Southern Rhodesia Volunteers

Southern Rhodesia Volunteers
Active1898 - 1920
Country
NicknameSRV
EngagementsBoer War

The Southern Rhodesia Volunteers was an army regiment active from 1898 to 1920 during the time of the British South Africa Company's rule over Rhodesia.[1] It was the first regiment to be formed in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), beginning the process culminating in the emergence of the Zimbabwe National Army.[2][3]

History

In 1898, the Southern Rhodesia Volunteers was established as a mounted corps supported by cyclists, signallers, and engineers.[4] The Southern Rhodesia Volunteers served alongside the British South Africa Police and various Colonial and British Units.[5]

The Southern Rhodesia Volunteers had two divisions, the Eastern Division based in Salisbury and the Western Division based in Bulawayo.[6]

The Southern Rhodesia Volunteers served in the Boer War and the Siege of Mafeking. After their service in both deployments, they were awarded their first King’s Colour and Regimental Colour.[1] The Southern Rhodesia Volunteers never participated in the First World War, as their territory was represented on the front line by the Rhodesia Regiment.[1]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "South Africa – Southern Rhodesian Volunteers – Rhodesian Study Circle". 6 September 2017.
  2. ^ Gann, Lewis. The Development of Southern Rhodesia's Military System, 1890- 1953. Occasional Papers n.s. no. 91 (Salisbury GP: 1965). National Archives of Zimbabwe. p 1-82.
  3. ^ Rasmussen, R. K., & Rubert, S. C., 1990. A Historical Dictionary of Zimbabwe, Scarecrow Press, Inc., Metuchen, NJ, USA.
  4. ^ "Development of Southern Rhodesia's Military System". www.rhodesia.nl.
  5. ^ "Royal Rhodesia Regimente was formed in 1890 to assist in occupying Mashonaland for the British South Africa Company". rhodesianforces.org.
  6. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2020-07-22. Retrieved 2020-07-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)