MEMORIAL FUND RAISING CAMPAIGN FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A MEMORIAL AT THE UNITED KINGDOM NATIONAL MEMORIAL ARBORETUM TO HONOUR THE FALLEN MEMBERS OF:

THE RHODESIA NATIVE REGIMENT AND THE RHODESIAN AFRICAN RIFLES.

The RAR was the oldest regiment of the Rhodesian Army which dates its formation from the raising of the 1st Rhodesian Native Regiment in 1916, which was disbanded in 1918, and its reformation as the Rhodesian African Rifles in 1940, from which time it remained in existence until disbanded by the Zimbabwe Government in 1981.

The Regiment saw service as part of the British Army in:
Burma 1943 - 1945
Egypt 1951 - 1952 (Canal Zone )
Malaya 1956 - 1958

The regiment suffered 70 deaths in Burma, including 15 between
23 - 27 April 1945, during the battle of Taungup, which subsequently became a battle honour.

The Regimental Day is celebrated on 25th April each year and known as Tanlwe Chaung Day.

Five members of the Regiment lost their lives while serving in Malaya.

HONOURS and AWARDS (1940 - 1965) include:

* 1 Military Cross (MC)
* 5 Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)
* 5 Member of the order of the British Empire (MBE)
* 3 Military Medals (MM)
* 21 Mentioned in Dispatches
* 8 British Empire Medals (BEM)

BATTLE HONOURS
East Africa 1916 - 1918
Burma 1944 - 1945
Arakan Beaches
Taungup

PRESENTATION OF COLOURS:
On 12th July 1953, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, the Queen mother, presented the Colours to the Regiment.

The Queen Mother concluded her speech at the parade with the following words: 
Quote '' In the short history of the Rhodesian African Rifles you have proved by your service in Burma that you can hold your own in battle. By your service since the war you have shown your duties towards the Queen, the Colony, and it's people, with smartness and efficiency.

I know how many of you volunteered to serve in the Middle East when help was needed. By this, you have shown that you are ready to take your share in the welfare of the Commonwealth, by all these things you have won the honour of carrying your Colours.

I present them in recognition of your loyalty in the past, and in the faith that you and those that follow you in the regiment will always guard it's tradition and strive to bring new honour to it's name. '' Unquote 

In 1962 the heritage passed on from the Rhodesian Native Regiment to the Rhodesian African Rifles was officially recognised when the RAR were granted the right to add the Battle Honour ‘East Africa 1916-1918’ to its colours.

The 1st and 2nd Battalions of the Rhodesian African Rifles were almost continuously operational from 1966 to 1980 during the counter-insurgency war in Rhodesia. During this time it became greatly admired for the efficiency, honourable and professional way in which it performed its duty.

The Regiment was disbanded by the Zimbabwe government in 1981 but not before it had been utilised by the government of President Mugabe to restore order in Zimbabwe following violent clashes between the rival armies of ZANU and ZIPRA.