Harare Central Hospital deployment
When it is time to go home after a lengthy deployment in the Operational Area, one wants to be able to get home to family and de-stress from the rigours of war.
This deployment was a very active one. We were constantly on Fire Force (FF) deployment, based at Kotwa, a forward base in the Joint Operations Centre (JOC) Mtoko area. This location had an airstrip and D Company Rhodesian African Rifles (RAR) was deployed there. We were deployed to this area for a specific purpose: to maintain a ground presence through patrolling and to serve as the allocated Fire Force for the operational area, located near the Mozambique border in the Nyamapanda region. This involved responding to reports from early morning border patrols identifying terrorist crossings into the area, heading toward Mtoko and beyond. We were also flown in to conduct follow-up operations, supported by our exceptional team of trackers led by Corporal Charles. 10 Platoon was designated as the main Fire Force unit, with Corporal Charles and his tracking team attached under command. Together, we formed a formidable force, with additional support from the rest of D Company provided as needed.
This setting is important to understand in relation to the rest of this account as it highlights the exceptional role and dedication of the RAR soldiers, and the way they carried out their role as infantry. The RAR soldier had a way of walking that, once learnt by us Platoon Commanders, enabled us to walk great distances at a consistent pace and cover a lot of ground on foot without unnecessary fatigue. These traits, combined with rigorous training and discipline, combined with their natural affinity with the bush and the local population, made them a formidable force.
The average Platoon was made up of a Platoon Commander, the only white soldier in the platoon, a Platoon Warrant Officer, a Platoon Sergeant and three sections with their usual Section Commanders made up of a Corporal and a variation in numbers of Lance Corporals and an average of ten soldiers per section.
This was a family unit in every sense of the word. The Platoon Commander not only held the critical leadership role during combat operations but also embodied the role of a patriarch. This role extended beyond tactical decisions and military authority—it involved fostering trust, maintaining morale, and deeply caring for the welfare of the soldiers under his command. The bond within the platoon was built on mutual respect, shared hardships, and the unique camaraderie that arose from living, working, and fighting side by side. The sense of "family" was essential in the challenging and often isolated environments where the RAR operated, strengthening their effectiveness as a cohesive and formidable unit. The welfare of our men came first and foremost, and the acceptance of the Platoon Commander in its fullest form took time as they watched their leader closely…then gave him a nickname and formally accepted him into the platoon. My nickname was 2.5, derived from the 2.5 Unimog - stocky, powerful, tenacious. This was the Rhodesian African Rifles - a Regiment steeped in history and tradition, carrying Battle Honours, and the Queen Mother as Patron.
The RAR was an Infantry Battalion: we walked with all the necessary equipment needed for the task, we fought, and in most deployments, we walked home. In Fire Force deployments we were often left on the ground overnight in the battle area to continue follow-up tasks on the next day. Later we became not just infantry, but airborne Paratroopers. Commissioned as an RAR Officer was a privilege and an honour.
It had been a very busy deployment. We had numerous contacts with the terrorist insurgents over this period, not only because of border crossing infiltrations, but a large number of sightings and incidents in the area of responsibility. Insurgents regularly crossed into Rhodesia, operating from a base called Mudzi, close to the border along the Mudzi River. Follow-up operations on the border infiltrations were demanding in many ways, especially as the insurgents knew that they had to move quickly from the border to get into the more densely locally populated areas, which were also more hilly and provided concealment bases for them on their onward journey. A variety of tactics were used, from straight tracking, leap-frog maneuvers, deploying Observation Teams and air recce searches which sometimes slowed the insurgents down. Other deployments included reacting to sightings of insurgents and responding to numerous insurgent activities.
After a very busy and intense deployment, marked by numerous contacts but no losses or injuries to our men, it was time to return home for a very well-deserved R and R - especially for Corporal Charles and his exceptional tracking team, who were attached to my Platoon, 10 Platoon. On our journey home, we were filled with great relief at a job well done, and an air of expectancy for a break from the intense and hard-fought tour of duty.
When military convoys passed through towns and cities, advance warnings were issued to the Military Police who met us on the outskirts of the town or city, briefed us and escorted us as a complete convoy, clearing the roads for the convoy to ensure their clear, safe passage without being fragmented. It was always an exciting time as the people of the cities and towns displaying their support, respect and gratitude in a manners that is difficult and too emotional to describe. There were no exceptions; we were treated equally, regardless of our colour, and it was always equal no matter what colour we were, as part of the fighting men of Rhodesia. There was an air of pride and gratitude, we had got through a difficult and demanding deployment. Now, we were due to pass through Salisbury.
We stopped short of the city met by the Military Police who briefed us, and took over the responsibility of escorting us through the Mother City. Major Graham Noble, the Company Commander, had instructed me to deliver some documents to Brigade Headquarters in Salisbury. Accompanied by my Platoon, we broke away from the convoy and drove off to carry out the orders given. Once the delivery was completed, I was to catch up with the convoy on the Salisbury to Bulawayo Road.
Having delivered the documents to the Brigade Major, which did not take as long as expected, we continued our homewards drive and caught up with the convoy near Lake Mcllwaine. Here a scene of disaster confronted us: there was an accident in front of us, with the troops of D company deployed appropriately to secure the scene, and our medics administering to the injured. A 2.5 Unimog carrying the Tracking Team had overturned leaving Cpl Charles critically injured. Our medics were attending to his wounds and had inserted a drip, whilst making sure that the lesser injured were comfortable and able to continue the onwards journey. Major Noble instructed me to speedily convey Corporal Charles to the Harare Central Hospital, accompanied by my Platoon, make sure that he was taken proper care of, and then continue the journey to Bulawayo. We carefully loaded our seriously injured brother-in-arms, who had been through so much with us all over the past few weeks on deployment, into a suitable vehicle with a Medic and drove off back to Salisbury, heading for Harare Hospital.
On arrival I entered the hospital with Platoon Warrant Officer Bernard and reported that we had a seriously injured soldier who needed emergency attention, but got hardly any response. I ordered Platoon Warrant Bernard to get some of the members of our Platoon, collect a gurney and we wheeled Corporal Charles into the casualty department. There were several medical personell “hanging around” with no sense of urgency, showing little interest in the fact that there was a serious casualty—albeit a soldier—that required immediate treatment. One white doctor was treating a patient who had a minor nasal problem in an area separate from the main casualty setup. I asked this doctor if he could please attend to our critical patient, Corporal Charles, but he curtly replied that he was busy. The hospital staff appeared preoccupied and totally disinterested. At that moment something radical had to be done to save the life of our brother-in-arms. This was not uncommon at the Hospital where some staff members harboured sympathies for the African nationalist cause and were reluctant to engage with individuals they viewed as collaborators or "sell-outs."
I now had to make a quick decision. Here was a man who gave his all on military operations and was now being treated with total disinterest. I instructed my Sergeant, who had come in with us, to go to our vehicles, form up members of the Platoon, fix bayonets, and march them into the casualty department. As members of the Platoon arrived, I posted two guards at the Casualty Department doors with instructions to prevent anyone from entering or leaving. I then instructed the bewildered doctor who had declined to render emergency assistance to attend to Charles immediately, ensuring that he did! An immediate sense of urgency entered the facility. After his preliminary examination, the doctor decided to send Charles for some X-rays. He advised that his staff would take Corporal Charles to the X-ray department. However, I instructed the doctor to lead the way and the members of 10 Platoon would escort him. Corporal Charles, who was wheeled by our own men, and the essential hospital staff were to follow, similarly escorted.
After the X-rays were completed, we were escorting Corporal Charles back to the casualty department when Dr Louis Shulman, who knew me from school, approached me and said: “David, if I promise to personally take care of your man (Corporal Charles) will you take your soldiers out of the hospital?” I replied that I would only withdraw my soldiers once I was satisfied that our Corporal Charles was settled in the ward and receiving proper care. Dr Louis Shulman recalls: “I was a houseman (first year qualified), in 1976 and worked in Orthopaedics. I recall meeting with a white Commanding Officer, David Padbury, who had a “group” of black soldiers at the Casualty Department, Harare Hospital. I assured David that I would make sure the soldier was looked after. I even recall the specific bed he was assigned to when I did go to visit him. From its position, he was likely to have been one of Dr Ropers orthopaedic patients.”
Once I had established that Charles would be cared for, `I warned the staff that I was leaving with my men but would return to ensure that Charles and other African soldiers on the ward were being satisfactorily cared for. These actions fostered a profound sense of mutual respect and trust, strengthening the bonds among the men and uniting them as a cohesive and dependable team.
We rejoined the rest of D Company near Gwelo and continued to Bulawayo and de-mobilised for R and R. After the usual end of deployment activities and formalities, my wife Jean and I prepared to travel to Salisbury to stay with my family. My father and I would be heading to Kariba to fish whilst Jean stayed in Salisbury with my son Bruce and my stepmother.
Prior to departing for Salisbury Major Noble, the Company Commander, advised me that a complaint had been made against me and I was required to report for a meeting with the Director of Medical Corps, Brig. Ainslie. On my way to see Brig. Ainslie in Salisbury, I called in to see Corporal Charles with Jean, a State Registered Nurse (SRN). Upon our arrival, it was clear that there was a noticeable shift in attitude. The staff were polite, and directed us to the ward where the injured military personnel who were located. Corporal Charles was being well looked after, as were other RAR and African military patients from other branches of the services, including CSM Bronzie Gibson, who had been wounded during a contact. Bronzie said we should visit more often saying: “Things had changed for the better”. We are most grateful. There was an air of joy and contentment, as it should have always been. Jean noticed that Corporal Charles appeared to be showing signs of becoming addicted to morphine. This was attended to and resolved.
Now it was my duty to report to the director of the Medical Corps. I knew Brig. Ainslie through his son, Mike Ainslie, who was at Alexandra Park Junior school with me. The Brigadier invited me into his office and asked me to sit down and tell him what happened, which I did. After listening, he said the Harare Hospital needed a shake-up because of its reputation regarding treatment of those who served in the Government Forces of the day, and said he would take care of the matter. Of interest, Dr Louis Shulman also knew Dr Ainslie from his time at Chiredzi where he served as a Captain in the Rhodesia Medical Corps and 2Rhodesian Regiment, mid-1977 to mid-1978.
With a cup of tea, the rest of the conversation turned to his son, Major Mike Ainslie, who had been tragically killed in a helicopter gun ship during a Fire Force action. Mike was also an RAR officer and Company Commander. On 27 March 1976, at VS534739, Mike Ainslie was the Fire Force Commander when he was fatally struck by a bullet which passed through his seat. Two weeks prior to his death, Mike and I were involved in a major follow-up action in the Mrewa area after our Platoon and trackers located tracks from a group of insurgents exiting from a major cordon operation. The operation had involved four companies surrounding a village the previous night. I was on the ground with our trackers and Captain Glen Reed. A Provost was flying above us in close support, delaying the flight of the terrorists. When the pilot advised that he had to leave due to low fuel, he called in the Fire Force, which was already on standby, Major Mike Ainslie was the commander. During the successful battle that ensued, which was a classic Fire Force deployment, the whole section of eight Insurgents were accounted for in very quick time due to Mike’s professionalism as he deployed his Fire-Force.
The time spent with my parents, Jean, and young son Bruce, along with the fishing trip, was incredibly refreshing. It provided a welcome break from the demands of duty, offering moments of relaxation and enjoyment that strengthened family bonds and allowed for reflection and restoration.
Images. (L-R) David Padbury on patrol with RAR section; talking to the people; relaxing with the men; helicopter duty; beer mug presented by his men - note the "2.5" engraved nickname; Dr Louis Shulman; Percival Provost T52.
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