Eddy Norris was born on 09 April,1944 at the family farm Devonshire in Umtali, Rhodesia. He was the fifth child of Charles and Violet Norris. Eddy attended both Chancellor Junior School and Umtali High School in Umtali. Eddy commenced his national service in January 1963 with "B" Company, Intake 56 at Llewellin Barracks. During weapon training the NCO asked for volunteers from chaps with motor bike licenses. They were whisked off to CSM Lancaster offices, told that they had volunteered to ride motor bikes at the Military Tattoo which would be held at the Southern Rhodesian Trade Fair and that they had been immediately posted to Brady Barracks and the School of Signals. National Service ended in May 63 and Eddy commenced duty with "B" Company of Royal Rhodesia Regiment in Umtali. The first call up being in June, for the Domboshawa Indaba and Eddy ended up in the Honde Valley as Platoon Signaler. Eddy was on the parade when Umtali was afforded the Freedom of the City to their Battalion and hackles (white and blue feathers) were issued to all on parade. This was always a highlight of Eddy's military career. Years later Eddy partook on the same type of Parade but this time when the Air Force were granted the Freedom of Salisbury. Eddy joined the RRAF in 1968, and was posted to New Sarum. Eddy then moved to Gwelo and many happy years were afforded to the family at Thornhill Air Base. Eddy was promoted to WO2 during this time. When promoted to WO1 the family then moved back to Salisbury. Eddy ended his career at the RAF with the rank of WO1, in December of 1980. Eddy and family moved to South Africa in January of 1981 and Eddy did a stint in the SAAF, posted to Hoedspruit Air Base. After resigning Eddy worked until retirement at Infoplan in Pretoria. It was during retirement that Eddy with the nudge from Pete Briscoe started ORAFs - what a time it was! Eddy had a deep passion for his birth country and folk and with his computer abilities established a magnificent recapturing of firstly all Air Force history and memories and this then evolved into Umtali history and then the rest of Rhodesia. Eddy's patience and diligence made him a great source of information on all things Rhodesia. This was as Eddy explained, my legacy to my children. I like to think that Eddy was one of the pioneers of ensuring our history be stored on the great big web for all to see and share in. One of the gifts Eddy created was reuniting Rhodesians around the globe. Always ready to assist with folk writing books and such, all for the love of helping another Rhodesian. Eddy achieved his life's wish of leaving a solid recount of history and folklore for future generations to read and learn about - A grand gentle humble man, a teacher of life, giver of love and pillar of strength. Eddy passed away peacefully with his wife Trisha, sister Nina, and children Paul and Denise at his side on 03 April, 2014. You will be missed Dad, more than you ever know. Eddy leaves behind a very proud family - and an enormous pair of shoes to fill. Rest easy Dad.........

Rhodesians' Keen Interest in Military Matters... Repeated Response to Empire's call to arms. In The 50 years of Southern Rhodesia's history there are few things on which the people of the Colony can be more warmly commended than on the interest they have taken in military matters. In this century there has been little danger of a positive military character for inland Rhodesia, and the people of the Colony could have rested quite secure in the knowledge that the general needs of Empire strategy in Africa would have protected them from the danger of invasion. But rather than rest secure as they could have done while others were fighting, the Colonists have placed the measure of their duty right at the opposite end of the scale, have always insisted that their military contributions cannot be too great. Pioneer Corps. The story of the military activities of the Colony begins with the raising and equipping of the Pioneer Corps for the expedition to Mashonaland. The Company raised its own military force for the protection of the working party of pioneers. Thus there came into existence the British South Africa Company Police, who have played so great a part in the history of the Colony. They were commanded by officers from Imperial regiments, and were intended to keep military control until the territory had been decisively occupied. Their numbers varied in the first two years after the occupation, and their greatest strength was 650. In 1892 it seemed to the Company that the Matabele had given up any intention of interfering, while the Mashona clans had settled down peacefully. In that year, therefore, considerable reductions were made in the police force. Less that 100 were retained for civil duties. It was not a dangerous proceeding to cut expenses in this matter, because the great majority of those disbanded intended to settle in the country and most men in Mashonaland at that time had had military experience. Thus the raising of the first volunteer force in the Colony's history was a simple matter. It was called the Mashonaland Horse and consisted of 500 men most of them stationed at Salisbury and Fort Victoria. In addition, all able-bodied men were liable to serve in time of emergency, and the total number of which the Company could call upon in time of emergency was about 1,500. Matabele War. An interesting part of the defence organisation of that time was an artillery troop of 44 men stationed at Salisbury. It was under the command of Captain Charles F. Lendy who died in Bulawayo after the occupation of Matabeleland. The opportunity to test out the defence organisation came in 1893 when the Matabele War broke out. The Company found no difficulty in raising a large number of European volunteers, and the total number of European in Salisbury, Victoria and Tuli Columns was 897. After the Matabele War a volunteer force known as the Rhodesia Horse was formed. It was supposed to consist of 500 men for Matabeleland and 500 men for Salisbury, but it appears that the defences of Rhodesia then fell on lean times. Only about half of the 1,000 appear to have been mounted, and they were not too well organised. Jameson Raid. Then, suddenly, came the Jameson Raid. The description of the contemporary observer gives a vivid picture of how Rhodesia took the news. We quote from the "Bulawayo Chronicle" of January 4, 1896: "While the good people in the churches were singing 'Peace and goodwill toward men' the staff of this paper was preparing a special which was designed to turn Bulawayo into a seething mass of excited people, breaking the Sunday evening calm by patriotic songs and fervid speeches. The special contained a message from Dr. Jameson to Capt. Napier and Capt. Sprecley to prepare to take down 1,000 men of the Rhodesian Horse Volunteers for service in the Transvaal. the men were to be mounted and take down all the Maxim guns in town, and to travel via Mangwe to Macloutsie where provisions were all in readiness along the route. No sooner were the sheets out than the Club was a scene of great excitement which spread all over the town. Everywhere knots of men would be seen discussing the all-important news, and rumours of all kinds added to the intensity of the moment. At one time it was reported that 150 people had been shot down in the streets of Johannesburg and that the Rhodesia Horse would make forced marches down. The ruling feeling was that the call to arms must be responded to at all costs. As the night wore on, the crowds became larger and the strain more intense, and as the hour of midnight struck, a mass meeting was held in the Market Square, when the speeches were full of fire and evoked tumultuous cheers. That gives a good idea of the manner in which the Rhodesian people of that time could turn from their ordinary persuits and rally to the call of arms. It has been so on three occasions since. Field Forces. Shortly afterwards came the Rebellion, when the disastrous results of lack of preparation were realised. The forces in the country could not be formed into a striking unit. In Bulawayo and Salisbury Field Forces named after the towns were formed, but the situation remained desperate until the arrival of the Matabeland Relief Force, which had assembled in Mafeking under Colonel Plumer - that great soldier who was much associated with Rhodesian forces in the Boer War and who afterwards did wonderful work as a General on the Western Front in the Great War. After the Rebellion the Field Forces were disbanded, and there was reorganisation both of the police and military establishments. About 1,200 police were stationed in Matabeleland and Mashonaland. In 1899 an Ordinance was passes providing for the formation of the Southern Rhodesia Volunteer, that regiment which never saw service as a regiment, but which all older Rhodesians remember with pride. The regiment was formed a few months before the outbreak of the Boer War with Colonel Spreckley as the commanding officer. It was in the Boer War, that the name "Rhodesia Regiment" first occurred. It was a force of 450 men stationed at Tuli under Colonel Plumer. It included Southern Rhodesian B.S.A. Police. "There will not be much about you in the picture papers, but you have put in many months of splendid work in a bad country and a bad climate," Colonel Baden-Powell told them after Mafeking, in the relief of which they played a big part. Boer War. During the Boer War about 1,500 Rhodesians served. The Chartered Company initiated their scheme for increasing the Volunteers and Cecil Rhodes, on his visit to Bulawayo in 1901, laid the foundation stone of the Drill Hall, which still plays a vital part in the defence organisation in the town. The hey-day of the Volunteer movement in Southern Rhodesia was between the Boer War and the Great War. At one time the defence forces of the Colony numbered well over 2,000 men, three-quarters of whom had seen active service. The success of rifle teams which were sent overseas testified to the zeal which Volunteers put into this most important part of their training. On the outbreak of the Great War the B.S.A. Company asked the Imperial Government for instructions. There was delay, which apparently annoyed the people of the Colony considerably. But eventually the 1st Rhodesian Regiment was raised at Salisbury and 500 men left the Colony in November, 1914 for the Union. After helping in the crush the Rebellion they embarked for South West Africa. That regiment was disbanded after General Botha's victory, and most of its members found service in East Africa and on the Western Front. In East Africa. Immediately after the departure of the 1st Rhodesia Regiment, the 2nd Rhodesia Regiment was raised. This regiments served in East Africa and was 1,000 strong. They were associated in numerous actions, for which hey earned high praise. The regiment suffered incredibly from malaria, blackwater and other illnesses. At one time, a report stated, it was doubtful if there were 100 of the 1,000 men of the Rhodesia Regiment fit to take the field. In 1917 the Regiment was disbanded and the members went off as reinforcements to the South African Brigade overseas. There was also a Rhodesian platoon attached to the King's Royal Rifles. Other units which carried the name of the Colony in African service were the Southern Rhodesian Column and the Rhodesia Native Regiment. Both these units faced the troops of Von Lettow from the Northern Rhodesian side of the theatre of war and penetrated far into enemy territory, where they operated for considerable time. The Southern Rhodesia Column composed of Volunteers and Police left for the North-East in 1915. In 1916 the recruitment of natives was sanctioned. The value of natives for police work had been appreciated in the last century when ex-member of Lobengula's regiments had been employed by the Company, but the successes of Von Lettow with his native troops invited a bigger effort in that direction by the Allied authorities in Africa. The 1st Rhodesia native Regiment of 500 men, included 54 European officers and non commissioned officers, distinguished themselves in the East African campaign and on one occasion firmly withstood attack by much superior German forces. S.R.V. Meanwhile, the Volunteers had been functioning steadily in the Colony. As there is a war on now, the mind tends naturally towards comparisons, and although too many of these are not wanted, the opinion of an old hand is interesting. He says that while the S.R.V., and the Town Guard in Bulawayo , could have moved out in 12 hours s an efficient column consisting of mounted infantry, infantry, cyclists, artillery, machine-guns, ambulance, signallers and so forth, yet it cannot be said the whole unit was as well trained as a column from No 2 Training Camp in 1940. He thinks however, that the 1914 men were as well trained for conditions of warfare then, especially in the then essential necessity of rapid and accurate rifle shooting. After the Great War the Southern Rhodesia Volunteers were disbanded. Under the new system rifle companies were responsible for local defence, and there were permanent regimental establishments so organised that citizens with active service experience could be rapidly called up. It was not a spectacular system, and military activities were quiet for a period. After the grand of Responsible Government the Defence Act was passed, providing for compulsory military service. Under the aegis of that Act came into existence the Territorial Active Force, the Territorial Force Reserve and the General Reserve, which were familiar features of the Colony's military organisational until the outbreak of the present war. Picture one - E Squadron of the Rhodesia Regiment ready to march out of Bulawayo to meet the other squadrons at Tuli, August 1899. Picture two - Two officers of the Pioneer Column; Captain J.J. Roach (left) and Lieut. E.C. Tyndale-Biscoe (right), who hoisted the flag at the Occupation ceremony in Salisbury. Picture three - Photo of the original newspaper article. Article retyped by D. Taylor. Article extracted from the 'The Rhodesia Herald Jubilee Supplement, Friday, September 5, 1940. ORAFs thanks the owners/authors of any material used - No monetary funds intended nor gained - for sharing purposes only.

AC2 LEONARD FISH. ORAFs has been granted permission to share the Log Book of AC2, Leonard Fish who had trained at Mount Hampden, Rhodesia from May 1945 until July of 1945. Leonard was then moved to no. 20 Cranborne in the August of 1945 and was then withdrawn from Air Crew Training. The Log Book is filled with great details such as aircraft and tail numbers, who accompanied Leonard on these flights as well as hours logged as well as the training undertaken at specific times. Many thanks to Stephen Fish for sharing this keepsake with our readers. Kind note, should you "borrow" this story, kindly give credit to both Stephen and ORAFs. Thank you.

Telling the World: The Advertising of Rhodesia. A Rhodesian in England last January bought a copy of "Punch" in which, on idly turning over the pages of advertisements, he came across a striking quarter page announcement dealing with his country. With astonishment (and, it is credibly stated, pride) he read about the Victoria Falls and Zimbabwe and he is reported to have said on returning to Rhodesia that he had never realised what an alluring story could be told about the varied attractions of the Colony. This suggests that the time may be ripe for describing some of the efforts made last year by those interested in attracting tourists to the country from overseas. With a speedy and efficient mailboat service to the Cape to provide an escape from the gloom and sickness associated with the English winter, there seemed to be every justification in setting out to "talk Rhodesia" to those at home who welcome a change and new experience. With that end in view, the months of December, January and February were selected as being the best in which to run the campaign. 'Punch," the Illustrated London News" and "Country Life" were chosen to carry the bulk of the advertising, three journals with large circulations, supported by people who might be expected to want to vary the yearly holiday with the bolder venture of a trip over the sea to South Africa. Thirteen quarter pages in "Punch", three half and three quarter pages in "Country Life," and the "Illustrated London News" were budgeted for. The first job for those arranging the advertisements was to hit on a plan - a copy basis, as it is called - for the series. "Punch" is perhaps the most interesting example. The quarter page space across seemed to adapt itself very readily to a treatment such as is shown in the accompanying reproductions (photos). The attractive black and white native studies of a gifted artist in Salisbury were used with a frieze effect as a basis, under the caption "Why Not Travel Too," which appeared through the series of four. The little black and white figures moving across the page gave a note of humour and originality, and the impression made was a pleasing one according to a number of authoritative criticisms received. The "copy" in all four of the series was in the "Punch" vein; imaginative, and not too commercialised. For the two "Illustrated London News" spaces - half and quarter page - the designers of the advertisements worked on a different plan. The advertisements were more precise and detailed as suits a journal of that nature. The half page advertising the Victoria Falls, and the unusual quarter page embodying a striking sketch of Rhodes' statue were both intended to have an imperial appeal, and this note is prominent in the "copy" and captions."Country Life," with its glossy art paper, gave scope for two unusual and original advertisements. The half page adverting the Victoria Falls is, perhaps, the most convincing of the series. The setting of the photograph, the size of the type and the use of white space (or, in other words, economy of wording) make a fine announcement. The quarter page dealing with the "Black Watch" - a pleasant adaption of another of the Salisbury artist's silhouette studies - looked well on the page, and the black figures stood out attractively. This rough outline - and he reproductions on these pages - will give some idea of the efforts made last year to "blow the Rhodesian Trumpet." A new 1931 - 1932 campaign in the English press has already been planned, and those who have read this article may be interested to see this January what fresh ideas have been contrived to tempt the visitor from over the sea. A new and original treatment has been applied to a series of three half pages in the "Illustrated London News," the advertisements in which last year produced a number of enquires from all over the world. This series deals with the Falls, Zimbabwe and the Matopos. A different series of three appears in the "Punch," silhouettes of native life being again employed in this medium with a view to preserving the element of consistency which is such an important factor in advertising. These will appear in the Christmas holiday season and in January, together with a different advertisement on the front cover of one or two issues of "The Listener," the weekly organ of the British Broadcasting Corporation, which is achieving a wide and increasingly important circulation. The immediate object of these press advertisements is to make the prospective tourist write for booklets about the country, and a careful record of all such enquires, indicating the advertisement which produced the enquiry, is kept in the High Commissioner's Office in London. As regards the results, it does not of course follow that every enquirer books his or her passage, but on the other hand many tourists, who do not make the suggested enquiry, see and are influenced by the advertisements, and he general effect on Tourist Agencies is important. this of course involves a good deal of work in the production and keeping up to date of Travel Brochures and literature. Another advance is being made this year in the direction of poster advertising. A campaign featuring a very striking poster is to be started shortly in the principal centres in the Union, and even in England, this winter, posters of the Falls and Zimbabwe will be seen on railway stations as wide apart as Sheffield and Norwich, Dundee and Peterboro. Extracted from the Rhodesian Annual -Xmas 1931. ORAFs thanks the relevant owners/producers for the use of such materials - No monetary gain is intended or gained - for sharing purposes only.