RHODESIAN HOME FRONT FARM HOUSES

A selection of photos showing Rhodesian farm houses, farm workers houses, farmers and their workers, Rhodesian boilers, and other buildings.

Some farm guards.

Farmers

A farmer and his workers

Rhodesian boiler

Farm workers thatched houses.

UNDERFIRE MINIATURES 20MM FIGURES, RHODESIAN HOME FRONT.

Underfire Miniatures do these stunning 20mm figures of Rhodesian Farmers, farm guard and PATU – Police Anti Terrorist Unit who held the front line in the bush war.

This was a brutal period with large groups of ZANLA or ZIPRA terrorists attacking innocent farming civilians of both races as they would attack the farm workers as well.

The farmers in the best case scenario would hold out until the terrorists ran away or PATU, BSAP or the Army arrived to relieve them. These attacks were more often than not at night so it was difficult for the airforce to assist but they did when possible.

A four figure pack detailing a farm, or ranch, owners family defending their property. There are three family figures (Mother, Father, teenage son), plus a European farm hand and they are armed with a SLR, UZI, SLR and shotgun respectively. Defending their property from the main farm house, they, along with armed staff, would have to hold our long enough for the alarm to be raised and Police, or Army units to arrive and drive off the insurgents.

A four figure pack detailing a group of Farm Guards. Along with the farm, or ranch, owners family they would often be the first line of defense against any insurgent attack. In this pack, they have been uniformed with surplus police fatigues. The trousers are blue and the shirts white. They are armed with bolt action Lee Enfields and a shotgun, whilst their leader has a G3 assault rifle.

A four figure pack detailing a Police Anti Terrorist Unit stick. Quite often in the Rhodesian Bush War, due to equipment shortages, many second line units had to make do with and use older, or obsolete, weapons and webbing. This pack reflects this. All figures are sculpted with pattern 58 webbing and are armed with SLR’s and a Bren, whilst the stick commander has an UZI, plus the radio. Police, or P.A.T.U. units would quite often be the first reinforcements sent to relieve besieged farmsteads, once the alarm had been raised.

Farms were issued with radios AgriAlert to call for assistance. The farms were usually well fenced with government grants. Some farmers created more obstacles for the terrorists which could include, barbed wire strategically placed, the odd plough sheer mine hung in a tree which would detonated on being tripped, thus pushing the enemy into areas where they could bring fire down on them.

Farm buildings would be protected with grenade screens, also sand bag or brick walls to protect windows and some farmers would create emplacements for them to defend the house.

Farmers would also have mine and ambush protected vehicles.

Underfire RAR FIGURES USED FOR RR.

Many thanks to Marlene Chinks Marillier for the photos.

Intake 122 B Company, Llewellin Barracks, 1972 January intake middle of the year on patrol based in Wankie.

These photos give you a good idea how the Underfire Miniatured 28mm RAR figures could be used for RR (Rhodesia Regiment) as well as other units. A bit of pink flesh paint will suffice, and you can find my painting instructions in other posts.

Unfire Miniature 28mm RAR figures.