Rhodesia Regiment - list of officers?

Does anyone know where one can find a list of officers of the Rhodesia Regiment during WW2, e.g. as one can find for British officers in the Army Lists?

Any help most welcome!

 

I do have a "coffee table" volume on their history: Rhodesia Regiment

A few years I met one of the three authors @ Derby, who gave me the volume.

There is a second book, not seen personally: The Rhodesia Regiment - Alexandre Binda - Theron Books

I have never seen Rhodesian listings in the London Gazette. Southern Rhodesia was a self-governing colony till 1965 and Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) was a Crown territory till independence in 1964.

 

I am looking for names of officers during the war. Starting point would be names of gents with the rank of Major or Lt-Col.

 

I shall have a look. The tome has a Leadership Roll and a Roll of Honour - though on first glance no officers listed, only NCOs. Standby.

 

Rhodesians were very proud of their mobilization in WW2, initially only from the white European population and later with a Rhodesian African Rifles battalion. Somewhere there are statistics. They also served in the RAF and RN. Some served with the South African Army and from the list I expect those named are those who returned home. In October 1939 338 Rhodesians volunteered to serve in West Africa, with the Royal West African Frontier Regiment (RWAFF) in Nigerian and Gold Coast (now Ghana) battalions. Many went to Burma, but their sickness rate in the Arakan meant nearly all returned home.

Rhodesia Regiment Officers in WW2 compiled from ‘Rhodesia Regiment 1899-1981’ by Peter Baxter, Hugh Bomford. Gerry van Tonder et all. Published in South Africa 2014.


Leadership Section


1st Bn. Lt. Col. Sir Thomas Ellis Robins 7/40-1/1943

Lt. Col. E.E. Burt

Lt. Col. N.S. Reid

Lt. Col. John Forest MacDonald

Lt. Col. Hector Valentine Buxton, OBE

2nd Bn. Lt. Col. C.G. Arkwright MC


Text in WW2 Chapter


Lt. Col. John Forest MacDonald Served in Somaliland, returned to 1st Bn. in 1943 and author of ‘Lion with Tusk Quadrant’, published 1945 and online via: http://rhodesians-worldwide.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/LionGuardant.pdf This only covers Rhodesian service in East Africa and North Africa, ending just after El Alamein.

Lt. Gerald Keogh MC

Lt. Harold Addecott MC

Lt. Jack Desfountain MC

Lt. Jack Johnson LRDG

Lt. J.R. Olivey LRDG

Lt. Kenneth Graham Harvey

Cpt. Stanley Arthur Stokes MM + MC LRDG

Lt. George Victor Pitt MC LRDG

Col. John Banks Brady KRRC in North Africa

Col. John de Lisle Thompson OBE

2nd Lt. J.D.T. Guest KRRC killed in Op Crusader

Captain, later Major, Willis Michael ‘Mike’ Sadler LRDG, then SAS and thread here

Cpt. R.A. Wyrley-Birch 4th Rhodesian Anti-tank Battery and 289 (Rhodesian) AT battery

Lt. Gilson

Lt. Jackman

Lt. Guy Savory 1/11th AT regt. & 1/22nd (Rhodesian) AT Battery

Lt. Nichol

Lt. Woodrow MC

Lt. Alfred George Whittall died 6/6/1942

Cpt. Alexander Gerald Lee Goschen MC + Bar LRDG

Maj. Oliver Hamilton Newton MC + Bar KRRC died 27/11/1942

Lt. Col. R.A. Baillee RWAFF 4th Nigerian Bn

Lt. Henry Charles Fisher MC RWAFF 4th Nigerian Bn

Maj. J.L. Reid 155th (East African & Rhodesian) Field Survey Company

Temp. Major Charles Henry Valentine Cooke MC RWAFF 2nd Nigerian Bn

Lt. Col. Alan James Wroughton MacLeod DSO + Bar 3rd then 4th 12th Royal FFR (Sikhs)

Cpt. Gerald Ross Newton VC 1/4th Royal Hampshire Rgmt

Cpt. Leslie Moody 3rd Monmouthshire Bn

Cpt. Paul Newton Brietsche MC

Maj. E.R. Fothergill 1/6th Field Regmt SA Army

2nd Lt. Gordon Bennett Mollett SA Army


Medal & Awards Section


Lt.Col. Ian Hume McHarg MC 7/16th Punjab Regmt

Col. John Banks Brady OBE + DSO

Col. Norman Sydney Ferris OBE

Temp. Maj. J. Donaldson MBE

Temp. Maj. P.J. Kenworthy

Lt. A. McBean MC

Lt. J.H. Paterson

2nd Lt. Oliver Hamilton Newton MC + Bar

2nd Lt. Reginald Arnold Edwards MC

Temp. Cpt. H.C. Fisher MC

Lt. George Richard Unwin MC

Temp. Cpt. Clive Elmore Coaton MC

Temp. Maj. C.H.V. Cooke MC

Temp. Maj. J.W. Farquharson MC

Temp. Maj. Dennis Ford MC

 

Just noticed a couple of names appear in the linked book. One was Lt. G.A. Jamieson, on pg.56 (with a Nigerian Bn.) and on pg. 76 Captain A. J. Stewart and Captain J. H. Paterson. On pg. 78 Captain A.D. Campbell.

On pg. 80: Major J. A. French received the D.S.O. To Lieutenant E. Morris and Lieutenant E. Zacks both awarded the Military Cross.

On pg. 92: Major W. H. Power MC awarded; served with the Cheshire Regt.

On pg. 100: Sergeant V. D. Arnold, M.C., was recommended for an immediate commission, as was also Sergeant G. W. Valentine.

On pg. 101: the Rhodesian Liaison Officer to the Middle East, Lieut-Colonel J. B. Brady, D.S.O.; he was id'd in previous post minus hat his role was.

On pg. 112: Lieutenant C. A. Holliman, 71224, of the 1st R.T.R.

On pg. 124: The 1st Buffs, resisting valiantly although overrun by the enemy tanks, suffered severely. In this action a Rhodesian company commander of the Regiment, Captain E. M. Kenny, was among the killed.

 

Much appreciated!

 

Hi davidbfpo Just reviving this thread briefly if possible, could you kindly check for another name in your Rhodesia Regiment book? I am looking for a P A Venturas.

Many thanks
Tom

 

Tom,

No trace in the Rhodesia Regiment book.

I note Google AI suggests the name of Greek origin, based on a George Venturas served as Mayor of Que Que 1949-1951. Citing: https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:6...b735c/files/mc7740c03e272032855e297b4b1c02e67

There was young man George Venturas who died in 1977, as a police officer in the later war.

NT @ TNA on the surname.

What is the context Tom? I could ask the Rhodesian (Army) group in New Zealand.

 

Hi David. Thank you for checking.

The chap in question (P S Venturas - South Rhodesian Service No. X1820 - UDF Service Number SR597815) is a South Rhodesian who served in the South African UDF during WW2 (I am waiting to received more of his records, but in the meantime I have a document confirming his name, service number & medal entitlement on a document from Zimbabwe dated 1983, and the front page of his attestation papers (into the South African UDF) confirming he saw service in the S.R.A.C.R. (South Rhodesian Armoured Car Regiment) & the S.R.R.R. (which I believe was the Southern Rhodesian Reconnaissance Regiment). I'm not yet sure in what capacity he served with the South African UDF, but he was awarded the Africa Service Medal and an Italy Star, so almost certainly served with the 6th SA Armoured Division in Italy.

Thanks again
Tom

 

Tom,

All noted, I met a veteran from the unit in 1985, though not in WW2. A brief history:

From: JULY 2011 newsletter - Cape Town - South African Military History Society - Title page and more on: Rhodesian Armoured Corps - Wikipedia

From: Our Rhodesian Heritage: RHODESIANS AND THE PRETORIA REGIMENT. He does not appear in a list of all ranks when you scroll down.