Rhodesian African Rifles Hat Badge

The Rhodesian African Rifles was a primarily black fighting force within Rhodesia (and momentarily Zimbabwe) from 1916-1981. The general ranks were all black with some of the officers being white.

Originally duties during the 1960s and 1970s generally included containing civil unrest, suppressing riots and general “peacekeeping” activities. This rapidly changed during the Bush War of the 1970s with the RAR being deployed along the Zambezi Valley Border and elsewhere and put into actual combat. Due to the nature of Rhodesia at the time, the actions of the RAR are often difficult to find in writings that are fully flushed out. All the same, they served in a distinguished manner and were an important asset to fighting the Bush War and repelling communism on the home front with their ability to better interact with villages and guerillas at the border through ambushes, tracking and flat out combat.

These badges were used from 1940-1980.