Hey all.
FTPR:
Two comments.
- The iconic look of the Rhodesian "Troopie" is that of wearing shorts in the field, but the wearing of shorts by Rhodesian troops, while common in some stages of the war, was not universal. Some units (such as the Rhodesian African Rifles for example) never wore shorts and by the final stages of the conflict shorts were dying out. For example, photos of Rhodesian Light Infantry in the last year of the war show one piece camo jumpsuits being one of the common items of clothing. These became common when the RLI became jump trained as Fireforce units began to incorperate paratroops into the mix. In any event, the troops found that donning a jump suit was alot quicker than applying camo cream to their legs.
That being said, as someone notes above, Rhodesian uniform standards in the field were extremely lax, and the variety of what was worn at all stages is amazing.
-While berets were part of the Rhodesian uniform for all units, they were almost never worn in the field. The iconic cap with the neck curtain was the most common piece of headgear, but privately made "boonie caps" were commonplace as too……as well as captured insurgent caps*, headbands, and just going bare headed. But I would avoid figures wearing berets.
Field Marshal-
Vietnam ANZAC figures, with a little work, make good Rhodesian stand ins. The cut of the Australian uniform is a bit different but at 28mm scale and painted in the correct camo pattern it's not that noticable. The pattern 58 field gear that the ANZACS wore, really did not arrive in Rhodesia in large amounts prior to the UDI declaration, but it did see some use. It's close enough in apearance to both domesticly produced Rhodesian webbing and South African Pattern 70 equipment (which was used in large numbers) to work.
I've got a platoon of Assault Group Anzacs I converted and painted to be RAR troops in my Rhodesian Bush War collection. The hardest part is getting those totally unsuitable M60s to look like FN-MAGs, but some time with a dremel did the trick. In addition convert some of the boonie hats to look like Rhodesian caps (grind off the brim and add a new brim and flap made of putty), grind off the parachute cord on the ammo pouches, and paint the inner tube covered ammo belts to look like they are exposed, and they work just fine.
Hope that helps.
Martin
*-That seems odd, and it's certainly something I would not wear in the field for fear of blue on blue accidents. But you do see photos of this practice. Also it was common enough that the oerational orders for Op.Dingo actually bars the troops participating in the raid from wearing enemy headgear.
