The Rhodesian Soldier

1st Battalion the Rhodesian Light Infantry (RLI) Troopie Statue: Hatfield House, England


On 28 September 2008, several hundred Rhodesians (mainly RLI veterans) gathered at Hatfield House, country seat of Lord Salisbury, to dedicate the repositioning of the RLI Troopie statue in the serene parklands of this estate. The Troopie had come a long way from its original home in Cranborne Barracks in Salisbury, Rhodesia, to Bristol in England, via the military museum in Johannesburg, South Africa and then finally to its final destination.


In a ceremony in the estate chapel prior to the unveiling of the statue, the regimental colours were laid up, to be stored in sealed frames and hung in the chapel itself. The battalion's last Commanding Officer, Charlie Aust was in attendance, as was Ron Reid-Daly, former Commanding Officer of the Selous Scouts. The photos are all my own.