Rhodesian Light Infantry
The 1st Battalion, Rhodesian Light Infantry (1RLI), commonly The Rhodesian Light Infantry (RLI), was a regiment formed in 1961 at Brady Barracks (Bulawayo, Southern Rhodesia) as a light infantry unit within the army of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. Barely a year after its creation, it was relocated to Cranborne Barracks (Salisbury) where its headquarters remained for the rest of its existence. The Regiment became part of the Southern Rhodesian Army when the Federation dissolved at the start of 1964 and, later that year, reformed into a commando battalion.
| 1st Battalion, Rhodesian Light Infantry | |
|---|---|
Emblem of the Rhodesian Light Infantry. The absence of the Queen's crown is evidence that this is the post-1970 pattern. | |
| Active | 1 February 1961 – 31 October 1980 |
| Disbanded | 31 October 1980 |
| Country | Rhodesia |
| Branch | Regular Army |
| Type | Commando |
| Size | Battalion |
| Part of | 2 Brigade |
| Headquarters | Cranborne Barracks, Salisbury |
| Nickname(s) | The Saints The Incredibles |
| Motto(s) | Various; none official |
| Colours | Tartan Green and Silver White |
| March | Quick: When the Saints Go Marching In Slow: The Incredibles |
| Mascot(s) | Cheetah |
| Anniversaries | 1 February 1961 11 November 1965 |
| Engagements | Rhodesian Bush War |
| Decorations | Freedom of the City of Salisbury 25 July 1975 |
| Commanders | |
| First CO | Lt-Col J. S. Salt |
| Final CO | Lt-Col J. C. W. Aust |
| Notable commanders | Lt-Col G. P. Walls, Lt-Col J. C. W. Aust |
After Rhodesia's Unilateral Declaration of Independence on 11 November 1965, the RLI became one of the country's main counter-insurgency units during the Rhodesian Bush War, which pitted the all-white (later white-controlled) government's security forces against the rival guerrilla campaigns of Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA) and the Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA).
An all-white regiment, the RLI was made up wholly of professional soldiers until 1973, when capable conscripted national servicemen were first introduced. Foreign volunteers from across the world, including many veterans of foreign conflicts, also joined and became a key part of the Regiment. The RLI was nicknamed "The Saints" or "The Incredibles."
So prominent were the airborne aspects of typical RLI operations that the battalion became a parachute regiment in 1976. The RLI served under the short-lived government of Zimbabwe Rhodesia in 1979, and the interim British government that followed. After serving under the new government of Zimbabwe for a brief period, the unit was disbanded in October 1980.
The RLI's tactics and training contributed to repeated successes in its counter-insurgency operations. "The advantage this gave them..." says United States Army Lieutenant-Colonel Dave Grossman, "...added up to nothing less than total tactical superiority." Alexandre Binda writes that the RLI "...earned for itself an enviable reputation as one of the world's foremost anti-terrorist forces," while Major Charles D. Melson, chief historian of the United States Marine Corps, calls it "The Killing Machine".