THE RHODESIAN LIGHT INFANTRY

The late 1950's and early 60's saw the emergence throughout Africa of a number of wars of independence against the Colonial powers of the time.The advent of Communist Chinese and Russian sponsorship of Guerilla movements heralded a new sophistication in both weaponry, training and methodology for insurgents. This new capability effected mainly Rhodesia, the South African protectorates and the Portuguese colonies of Southern Africa. While other colonial countries maintained substantial conventional standing Armies in Africa, it was in fact the Rhodesians that developed a small mobile, extremely efficient and diverse fighting machine to combat this new level of threat both internally and externally. Their methods were to benchmark Anti Guerilla Warfare worldwide for some time to come and at the forefront of this effort stood the Rhodesian Light Infantry. Nicknamed 'The Saints' or 'The Incredibles', The 1st Battalion The Rhodesian Light Infantry (RLI) was formed on 1 February 1961, and in its short 19-year existence, this commando airborne unit carved for itself a reputation as one of the world's foremost proponents of counter-insurgency warfare, through internal 'Fireforce' operations and daring pre-emptive strikes against the overwhelming tide of the communist-backed guerrillas of Robert Mugabe and Joshua Nkomo based in Mozambique and Zambia.
For these reasons, Charles D. Melson of the USMC has described the RLI as "The Killing Machine". 
The Rhodesian "bush war" reached its bloody climax in 1980 and the country became Zimbabwe. The men of the RLI had won all their battles, but had lost the war ... and their country ... and the weary veterans drifted away. An 'international' regiment in the true sense, with foreign volunteers from North America, UK, Europe, Australasia and South Africa, RLI veterans can today, through the newly formed RLI Regimental Association, stand up with pride and say,

"I served in the RLI."