GF Group Delta

                                                                                                                GF  Group Delta: Op Tangent Bulawayo

CO at Gp Delta was Snr. Cmdt. Michel Loucault.

Sgt. George Parker comments on his time at GF Delta in Southern Matabeleland I did 2 camps at Group Delta and was posted on the first to Kezi Police Station looking after a large and very spread out GF contingent on Farm Protection. My second camp was at Gwanda on basically the same duties but we were very much restricted as this was at the time of the CMF (more of this later). The HQ at GF Delta was at Khami Ruins outside of Bulawayo to the South West. This was a very organised HQ and in comparison to most others where I had served it could be considered 'plush'. I seem to remember that the CO and his immediate officers were very much in the mind of looking after their men both (African and European), and their example was held very highly. Things always seemed very organised and training was continuous. Unfortunately my initial visit to HQ was very short indeed (an overnight as I recall), and we really only had time to be given sitreps and orders and location placements before we set off. I was allocated Kezi district which although only a very small town (more a small village), the area of deployment was immense. although this was Farm Protection, it was nothing like the Midlands or Headlands/Rusape.....in Southern Matabeleland we are talking vast ranches, not crops and fields of tobacco! I was given a Leopard vehicle (a great form of transport and I always felt pretty safe in it....and told to make my way to Kezi a distance through the Matopos of a little over 100kms. I was also told to make a personal report on a weekly basis....this involved a return to HQ every Monday morning. (I honestly wish I had kept some of those reports!) In my second posting to Delta I was allocated a stint at RHQ at Gwanda. This was run by Asst Cmdt Ken Hampson (ex BSAP). It was astounding to see the amount of improvements being carried out at the Gwanda base....right down to a base pub underconstruction. My time at Gwanda coincided with thew Commonwealth Monitoring Force contingent.....these were NZ Infantry, and our relations with them was very good. Asst. Cmdt Hampson was ex BSAP out of Bulawayo I beleive and we got on fairly well together....I seem to remember him allowing me to go off early so I could get back to Redcliff in time for Christmas...this was 1979. Leopard vehicle.