Why did the Rhodesians wear short shorts?
Other than the FALs, the shorts might be the most distinctive part of the Bush War, but few know why they wore them
So we’ll explore that in the short 🧵👇
Other than the FALs, the shorts might be the most distinctive part of the Bush War, but few know why they wore them
So we’ll explore that in the short 🧵👇
It all boils down the nature of the Bush War
This wasn’t the Eastern Front, with huge, mechanized armies opposing each other along a defined front
Rather, it was (somewhat) more like Vietnam and the Malaysian Emergency, with light infantry on light infantry conflict defining most of the war
Commie guerrillas on one side and the Rhodesians, in units like the RLI, SAS, RAR, and Selous Scouts on the other
This wasn’t the Eastern Front, with huge, mechanized armies opposing each other along a defined front
Rather, it was (somewhat) more like Vietnam and the Malaysian Emergency, with light infantry on light infantry conflict defining most of the war
Commie guerrillas on one side and the Rhodesians, in units like the RLI, SAS, RAR, and Selous Scouts on the other
So, the Rhodesian infantry units were often trying to track and ambush guerrilla units through the thick Rhodesian bush
This wasn’t England…it was thing, briar territory of the sort that is hellish to slug through, particularly if you’re trying to jack your way through it
This wasn’t England…it was thing, briar territory of the sort that is hellish to slug through, particularly if you’re trying to jack your way through it
So the Rhodesians didn’t want their men trying to hack and tromp through the bush
But they found that that is just what the soldiers would do if they were wearing thick pants and heavy leather boots
So they had to remove that ability to tromp through the heavy bush to get them to stop doing it
But they found that that is just what the soldiers would do if they were wearing thick pants and heavy leather boots
So they had to remove that ability to tromp through the heavy bush to get them to stop doing it
That involved taking away their heavy pants and boots
They were given, instead, the characteristic short shorts and canvas shoes…can’t tromp through thick briars in shorts. You’ll get scratched up
Instead, you have to do what the guerrillas would do and follow trails, without making noise, and sneak up on the enemy
They were given, instead, the characteristic short shorts and canvas shoes…can’t tromp through thick briars in shorts. You’ll get scratched up
Instead, you have to do what the guerrillas would do and follow trails, without making noise, and sneak up on the enemy
As Tim Bax describes in Three Sips of Gin, that strategy quite worked
The Rhodesians, because they could no longer tromp, were much better at following the enemy and ambushing them, rather than getting weighed down and ambushed like US troops in Vietnam
The Rhodesians, because they could no longer tromp, were much better at following the enemy and ambushing them, rather than getting weighed down and ambushed like US troops in Vietnam
So, that’s why they wore the distinctive short shorts!
If you enjoyed this thread, please rt it and drop a comment with your favorite pics of Rhodies in short shorts!
If you enjoyed this thread, please rt it and drop a comment with your favorite pics of Rhodies in short shorts!
Oh, and @WBSApparel is making Rhodie short shorts. Check em out!
@WBSApparel And many thanks to @DonShift3 for reposting a similar thread this am that reminded me to write about this, one of my favorite tidbits of history from the Bush War
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