Greys Scouts of Rhodesia

When I was a pup back in the late 1970’s I west sent to Holland by my platoon leader from our base in Southern Germany to organize a joint airborne operation between the Dutch, German, Canadian and American Airborne forces to honor the upcoming “D” day anniversary.

I do not know how I got so lucky but it was a fun trip and I met a lot of interesting people. One individual stands out in my memory as the most unique. His name is (was?) Richard Kettman and He was in his 4th year as a cadet at the Royal Military Academy of the Netherlands.

Being young, stupid and impressionable we were both fired up about the “bush war” in Rhodesia and talked about going there to join up for the fight.

Anyway, to make a Long story short – He resigned from the Academy and went to Rhodesia and enlisted as a Private in the Rhodesian Army. I can remember getting letters from him from time to time talking about his training and the 1st unit he was in called the Greys Scouts.

“Dutch” as he was called there told me about his mount named Harliquin which was a white horse that needed to be washed and re camouflaged once a week.

“Dutch” also told me about the American cavalry McClellan saddles the unit used in the field and about the local saddle maker that made them.

I have always been a fan of the McClellan saddle and find it a very comfortable and useful saddle to ride.

“Dutch” was transferred to a tanker unit within the Rhodesian army which used T-55 tanks ; that ended his tour with the Greys but he often talked of the horse mounted infantry unit with great respect and affection.

I managed to locate some pictures of the Grey scouts in the field and I have attached a few pics of my friend Kettman while he was in Rhodesia. Please find below a bit of historical information about this unique Unit from African History.
I hope you like it.

Tomahawk – Scouts out!

GREYS SCOUTS;
Grey's Scouts were a Rhodesian mounted infantry unit raised in July 1975 and named for George Grey, a prominent soldier in the Second Matabele War. Based in Salisbury (now Harare), they were known for their participation in the Rhodesian Bush War. The unit was disbanded in November 1980 (following the conclusion of the Bush War in 1979) and then became a regiment of the Special Forces of Zimbabwe.

The creation of the unit was probably inspired by the Dragoons of Angola, a Portuguese Army mounted unit, raised in 1966, during the Portuguese Colonial War, to combat the guerrillas in Eastern Angola. Like the Dragoons of Angola, Grey's Scouts were used for tracking, reconnaissance, pursuit, and, most prominently, patrol in the Rhodesian Bush War.

With measured variations in horse speed for training purposes, they would cover an area of over 65 km (40 miles) on the average day. Their routes often took them through active minefields, which they were to inspect. In addition to this, the small stature and maneuverability of the crossbreeds they rode on was of repeated benefit to the Rhodesian forces in the construction of border defenses; the Scouts could transport materials and supplies over terrains impassable to vehicles.

The horses themselves were mostly given in charity by sympathizers of the Rhodesian effort from South Africa and elsewhere.

Initially, the unit consisted of around 200 men, but this would eventually grow to over 1,000. It conscripted soldiers from other infantry regiments of the Rhodesian Army, who were then instructed in equestrianism. Craftsmen such as farriers, horse breeders, smithers and manufacturers were employed internally.

Grey's Scouts were trained as mounted infantry rather than cavalry, and were prepared for engagements on foot rather than on horseback. A tactic of rushing and fronting with their horses was implemented to significant success by Grey's Scouts and they were noted for their skill in launching shock attacks.

The number of casualties Grey's Scouts suffered during the Rhodesian Bush War is unknown, but is believed to be relatively small.

Smoke Jumpers

I have always thought smoke jumpers were pretty cool ever since seeing the movie “Red skies of Montana” with Jeffery Hunter. In fact that movie is one of the reasons I became a Paratrooper in the U.S. Army.
I was too young and Dumb at the time to even consider going to Montana to become a smoke jumper.

So I joined the Army went to the U.S. Army Airborne School at Fort Benning Georgia; way back in 1976 as part of my training to become a member of the 82nd Airborne Division.

A few years later I had the honor of attending the U.S. Army Parachute Rigger School at Fort Lee, Virginia it was a great course and for 16 weeks we learned the ins and outs of packing parachutes the army way using MC1-1B ‘chutes, personnel reserves, 150foot cargo parachutes, and we even did a few weeks in the Air Items repair shop to learn how to operate the sewing machines and to repair air items like parachutes, kit bags, weapons containers, and parachute harnesses.

I always found it interesting that prior to ww2 the Army had no Airborne or parachute school but the Forest service had been making parachute jumps for several years using the old style Eagle ‘chutes. Cool stuff.

I greatly admire the men and officers of the 555th “Triple Nickel” Airborne Infantry regiment who were assigned duties as smoke jumpers in ww2 instead of being sent to Europe to fight the axis armies.

There was even a time back in the early 1980’s where I considered trying to become a smoke jumper but I found out there was something like a 4 or 5 year waiting list to attend the school I said “screw that” and looked for adventure elsewhere.

A couple years ago I did become a member of the Smoke jumper association but let my membership lapse. The association does have a decent website with some cool stuff for sale like a really good DVD about smoke jumpers, some pics, hats, etc.

The Gal in charge of the online sales department was a little snotty tho as I recall and is one of the reasons I did not renew my membership.

You can view the association website at the link below,

http://www.smokejumpers.com/ (smoke jumper association)

I have attached some historical info and a few photos of smoke jumpers and the 555th unit patch for your enjoyment.

Tomahawk – Scouts out!

A smokejumper is a wild land firefighter that parachutes into a remote area to combat wildfires.

Smokejumpers are most often deployed to fires that are extremely remote. The extra risk associated with this method is justified by reaching a wildfire shortly after ignition when it is still relatively small.

Another argument for delivering wild land firefighters by parachute is that the fixed-wing aircraft that carry smokejumpers are cheaper to operate over long distances, carry more personnel and equipment and have higher top speeds than the helicopters often used for other fire deployments.

While remoteness is one reason parachute deployment is used, it adds to the risk inherent in smoke jumping as crews are often hours away from help if the wind shifts or someone gets injured. The ordinary risk of a parachute jump, the adverse conditions for the jump, and the lack of resources for firefighting and rescue once on the ground in a remote area give smoke jumping a reputation as exceedingly dangerous work.

American smokejumpers use two types of parachutes: round parachutes are used by the Forest Service, while ram-air parachutes are employed by the Bureau of Land Management. Since they are jumping into remote and often forested locations, they jump wearing heavily padded clothing in order to be prepared for the possibility of landing in a tree.

Typical smokejumper fires are small (under several acres), isolated, and in mountainous or very remote terrain. Once on the ground, smokejumpers normally use hand tools such as pulaskis (a combination axe and mattock), shovels, chainsaws and portable pumps to attack the fire. If their initial attack fails, reinforcements can be called in, such as engine crews, hotshots, and local handcrews.

In practice, smokejumpers usually catch in excess of 97% of the fires they respond to, although public exposure of the larger fires is understandably much greater. Explosives are sometimes used in this role, having been first used on a fire by jumpers in 1974 as a fireline technique. However, fireline explosives have proven to be expensive, time consuming, and ineffective due to the rapidly changing dynamics in the fire environment.

In the United States, smokejumper bases currently operate in Missoula, Montana; Fairbanks, Alaska; Boise, Idaho; McCall, Idaho; Winthrop, Washington; Redding, California; West Yellowstone, Montana; Redmond, Oregon; and Grangeville, Idaho. Formerly, smokejumper bases have also been located in Cave Junction, Oregon; Idaho City, Idaho; and a few other locations. Russia (Avialesookhrana), Canada,[1] and Mongolia also have smokejumper programs. A temporary operation (3 weeks) was established in Bristol, VA in 1984 to assist with a unusual high incidence of fires in that year. San Bernardino, California also functions as a satellite base when there are extreme fire conditions in Southern California such as Santa Ana Winds.

HISTORY:
Prior to the full establishment of smokejumping, experiments with parachute insertion of firefighters were conducted in 1934 in Utah and in the Soviet Union. Earlier aviation firefighting experiments had been conducted with air delivery of equipment and "water bombs". Although this first experiment was not pursued, another was begun in 1939 in the Methow Valley of Washington, where professional parachutists jumped into a variety of timber and mountainous terrain, proving the feasibility of the idea.

This also saw the first Forest Service employee jumper, Francis Lufkin, who was originally hired as a climber to extract the professional parachutists from the trees. It is believed that he made this first jump on a dare from the parachutists.
The following year, in 1940, permanent jump operations were established at Winthrop, Washington and Nine mile Camp, Montana.

The first actual fire jumps in the history of smoke jumping were made by Rufus Robinson and Earl Cooley at Marten Creek in the Nez Perce National Forest on July 12, 1940, out of Nine mile, followed shortly by a two-man fire jump out of Winthrop. In subsequent years, the Nine mile Camp operation moved to Missoula, where it became the Missoula Smokejumper Base. The Winthrop operation remained at its original location, as North Cascades Smokejumper Base.

The "birthplace" of smoke jumping continues to be debated between these two bases, the argument having persisted at this time for approximately 68 years. After observing smokejumper training methods at Nine mile Camp, Major General William C. Lee, U.S. Army, went on to establish the 101st Airborne Division, the first airborne unit in the Army.

The 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion gained notoriety as the only entirely black airborne unit in United States Army history. The battalion did not get the chance to serve overseas during World War II; however, in May 1945, it was sent to the west coast of the United States to combat forest fires ignited by Japanese balloons carrying incendiary devices, an operation designated Operation Firefly. Although this potentially serious threat did not fully materialize, the 555th fought numerous other forest fires while there. Stationed at Pendleton Field, Oregon, with a detachment in Chico, California, unit members courageously participated in dangerous firefighting missions throughout the Pacific Northwest during the summer and fall of 1945, earning the nickname "Smoke Jumpers".

The 555th was purportedly not sent to combat because of racism within the military. Today, ironically, many contemporary smokejumpers are extremely proud to call the men of the "triple nickel" their brother smokejumpers.

In May 1978, members of the 19th Special Forces Group and other Western military units began airborne training at the Missoula Smokejumper School
Despite the seemingly dangerous nature of the job, fatalities from jumping are rare. The largest disaster involving smokejumper deaths on the job was the Mann Gulch fire blowup of 1949. Thirteen firefighters died during the blowup, twelve of them jumpers. This disaster directly led to the establishment of modern safety standards used by all wildland firefighters.

Statistically, smokejumping remains as safe as ground-based wildland firefighting as a whole. Although jump injuries do occur, they are not frequent, and smokejumper personnel take deliberate precautions before deciding whether to jump a particular fire. Multiple factors are analyzed, and then a decision is made as to whether it is safe to jump the fire or it is unsafe. Bases tend to look for highly motivated individuals that are in superior shape and have the ability to think independently and react to changing environments rapidly. Because of their fire experience and physical conditioning, most Hotshots make good smokejumpers. Smokejumping is not a crew-based firefighting tactic, and it takes time for firefighters that have been entrenched within the "crew mentality" to break free and think independently.
It is argued that smokejumper operations are expensive to maintain and marginally effective; however, the comparable cost is that of many more helicopter deployments. The range of smokejumper aircraft is greater than a helicopter, the speed is greater than a helicopter, and the payload is greater also. In a realistic assessment, the two delivery systems bring different advantages and disadvantages, as both the primary vehicles and delivery method (fast-roping vs. parachute) are so different in capability. A typical smokejumper mantra is "Speed, Range, Payload". Advocates of smokejumping believe that, due to their extreme initial-attack function, smokejumping is one of—if not the—most cost-effective wildland firefighting method employed in the U.S. today

Home made and Portable "Hobo Stoves" stoves

Thanks to a comment from deanS which jogged my memory I was able to rename this post.

Gracias deanS!

My good and clever friend Bushpuuko over at BCUSA forums has prompted me to do a little write up on tin can stoves.

BP posted a very good story and excellent photos of The recent stove he constructed out of a tin can. Cool stuff and good to know in an emergency.

I have traveled a bit in the world and have seen this type of stove in all sizes doing all types of cooking from grilling to making rice to roasting sweet potatoes.

Most recently in the Philippines when I would walk or jog around my neighborhood I began to notice these can stoves in operation every where.

I guess the poorer folks cannot afford the cost of propane so they resort to this method of cooking their daily rations.

Filipinos are expert at recycling and making useful items out of junk others throw away. I noticed in the Carbon market of Cebu city that there were several vendors selling home made can stoves and others selling wood and charcoal.

I found it interesting to note that they Filipinos also like to grill over coconut shells.You will see a lot of street vendors all across Asia using these type stoves to cook everything from fish to chicken guts.

I was recently reading about the LRDG or Long Range Desert Group which operated in Libya during ww2 and there was a picture of the soldiers cooing food over what they called a “Bengazi boiler” which I read someplace was made out of a converted Kelly Kettle.

Here is what Wikipedia has to say;

Kelly Kettle, Storm Kettle, Thermette and Volcano Kettle are names given to a design of outdoor water-boiling device. These kettles are for use in the outdoors, and are constructed of a double-walled chimney that is filled with water. The water is heated as fire and heat are directed up the chimney. The idea of a kettle that places the water around the outside of the heat source is shared with the older samovars, tea urns from Eastern, Central, and Southeastern Europe, as well as the Middle East. This funneling of heat and flames up a central flue also uses the same principles as rocket stoves. The increased surface contact area maximizes thermal transfer, leading to faster boiling, while the upward chimney draft effect provides for more efficient use of fuel, and enables operation in windy or wet weather. During World War II such an improvised design was called a Benghazi boiler.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storm_kettle (wikipedia)

http://blindkat.hegewisch.net/lrdg/lrdg.html#about (LRDG website)

It is cool stuff and I am a big fan of using junk to make functional and practical outdoor gear. You will find below the write up by my good friend Bushpuukko.

I hope you enjoy it and become inspired to go out and make one for yourselves.

Tomahawk – Scouts out!



The write up below and the accompanying photo credit goes to; Bush puukko

http://bushcraftusa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3085

I finally got around to making a stove out of a canister I bought at WalMart for $9.97. I drilled 15/64 holes around the base. I used a rivet tape to get equal spacing and a center punch to mark them. I used a drill press to drill the holes. I should have drilled the holes in steps for a neater finish but my time was limited. Next I marked a square opening for the hole and cut it out with an angled die grinder. Next I drilled three holes 120 degrees apart and installed heavy duty threaded bolts with washers and nuts to act as a pot stand.

The Tomahawk in Nairobi, Kenya and Darfur, Sudan

I was at home in Arizona waiting to find out if my visa to Afghanistan would be approved for a job at the American embassy there when I got a call from a recruiter about a job in Darfur, Africa.

It took me less than a minute to say I was very interested in the position and could deploy immediately.

After the mountain of paperwork was completed and my shot record was in order, I boarded a plane in Tucson for Atlanta, of course the flight was late so I nearly missed my British Airways connection to London, I was in fact the last person to board the flight.

We flew into London and I had about ½ an hour to make my connecting flight for Nairobi, Kenya. I barely made that flight also but eventually after 22 hours total flying time from Tucson I finally made it to Nairobi.

As bad luck would have it my bag did not arrive at the same time I did so I had no clean clothing, no camera, no cell phone, and no power cord for my laptop. Bummer!
After letting the airport baggage folks know my bag was not there I proceeded through customs and passport control and was met by the company representative who had a car waiting.

He drove me to the Safe house in Nairobi and I took a nap for a few hours. After waking up and feeling a bit rested I searched out the kitchen and pilfered some coffee to make a brew.

That was a million dollar cup of coffee as I recall, and I went out to the garden, sat on the patio and watched the local folks walking by going to work.

As I recall it was a pretty neighborhood and I noticed that every house had a fire place and a garden. The homes looked more like cottages. This neighborhood must have been left over from the British colonial period.

Anyhoo, having no shaving kit and no clean clothes I went to see the company rep who gave me a $500.00 advanced per dium payment.

I swung my timbuk2 messenger bag over my shoulder and headed for the compound gate. After exchanging pleasantries and asking a few questions of the local Kenyan security guard I went out the gate turned left and went searching for a taxi.

After walking about 20 mins I located a mall and a currency exchange where I converted my US dollars to Kenyan shillings. There was an Ethiopian restaurant across the way so I went there and bought some breakfast, good coffee and good food but I didn’t know how to eat in the Ethiopian style so I had to get a spoon to continue my meal.

After the meal I went to the taxi stand and hired a driver named Rufus, he quoted me a price for a 2 hour tour of the city which sounded reasonable so I agreed and we headed out.

Nairobi is a pretty city and I saw lots of gardens, and we did a drive by of the massai market then went to a smaller market where I could buy some clothing.
Then we drove to a department store where I bought some towels, razors and other toiletries.

After farting around Nairobi for a while I asked Rufus to drop me back at the company house so I could check on things there and find out my status.
After speaking to the company rep again she informed me that I would be in Nairobi for 4 days until my Sudanese temp visa was approved by their embassy.

Damn! The prospect of staying at the company house for 4 days was pretty grim to me. It was a dirty shit hole full of dissatisfied company employees and no privacy at all.

My luggage still had not arrived so I grabbed my timbuk2 bag and headed out once again. I walked to the Mall again, found Rufus and asked him about accommodations like a bed and breakfast type thing.

Rufus told me he had a cousin that managed a time share condo and I might be able to rent one for a few days, so we went there and I managed to rent a room for the remainder of my time in Nairobi.

After dropping off my junk in the condo, I took a long shower, put on my new clothes then hit the door, I walked around for a while and located a net café where I printed out some papers I needed, bought some lunch, had a cup of coffee and did a lot of girl watching.

As I recall Kenya had a lot of pretty ladies of all colors.

Feeling a bit tired I returned to my room, made a gin and tonic and flipped through the TV channels for a while, I must have passed out from either exhaustion or from the booze but I woke up several hours later feeling hungry.

It was pretty late or early depending on your perspective but I was extremely hungry and tried very hard to locate an all night delivery service via the telephone. The security guards told me that there was nothing close by and all shops were closed, Damn! But, I was told there was free food and coffee in the main kitchen of the condo complex.

I went to the kitchen and got a few rolls and some coffee and returned to my room. Later on I walked to the company house to check in and see if my luggage had arrived.
The rest of my time in Kenya was about the same, my luggage didn’t arrive until the day I left for Sudan and in fact I had to pick it up at the airport before checking it in for my flight to Khartoum.

I checked into Kenya airlines for my next flight to Sudan then went on a stroll around the airport shops. I bought some wine gums candies and a rough guide tour book about the Sudan, it was a good book but I cannot remember the title.
Upon arrival in Khartoum I passed through immigration and customs and was immediately accosted by all types of local guys bugging me to carry my bag.

There were 2 Nepalese gentlemen Mr. Krishna and Mr. Podel who were traveling with me who were working for the same company. We went outside and finally found our company representative who was suppose to meet us inside at baggage claim but who was of course late!

Man, I remember the heat of Khartoum and all of the noise; I was reminded of other countries like Kuwait and Qatar. I cannot say I really liked it very much.
The driver dropped me off at my designated safe house then took my Nepalese friends to their accommodations in another neighborhood.

I introduced myself to Randy who was the manager of the safe house and our Maid Rose Leku Lojong, a very nice and pretty Sudanese lady.

There were also some other employees there who were in transit to and from the forward operating bases. I met Hermie from the camp I was going to; he is one of the greatest welders and metal smiths I have ever seen.

The other guys were from different FOB’s and camps around all of Darfur. I was heading for the camp at Nyala Darfur which was the largest camp in the southern sector of Darfur and the town of Nyala is the capitol of southern Darfur.

After a couple of days in Khartoum Hermie and me along with several other folks boarded a Russian AN-26 airplane and flew to Al Fasher the capitol of Northern Darfur.

We had a lot of supplies and groceries to unload so upon arrival we were met by other people from our company, after loading up the vehicles we headed for the tiny camp of Zamzam.

Hermie and I ended up staying in Zamzam for 5 days, it was ok for me tho because I got all of my reimbursement paperwork turned in and took care of all of my admin stuff.

I had a tent to myself an, air conditioner, plus the Internet technology guy hooked me up with a wireless sign in code. I was in business!

I was working on a Canadian Department of defense contract so there was a small detachment of Canadian Army guys and gals there. We were allowed access to their vast DVD movie collection so I just stayed in my tent watching movies during the hottest part of the day.

My habit was to wake up early and go for a run around the perimeter on the camp inside the wire. I was surprised to feel how cool it was in the mornings there in northern Darfur. Being from Arizona and having worked in the Middle East for 2 years I was use to extreme hot temperatures; Darfur heat was nothing thus far.

After about 5 days or so we boarder a soviet made An-28 STOL aircraft and flew for about an hour to the airport at Nyala, Darfur. We were met by Andrew in the company vehicle and after loading all of our plunder we headed for the camp.

I was given a tent which had an air conditioner, a wall locker a small file cabinet and a really shitty bunk which squeaked each time I moved.

After stowing my gear/plunder I met the work shop manager and was given the rest of the day off to get my things sorted. I cleaned and mopped out my tent, hung my mozzy net, set up my laptop with an internet connection; thanks to the IT guy.

We had a communal kitchen, weight room/gym, TV and internet room and our own Toilet and shower facilities which we kept locked at all times to keep out the rif raf.
I was liking what I saw so far.

Later on in the day I went to the mess hall and got signed up with a meal ticket and met the lead cook/catering manager – a cool guy.

After making myself a cup of stout coffee I took a walk around the camp perimeter inside the wire to lay out a jogging course, after pacing it out I found that according to my pace count, the perimeter was approximately 1 mile(1,700 meters) in length, that was good, I only need to jog it 2 or 3 times to get my workout in.

I slept pretty good that night but I can recall hearing lots of gunfire outside the berm toward the area of the refugee camps. It was pretty much the same every night, sounded like AK-47 and Chicom .50 mostly. You kinda got use to it. Also, I was again surprised to feel how cool it got after dark, I rarely used my AC at all during the night.

At night and in the early morning Even tho the temperatures were in the upper 60’s to low 70’s I would see The Nigerian soldiers dressed up in wooly pully sweaters and watch caps like they were experiencing winter in Montana, I kinda got a kick out of that. I also saw them wearing the old ww2 style British army issue wool great coats.

Anyhoo, I flew out the next morning on my first weapons inspection mission to the camp at Zalinje via an old soviet MI-8 (widow maker) helicopter.

It was a pretty camp and we were able to buy some decent citrus fruit due to the fact that Zalinje was famous locally for its fruits and veggies. We stocked up on many varieties.

Over the next few months I went on many missions all over southern Darfur where I encountered many good and not so good people. I was very impressed with the high standards of military soldiery which the Rwandan troops held them selves to; their weapons, equipment, vehicles and uniforms were always maintained to the highest standards. It was in stark contrast to the way the Nigerians acted as soldiers.

Anyway, the town of Nyala which is the capitol of southern Darfur is about as 3rd world as you can get. It had one paved road badly in need of maintenance, one stop light that everyone ignores, scores of horse and donkey carts and people galore.

I kinda liked the chaos tho and got a chuckle out of the vendors selling foods clearly stamped “This food is a gift from the people of the united states” – “Not for sale”.

I guess they could not read English.

One thing I found annoying about Sudan is that cameras were illegal except with special permit. We had a camera for taking pictures of damaged equipment and as my partner was checking it inside the helicopter before we took off, a Sudanese special police officer came on board and confiscated it. My partner was subsequently fired for having the camera even tho it was a company camera used for work purposes – go figure.

I really enjoyed my stay there and would welcome the opportunity to return to sudan or just Africa – The continent of adventure.

Anyhoo, I hope you like this brief write up about my arrival in sudan, ill add some more stuff from time to time.

Currently I am writing a Book which will cover a lot of my adventures and mis adventures from 1976 to present,temporaraly entitled; "Move about like the wind".

just got to find that publisher.....

Tomahawk – Scouts out!

Phillipines Jungle Knife

Bolo Knife Merchant at the central market in General Santos city Mindenao

I was given permission by my good friend Greyone over at Bushcraft USA to post a thread he wrote on the Filipino Bolo knives I recently brought back for him from the PI.

These blades are a common style found in most markets in the PI. Made from Leaf spring steel, they are failry inexpensive to the common man and you see folk using them all over town for everything from choping up roast chicken and lechon to cutting veggies, to clearing brush along the road.

There are numerous styles of knives throughout the philippines and I will be offering many different types for sale on my online store when I return to asia.

I will also be selling Thai style Enep knives(a la trekon) and will have available for those who wish to spend a little more $$,Bolo knives like the one I gave to Beast1210.

Through My contacts in Nepal I have also located a quantity of well made quality kukuri knives of all sizes for sale and I will personally go to nepal again to purchase knives directly from the kukuri house in kathmandu.

you can check these links below for a little more info.

Beast1210 http://bushcraftusa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5089

Trekon86 http://bushcraftusa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2104

zebra pots http://bushcraftusa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3485

Tomahawk - Scouts out!

Photographs and text posted below are by Greyone at;

http://bushcraftusa.com/forum/search.php?searchid=255355





Recently I received a Phillipines Jungle Knife from Tomahawk, and had promised him a write up as soon as I got it out. (Actually, I got two, but my son now has the other one .)

I really liked the heft and the lines of the blade. A classic simplicity.

The knife is an interesting design. It is about the size of a regimental khukri, but the blade shape is similar to a Cold Steel LTC Khukri.

It has a lot of metal- blade is thick- and it chopped right in to an oak log.

Compared to a pocket knife, you can see the size.
(Blade has "FRITZ" stamped on it)

The knife came with a file sharp edge. I stoned it a bit, then used a steel to reduce the wire edge.

Chopping mesquite limbs was about the only workout I could give it this trip. It sheared thumb size to 1 1/2 inch stuff quite easily. 2-3 inch thick limbs took a couple of strokes. The wooden handle is sized well for my hands,
and it works well with a two fingered grip, much like I use with a leuku.

I think the stiff , rigid blade makes it much better at chopping oak and mesquite than any machete I have used. Hoping to try it on some more controlled chopping on a later camping trip, but for now, it is a definite keeper.

Thanks , Tomahawk.

Greyone
__________________

South African Army 32 "Buffalo" Battalion

When I was working in Darfur Sudan I had the pleasure to work with Individuals from South Africa and Rhodesia. Many of the Gentlemen were former RSA ond Rhodesian Military and had served in some special and interesting units from both of those armies.

I loved to sit around eating poikee and have a few drinks listening to these guys yarning about the Bush war in southern Africa, some of these cats were former Rhodesian light infantry, South African 61 mech and parabats. One guy told me his father in law was a member of the RSA 32 Battalion "Buffalo soldiers", it was the 1st time I had personally heard of this unit. After doing a little research via the internet I located some pretty good detailed Information about this unit and its subsiquent disbandment.

The 32 Battalion song "The Ride to agadir" by mike Batt happens to be one of my favorite toons and I was surprised to see it as their song.

you can listen to it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfkuYvR3f1Y

I also really dig the Cape Buffalo on the unit crest and the crossed arrows. These arrows are crossed at the fletches and are similar to the U.S. Army American Indian scouts from back in the indian wars.

Take a look at the U.S. Indian Scouts pin I have attached to my old 3X Beaver Stetson - pretty similar.

Many people do not realize that the current crossed arrows used by the U.S. Army special forces were taken from the ww2 Unit the 1st Special Service Force, which in turn borrowed the symbol from the original scouts with a slight modification - the current arrows cross at the middle of the shaft.

There is a decent website dedicated to the "Buffalo Soldiers" and you can visit it here:

http://www.32battalion.net/

Please find Below a bit of information taken from the 32 Battion website. If you would like more information please follow the link above to view their site.

Tomahawk - Scouts out!

A SHORT OVERVIEW:
Known amongst Friend and Foe as "The Terrible Ones" (Os Terriveis) , this reputation was derived from operational successes and from its inception in 1975 until it's disbandment it was the most feared Unit by it's foes in Angola and South West Africa, and accounted for more enemy losses than any other Unit of the South African Defence Force. 32-Battalion was probably the most controversial unit of the SADF and its story virtually the untold story of the SWA/ Namibian Border War - a war which took place against the back-drop of the Cold War and which was in fact anything but cold in Africa. The Battalion, which also became known as the most successful counter insurgency unit of the SADF, was comprised mainly of former FNLA and other anti-communist fighters from Angola who had sworn allegiance to the South African government. Together with their South African officers, these troops forged a formidable Battalion that became known as the best operational Battalion of the South African Defence Force – if not one of the best in the world.

The Battalion did not only play an integral part during Operation Savannah in 1975
as well as all other major external operations of the SADF such as the Battle of
Cuito Quanavale in 1987/88 (one of the last great campaigns during the Cold War),
but from 1976 until 1989 the battalion was deployed on an almost permanent
basis to conduct offensive operations mainly inside Angola, acting as a buffer
between the SADF’s regular forces and its communist enemies.

This Elite Unit’s activities covered a wide spectrum ranging from counter-insurgency and guerrilla operations; reconnaissance missions through to semi-conventional and even fully-fledged conventional operations during the last phases of the war, when the Unit was also tasked more and more to assist Jonas Savimbi’s guerrilla movement, UNITA, against the FAPLA and Cuban onslaughts. Because of the nature of its work, the Battalion’s activities were highly classified and few were privy to the contribution the battalion had made towards the war effort in southern Angola.

The Battalion saw action all year round, which resulted in an unmatched Esprit de Corps that gave this Elite unit its unique and unconventional character.
32-Battalion became legendary among friend and foe, and was the most decorated SADF
Unit since WW-II.

After the 1989 Namibian settlement, made possible by the disintegration of the Soviet Block and the withdrawal of Cuban and other Communist nations troops from Angola, the unit was relocated to South Africa and all its foreign members were given South African citizenship. However, after the conclusion of the Namibian war, the usefulness of the battalion had disappeared which together with the new political situation in South Africa led to the uneventful disbandment of the battalion in 1993.

Army Pathfinders; American, Canadian, British

Back in the late 1970s I had the pleasure and luck to be assigned to the 11th aviation group pathfinder platoon stationed at schwabisch – Hall Germany.

Being a pathfinder was to me the best assignment for an Airborne Infantryman. I was with the 82nd Airborne 2/505th Infantry Scout platoon when I came down on orders for Germany. It was a little depressing to me to think that I would be assigned to a “Leg”(non airborne) Infantry unit in Germany.

While at the Replacement center in Germany I was standing in one of the many lines common to military units around the world. A Senior Non commissioned Officer approached me and stated that he saw my 82nd patch and jump wings and was wondering if id like to volunteer for an assignment to a Pathfinder platoon.

As I recall it took me less than one second to reply in the affirmative! I was on a train bound for Schwabisch – Hall that afternoon. The Germans have an excellent rail system and is 2000% better then the piece of shit we in the USA call Amtrak.

I arrived at the station and was met by a member of the 11th PF platoon and was escorted to my new room at Dolan Barracks.

It was a beautiful little post and there were some forests and a small mountain in the distance called the “Einkorn” if I remember correctly.

I was introduced to a few people and was surprised to be given the next day off by my platoon leader to recover from the flight from the USA and subsequent train trip. I could tell that this unit was far different then the battalion sized unit I had just came from.

The 11th Pathfinder Platoon consisted of 1 officer commanding, 1 staff sergeant acting as platoon senior NCO, 2 E5 sergeants, 1 corporal, 5 Specialist E/4, and 2 Privates 1st class.

Our primary mission was aid and support to the 180th aviation company stationed at Dolan barracks also. Each time a CH-47 Chinook AKA “shit hook” or UH1H “Huey” went out on a mission weather it was a sling load operation, parachute drop or Landing zone mission a member of the Pathfinder Platoon had to go along.

Needless to say we all logged up a lot of flight hours in the in the “hooks” and “Hueys”. We also worked a lot with the different NATO troops from Germany, France, Holland and England.

I was fortunate to attend the French Armies commando school in southern Germany and to earn my French, German and Dutch Parachute wings.

All in all it was a great platoon to be a part of and I enjoyed it very much.

As far as I know there are still Pathfinder Platoons in the USA, Canada and the UK Armies, it is a common bond shared by those 3 countries going back to the ww2 era.

Please find below a little historical info on the pathfinder Units from the 3 allied countries listed above.

Tomahawk – Scouts out!


United States of America;

The U.S. Army operates three Pathfinder schools. These are at the Sabalauski Air Assault School of Fort Campbell, KY, and another at Fort Benning, GA. The third is part of Fort Benning's Army National Guard Warrior Training Center, which also conducts Pre-Ranger and Air Assault classes. The courses taught at the WTC and Fort Campbell do not include parachute jumps.

The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Fort Campbell has a pathfinder unit in each of its two aviation brigades. The second was created when the division's long range surveillance detachment (LRSD) was reassigned from the division's military intelligence battalion to one of the aviation battalions and converted to a pathfinder unit. In 2006 the Long Range Surveillance Detachment in the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg was likewise transferred to 2nd Battalion, 82nd Aviation Regiment to create a pathfinder unit.

In the United States Marine Corps, pathfinders missions are conducted by the Force Reconnaissance platoons by inserting in the battlefield and placing signal panels or illuminating flashers, eventually being replaced by remote sensors and beacons during the Vietnam War.

In June 2005 the 17th Aviation Brigade in Korea was inactivated, along with its pathfinder detachment. At the time, it was the only pathfinder unit on the rolls outside of the 101st. Since then, the 82nd Airborne Division added a pathfinder unit as noted above.

There are three standing pathfinder companies in the Army today. The first is Company F (Pathfinder), 5th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, 101st Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

The second pathfinder company, also of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), was activated in 2005 from the now-disbanded Long Range Surveillance Detachment, 311th Military Intelligence Battalion. It was reorganized and reassigned as Company F (Pathfinder), 4th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, 159th Aviation Brigade.

The third pathfinder company is at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. As with the 159th's pathfinders, the 82nd's pathfinder company was constituted from the now-disbanded 82nd Airborne Division Long Range Surveillance Detachment, 313th MI Battalion. Its new designation became Co F (Pathfinder), 2nd Battalion, 82nd Aviation Regiment.

The Army's force structure also includes a provisional pathfinder unit that is not documented on the parent unit's MTOE. This is the platoon-sized Company F, 2d Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment, part of the Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) at Fort Drum, NY.

The divisional pathfinder units of World War II were assigned to the subordinate parachute infantry regiments. In the late 1940s, the first divisional pathfinder platoon was organized in the Headquarters Company, 82d Airborne Division.

Canada;

this is a pretty good picture vid on the Canadian PF's except for the horrible music. you can turn down the volume to view it is peace.



In the Canadian Forces Land Force Command, airborne pathfinders are an élite of "quiet professionals" who — besides securing drop zones, gathering intelligence, and briefing follow-on forces — also conduct ambushes, reconnaissance behind enemy lines, hostage rescue, etc. Pathfinders are Tier 2 Special Operations forces.

To qualify as a pathfinder in the Canadian Army, the soldier must pass the Patrol Pathfinder course, which is designed to be the most difficult course in the Canadian Army. It is passed only by the most physically and mentally fit soldiers.

Historically, the pass rates are less than 25 per cent. The course is conducted by the Canadian Forces Land Advanced Warfare Centre since it absorbed the Canadian Parachute Centre that used to conduct it.

The Canadian special forces unit JTF2 employs pathfinders in several roles. The Canadian Special Operations Regiment also uses pathfinders. The pathfinders of the Canadian Airborne Regiment were some of Canada's best soldierS.

United Kingdom;



Pathfinders in the British Army form the Pathfinder Platoon of 16 Air Assault Brigade. The Pathfinder Cadre is open to any male member of the UK Armed Forces. However, many of the applicants originate from within Airborne Forces.Potential Pathfinders are required to go through a rigorous selection course before being accepted for further training.

Tomahawks outdoor/indoor cooking gear

Since I’m not departing Montana until tomorrow (23rd) I thought Id just throw out another quick post on the type of cooking Gear I use in the woods and at my base camp.

It’s all pretty simple really; just cast iron and steel consisting of a large Cast iron skillet, 1 steel frying pan with a folding handle, 1 cast iron stove top Dutch oven (3 liter), 1 stainless steel “Billy” type pot with a tight fitting lid and 1 U.S. Army canteen cup with a lid.

I had a 1 gallon size tea pot but gave it away recently to a friend who needed one. Other items of my cooking gear consist of a number of wooden spoons, and some Army issue mess kit spoons and forks.

When out in the woods I seldom carry more than my old canteen cup and GI spoon with me. I find that I’m not doing much cooking anyway, and if I need to I can find a can along the side of the road or in a trash pile some careless camper has left behind.

My “Darfur” pot as I like to call it was picked up in a market in Nyala, Darfur when I was working over there as a contractor. I wish now that I would have purchased several of them. Kind of a funny note on those – I noticed that the Darfurian ladies seemed to use them as purses instead of the standard bag of most ladies.

When in base camp I like to use the stove top Dutch oven for making meals of all types and can rig it for baking bread on the coals or in a conventional oven, My cast iron skillet is over 50 years old and was my mothers. I wish I had a dime for every good meal I consumed that was made in that pan, Id be a wealthy man today.

The only thing not in the attached photo was 2 blue enamel bowls and a wooden bowl I bought in the Philippines.

This will most likely be my last post for a few days.

Tomahawk – Scouts out!

Tomahawks Gear list

The Tomahawk cannot seem to locate a job here in Montana or in the contracting world so I’m heading for Arizona on Monday via Hitch Hiking. I will take I15 south out of Montana then cut over into Nevada to avoid going through Salt Lake City; that place is a night mare for 70 miles or better.

Ill head south into California/Arizona then cut east to Douglas/sorry vista area. Since I’m unemployed and have no immediate prospects for a job, Ill just take my time and do a bit of camping and exploring along the way.

My intent is to get out of the extreme cold country as soon as possible but that depends on the availability of rides and weather conditions in the north.
I came out of the mountains yesterday to spend a few days with my friends here in town and to celebrate my 100th birthday.

Anyway, below is a list of my gear for this next trip, I was writing this off the top of my head so I’m sure I forgot something. I have never liked to carry a lot of weight on my back but on this trip ill have additional clothing and extra gear for sleeping in the cold with me. I look forward to getting down to the Mexican border country and warmer weather.

My back pack is a Jansport brand “Big Bear” model with Lowe brand side pockets.

I really wanted to use my favorite old North Face "Krag Dancer" pack but after 20 plus years of faithful service my old friend is showing some abuse.

Shelter: cheap walmart tent, army poncho, wiggy brand poncho liner, wiggy brand insulated bivvy bag, therma rest pad.

Water: 4 one qt. canteens, one of which is a MSR fuel bottle I use for water and as a boiler, another is an army canteen to fit into my canteen cup, and the others are standard nalgene type bottles.

Fire: 3 bic lighters and the knowledge of making fire in different ways.

Food: Instant coffee, 2 summer sausages, 6 MRE cracker packs, a large zip lock bag of trail mix, some dried fruit, salt(for brushing teeth), a bottle of multi vitamins and alfalfa tabs.

Clothing: (wearing) Desert boots, smart wool socks, poly pro long johns(top and bottom) , Boxers,T shirt, 5.11 shirt, M65 field jacket liner, fleece vest, 5.11 pants, webbing belt, hat/wool cap(in pocket), silk scarf, sunglasses, leather work gloves with wool liners.

Extra clothing: wind suit, 2 extra pair of wool socks, 1 set of sealskinz goretex socks, 1 T shirt, 1 set Boxers, 1 pair of Columbia River shorts.

Knives: Green river hunter, Swiss army w/saw, Rough Rider brand “boy scout” pocket knife, Old timer whittling knife.

Misc: Metal signal mirror, army issue spoon, canteen cup lid, camera w/extra batteries, bailing twine, 4 bandannas. Toilet paper, hand sanitizer, reading glasses, passport and drivers license, map atlas of the USA, sharpie markers(2), small notebook, thumb drive with info and papers on it, tooth brush(2). Full whisky flask inside of a crown royal bag., bottle of aspirin.

That is about it. I’m going to travel light and discard things as I enter warmer country. In Arizona I have a storage locker full of clothing and equipment so I’m not worried about replacing items.

Everything that I am taking along with me on this trip is expendable and can easily be replaced with the possible exception of “Old Butch” my Green River Knife, it has a lot of sentimental value; if lost or stolen I would miss it 10 times more than any woman I have ever known!

I will try to update from the road as I travel along, it is about 1,400 miles from Helena, Montana to Douglas, Arizona and I’m not sure how long it will take me to get there ; but I will do my best to keep you informed.

Tomahawk – Scouts out!

Tomahawk style Ash cakes

Ash cakes have always been one of my favorite trail foods. Ill make a batch nightly as long as my flour holds out.

These little pieces of bread go good with stew or soup that you whip up in the wilderness. Ash cakes are easy to make and take little effort to cook.

I generally use my u.s. army issue canteen cup to mix the dough in and over the years I have just guessed as the the proper amount of each ingredient.

When in the woods I like to carry whole wheat flour for these but white flour will do just fine, you will also need some baking soda, a bit of salt and a dash of sugar.
Mix all of the dry ingredients, add water, mix into a stiff dough; tear off a chunk and roll it into a ball between your palms then flatten it out and place it on the coals.

The type of coals you need are red hot, blow the grey ash off of the coals before placing your dough on them. Cook a min or two on one side flip over, repeat. Take off the coals then blow off any residual ash.

I like to eat them with peanut butter and jelly or honey if I have any, mighty tasty with a cup of coffee on a cold mountain morning.

Tomahawk – Scouts out!