the shit!" We asked him what was the problem and he replied "Where are your crosses?". "What crosses?", we asked. He then informed us that all vehicles of the Monitoring Force were required to display white crosses on the sides. We were driving in the operational area in a Rhodesian AFV and we had no crosses displayed; we were about to be ambushed. A quick radio call to the lead vehicle and we pulled to a halt and out came the white surgical tape from my medical pack. We then put 'shitloads' of white crosses on all sides of the Croc and Land Rovers and away we went again.
We arrived at Assembly Place Lima at 1605, and immediately raised the Union Jack flag from the highest tree in the area, since this was a British operation. As well, we placed large painted signs with "CEASEFIRE ASSEMBLY PLACE" on several of the trees.
We then set up our hoochies, and lit lots of large fires to show our presence and to give the impression that we were non-tac (Non Tactical). We made lots of noise, including singing and over the next several hours, small groups of old men and women came forward and talked to Zikhali. Colonel Zikhali now became the most important member of the team as it was his persuasion that would sell our peaceful intentions to the local communists.
At that time there were no such things as computers or cell phones; and, believe it or not, the reporters with us each wrote a story and then pulled out a small cage containing several 'Reuters' pigeons. They clipped the stories into a small silver container and this was attached to a pigeon's leg. The bird was then released and flew back to Salisbury with the newsflash of our safe arrival.
At 2359 plus 1 that night, a General Ceasefire was declared throughout Rhodesia.
And that was how 75 Kiwi soldiers spent Christmas in 1979.
"So, Merry Christmas and Keep Your Head Down!"
Also by Mike Subritzky:
- - Convent kid - Saint Joseph's Parish School, Waihi, 1950s
- - At Assembly Place "Lima" - an old gunner's poems.