Treasure trove of info on the RLI

Started by bayonetbrant, August 21, 2012, 08:26:38 AM

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bayonetbrant

http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/showthread.php?t=15803

the main guy in the thread is posting a lot of photos, excerpts, and recollections - many of which are included in an new book on the Rhodesian Light Infantry (we're trying to get a copy to review).

This is not a political thread, but one that discusses a lot of tactics, operations, and 'slice of life' stories that are a fantastic read.
The key to surviving this site is to not say something which ends up as someone's tag line - Steelgrave

"their citizens (all of them counted as such) glorified their mythology of 'rights'...and lost track of their duties. No nation, so constituted, can endure." Robert Heinlein, Starship Troopers

bayonetbrant

Here's one hell of a story:

Quote'I was in my left-hand attack orbit, and then I woke up to hear Finch Bellringer shouting, "Are you all right; are you all right?" By then, we were in a right- hand orbit. We must have flipped over into a right turn during the moment I was unconscious, or at least stunned, and Finch didn't know what the hell was going on. He must have thought his pilot was dead.'

A bullet had entered the front of McLean's helmet just above his right eye, smashing the visor and exiting above and behind his right ear, grazing his right temple. The bullet brought the total number of holes in the helicopter to 13, excluding the two holes in the pilot's helmet. McLean recovered his wits enough to stabilise the helicopter; 'It felt like I had been smacked by a prizefighter. I can only think that the resistance of the fibre in the helmet must have snapped my head to the right. It certainly gave me a savage headache, which lasted for the rest of the day. I remember the headache being worse the next morning, but that was probably more to do with the amount of beer I drank at Grand Reef that night.'

Mark McLean, sporting a huge AK-47—induced lump over his right eye, and his recently wounded technician, Finch Bellringer, bravely continued with the task of eliminating ZANLA resistance without any thought for their own discomfort or safety. McLean carried on flying his K-car, clocking a total of six hours, 40 minutes in the air that day

Dude took a fucking bullet through the helmet and kept flying air cover for the raid on Chimoio

The key to surviving this site is to not say something which ends up as someone's tag line - Steelgrave

"their citizens (all of them counted as such) glorified their mythology of 'rights'...and lost track of their duties. No nation, so constituted, can endure." Robert Heinlein, Starship Troopers

Staggerwing

#2
Quote from: bayonetbrant on September 13, 2012, 08:57:34 AM

QuoteMcLean carried on flying his K-car, clocking a total of six hours, 40 minutes in the air that day

Dude took a fucking bullet through the helmet and kept flying air cover for the raid on Chimoio

Even more impressive when you consider he was at the wheel of possibly the worst vehicle Chrysler ever made...



(J/K Those RLI guys were some hardcore mofos!)
Vituð ér enn - eða hvat?  -Voluspa

Nothing really rocks and nothing really rolls and nothing's ever worth the cost...

"Don't you look at me that way..." -the Abyss
 
'When searching for a meaningful embrace, sometimes my self respect took second place' -Iggy Pop, Cry for Love

... this will go down on your permanent record... -the Violent Femmes, 'Kiss Off'-

"I'm not just anyone, I'm not just anyone-
I got my time machine, got my 'electronic dream!"
-Sonic Reducer, -Dead Boys

besilarius

Bullet trajectories can be utterly amazing.
Max Hastings, in his book Mailed Fist, relates a story of a street fight between his Churchill tank and a Tiger in the streets of Caen.
Both turned into a sidestreet at the same time.  And both were so flabbergasted/shocked that no one fired for what seemed an eternity.
In the stress, Hastings whispered to his gunner, "Shoot"  and he did.
They watched two or three rounds bounce off the front glacis of the Tiger.  Then the germans stopped laughing and fired.
The round went through the front armor and exited in the back of the turret, killing the driver.
In the dark, the rest of the crew were able to get away.
Going back the next day, they were shocked at how the shell seemed to just pass through without doing any physical damage except for the entry and exit holes.  Then the gunner pulled out some twine and stretched it from the two holes.
The twine went right through the commander's seat.
As Hastings was okay and had no wounds, they were just amazed.  He had been in his seat the entire time, the string showed it should have gone right through his navel, and there wasn't a lot of room around his shoulders for the shell to move through.
"Most gods throw dice, but Fate plays chess, and you don't find out until too late that he's been playing with two queens all along".  Terry Pratchett.

During filming of Airplane, Leslie Nielsen used a whoopee cushion to keep the cast off-balance. Hays said that Nielsen "played that thing like a maestro"

Tallulah Bankhead: "I'll come and make love to you at five o'clock. If I'm late, start without me."

"When all other trusts fail, turn to Flashman." — Abraham Lincoln.

"I have enjoyed very warm relations with my two husbands."
"With your eyes closed?"
"That helped."  Lauren Bacall

Master Chiefs are sneaky, dastardly, and snarky miscreants who thrive on the tears of Ensigns and belly dancers.   Admiral Gerry Bogan.

Staggerwing

Interesting story, thanks for posting it here. Mailed Fist is a hard book to find, sadly, so I've never read it.
Vituð ér enn - eða hvat?  -Voluspa

Nothing really rocks and nothing really rolls and nothing's ever worth the cost...

"Don't you look at me that way..." -the Abyss
 
'When searching for a meaningful embrace, sometimes my self respect took second place' -Iggy Pop, Cry for Love

... this will go down on your permanent record... -the Violent Femmes, 'Kiss Off'-

"I'm not just anyone, I'm not just anyone-
I got my time machine, got my 'electronic dream!"
-Sonic Reducer, -Dead Boys

LongBlade

Quote from: Staggerwing on September 16, 2012, 08:08:39 AM
Interesting story, thanks for posting it here. Mailed Fist is a hard book to find, sadly, so I've never read it.

I can't find it on Amazon. Or Barnes & Noble.
All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

mirth

#6
I don't think it was a Hastings book. Hastings was only born after WW2 had ended.  His dad was a correspondent during the war.

The only book entitled Mailed Fist that I saw on Amazon was by John Foley. According to the description, Foley served in Normandy as part of the 107th Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps, of the independent 34th Tank Brigade.

This is the Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Mailed-Fist-John-Foley/dp/0583124917

Still, it's an interesting story. Thanks to  Belisarius for mentioning it.
"45 minutes of pooping Tribbles being juggled by a drunken Horta would be better than Season 1 of TNG." - SirAndrewD

"you don't look at the mantelpiece when you're poking the fire" - Bawb

"Can't 'un' until you 'pre', son." - Gus

Staggerwing

Well, ain't that a kick in the head! That's a book I ordered about three weeks ago and still haven't gotten. I'd forgotten the title in the meantime. Thanks for reminding me- I need to fire of an angry 'WTF?' missive to the reseller.


Feel free to start ribbing me... :-\
Vituð ér enn - eða hvat?  -Voluspa

Nothing really rocks and nothing really rolls and nothing's ever worth the cost...

"Don't you look at me that way..." -the Abyss
 
'When searching for a meaningful embrace, sometimes my self respect took second place' -Iggy Pop, Cry for Love

... this will go down on your permanent record... -the Violent Femmes, 'Kiss Off'-

"I'm not just anyone, I'm not just anyone-
I got my time machine, got my 'electronic dream!"
-Sonic Reducer, -Dead Boys

bob48

^ Us, take the pi**? No way Stagger!

It is actually a very good book, although it was a quite while ago since I read it.
'We few, we happy few, we band of brothers'

'Clip those corners'

Recombobulate the discombobulators!

mirth

Quote from: Staggerwing on September 16, 2012, 01:56:33 PM
Well, ain't that a kick in the head! That's a book I ordered about three weeks ago and still haven't gotten. I'd forgotten the title in the meantime. Thanks for reminding me- I need to fire of an angry 'WTF?' missive to the reseller.


Feel free to start ribbing me... :-\

That is pretty funny Stagger! Be sure to let us know what you think of the book when it finally arrives.
"45 minutes of pooping Tribbles being juggled by a drunken Horta would be better than Season 1 of TNG." - SirAndrewD

"you don't look at the mantelpiece when you're poking the fire" - Bawb

"Can't 'un' until you 'pre', son." - Gus

besilarius

GAAAHH!!
A true senior moment.  The author was Major Max Foley.  Not Hastings.

http://www.amazon.com/Mailed-Fist-John-Foley/dp/0583124917
"Most gods throw dice, but Fate plays chess, and you don't find out until too late that he's been playing with two queens all along".  Terry Pratchett.

During filming of Airplane, Leslie Nielsen used a whoopee cushion to keep the cast off-balance. Hays said that Nielsen "played that thing like a maestro"

Tallulah Bankhead: "I'll come and make love to you at five o'clock. If I'm late, start without me."

"When all other trusts fail, turn to Flashman." — Abraham Lincoln.

"I have enjoyed very warm relations with my two husbands."
"With your eyes closed?"
"That helped."  Lauren Bacall

Master Chiefs are sneaky, dastardly, and snarky miscreants who thrive on the tears of Ensigns and belly dancers.   Admiral Gerry Bogan.

bayonetbrant

I've ordered my copy of the RLI book today as a late birthday present to myself
The key to surviving this site is to not say something which ends up as someone's tag line - Steelgrave

"their citizens (all of them counted as such) glorified their mythology of 'rights'...and lost track of their duties. No nation, so constituted, can endure." Robert Heinlein, Starship Troopers