Bandit Mentality: Hunting Insurgents in the Rhodesian Bush War, A Memoir

by Lindsay O’Brien

A former officer of British South Africa’s anti-terrorist unit recounts his experiences on the frontlines of the Rhodesian Bush war from 1976–1980.   A native of New Zealand, Lindsay ‘Kiwi’ O’Brien served in the British South Africa Police Support Unit’s anti-terrorist battalion. He traveled across the country as a section leader and a troop commander before joining the UANC political armies as trainer and advisor.   The BSA Support Unit started poorly supplied and equipped, but the caliber of the men, mostly African, was second-to-none. Support Unit specialized in the “grunt” work inside Rhodesia with none of the flamboyant helicopter or cross-border raids carried out by the army. O’Brien’s war was primarily within selected tribal lands, seeking out and destroying Communist guerilla units in brisk close-range battles with little to no support.   O’Brien moved from the police to working with the initial UANC deployment in the Zambezi Valley where the poorly trained recruits had to learn fast or die. O’Brien’s account is a foreign-born perspective from a junior commander uninterested in promotion and the wrangling of upper command. He was decorated and wounded three times.

Genres: Military Fiction

351 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 23, 2017

Reviews

[Wai Zin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read quite a few books on Rhodesian Bush War. They are the memoirs or accounts of elite units like Rhodesian SAS, Selous Scout, RLI etc. These books depicts flashy cross border raids into neighboring countries or exciting fire force actions or nerve-racking pseudo operations.
This book is different.

The narrator, a New Zealander, served in Police Support Unit of BSAP during Rhodesian Bush War. His unit engaged in counter insurgency operations inside Rhodesian border. Their jobs mainly focused on patrolling and searching for elusive ZANLA guerillas. It was a hard and boring but necessary job. Armed only with individual infantry weapons such as FN FAL or (semi-automatic) SLR and GPMG they faced better armed guerillas who were equipped with AK, RPD, RPG and motors etc. No wonder the narrator wounded three times.

And one thing stands out in this book is narrator’s daily contact with Black population. Other books rarely showed us about this side of the story. His constables are all blacks and his unit operated in Tribal Trust Land where only black lived. He gave the readers the firsthand accounts of the tribal people’s lives. In Rhodesian at that time, the lives of Whites and Blacks are completely different. No wonder the Blacks did not care for the then Rhodesian Government. The White Government got zero help from the black tribal populations who are overwhelming on the side of guerillas.
As a New Zealander in Rhodesia, he was an outsider looking in. He didn’t hold any punches. He told frankly of how not all Rhodesians are pulling their weight in the fights.

Anyway whole hearted recommendation for any military history enthusiastic.

[Rich · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic memoir of the Rhodesian bush war. The author writes with an excellent sense of humor and pulls no punches calling out the useless bosses who mismanaged the war and that were politically out maneuvered by that scumbag terrorist piece of dirty dogshit Robert Mugabe. Realizing he (the author) had little interest in doing parade, drill, and all the other nonsense associated with a traditional army he joined the Police support unit in a counter terrorism capacity. As a New Zealander joining the Rhodesian fight he was an outsider that had a clear perspective on what worked in the bush against the terrorists and what did not. One of the things that was striking in book is how little material support the counter terrorism police units actually had. Other than the right arm of the free world (The FN FAL) and some paltry rifle grenades these guys were sent out in limited numbers with African Constables (who come across as indispensable) to fight against well equipped terrorists who had AK-47’s RPK light machine guns, Chinese grenades, and mortars. O’brien was shot three separate times, including a chest shot from a machine gun from which he barely survived. All in all he is/was a stud and his type of soldier is what helped Rhodesia survive as ling as it did against overwhelming odds. I have read several books from the special forces perspective on the bush war but this was unique involving the key support units that protected farms and engaged the terrorists mano a mano in the bush. I highly recommend this book.

[Mungo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boots bullets boredom - and real hands-on experience of leading BSAP Support Unit men in action.

A fascinating and detailed account of leading BSAP Support troops in active counter-insurgency operations. This is all about living with his African police in the Rhodesian bush - patrolling in all weathers, questioning locals to gather information, interspersed with fierce action contacts. Covers the smell and feel of life in rural areas, as well as the resourcefulness of making do in infantry work on foot against a better armed enemy. Very readable and thoroughly absorbing. Excellent pen pictures of the characters among his policeman soldiers, as well as of the social life in a country at war.

[Walter Stevens · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the better books I've read about the Rhodesian war. It portrays life from the perspective of a relatively ordinary any Kiwi, not some super-soldier. It also describes much that is mundane, boring and even spiteful in the life of O'brien serving as a operational leader in Rhodesia's police anti-terrorist force. He writes well. I would have liked him to include a little of his life post-Rhodesia.

[David Pentz · Rating 5 out of 5]

great read

Well written with an easy style. Great insight into the day to day of the Rhodesian bush war. Very descriptive. From the boredom to the terror. A much appreciated read.

[Richard Flagg · Rating 5 out of 5]

A excellent history of the Rhodesian BSAP in the Bush War.

I really enjoyed reading this book of the experiences of the author in the BSAP during the Bush war in Rhodesia.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

great memoir

fascinating time. great insight. well lived. life goes on. history continues. some people apparently do survive being shot:) will try to find more like this.

[Apteryx · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riveting memoir.