MILITARY UNIFORMS OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE OVERSEAS 1938 (7) - BRITISH SOUTH AFRICA POLICE

Time to go back to the John Player & Sons cigarette cards from 1938, titled "Military Uniforms of the British Empire Overseas". We left off nearly a year ago in Southern Rhodesia, looking at the Rhodesia Regiment, but it turns out that there are more Rhodesian units of equal interest:

The British South Africa Police, 1938.

The reverse of this cigarette card (No. 6 of 50) states:

"The police force of the Colony of Southern Rhodesia was originally recruited to accompany the Pioneers in the Occupation of Mashonaland in 1890, and later saw service int the Matabele War of 1893, the Matabele and Mashona Rebellions of 1896 and the Boer War. The Force was then known as the B.S.A. Company's Police, after the Charter Company which was responsible for government of the territory. The B.S.A. Police saw service in German East Africa (1915 - 1918) and was also responsible for the capture of Schuckmansberg in German South West Africa in 1914. We show a Trooper (Full Dress) in front of the Regimental Institute, B.S.A.P. Depot, Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia."

A 1950s photograph of B.S.A.P. Depot, Salisbury. This is the roadside frontage,
whereas the cigarette card depicts the view from the grassed parade area to the rear.

Undoubtedly, the best discovery about the British South Africa Police was their Ceremonial Mounted Escort - a small unit of lancers!

BSAP Lancers pass the statue of Rhodes in central Salisbury

BSAP Lancers in colour. Compare tunic colour to the cigarette card above

BSAP Lancers in close up.

BSAP Lancers on parade for the Royal Visit of 1960

The BSAP Mounted Escort parading on the grassed parade area to the rear of the BSAP Depot.

This is the view of the Depot depicted in the cigarette card above.

Mention of the British South Africa Police would not be complete without reference to their Askaris:

The reverse of this cigarette card (No.7 of 50) states:

"The British South Africa Police : Native Askari. The Native Police of Southern Rhodesia are recruited from the Matabele and Mashona tribes of the Colony, and from the adjoining territories of Nyasaland and Northern Rhodesia. Although forty years ago their ancestors were uncivilized, the present-day recruits reach a high standard of discipline and efficiency. They work in co-operation with European member of all branches of the Force (Town, District and C.I.D.) and, in addition, a special platoon of Askari perform guard duties at Government House. The Headquarters and Training School are at Salisbury. During the Great War, numbers of them saw service in German East Africa. The background shows the Municipal Offices at Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia."

BSA Police Askari drawn up for inspection. This may be the interior of the
"Municipal Offices at Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia" - it is not possible to tell.

Notes:

(1). "the Royal Visit of 1960" was a visit by the newly widowed Queen Mother. This wonderful YOU TUBE VIDEO (Movietone) records the QM's arrival in Salisbury, an inspection of a guard party of the Rhodesian Regiment, and (best of all), those Lancers escorting the QM's Rolls-Royce. Not quite our period - but undoubtedly Very British. Here is a nice map showing her subsequent travels:

The Queen Mother's travels across the then "Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland".
This Federation existed only between 1953 and 1963 - see the detailed WIKI page HERE

(2). There might be some doubts about the "green-ness" of the BSAP tunic in the 1938 cigarette card above, particularly in comparison to the colour of the Lancers' tunics. However, this illustration (from a dedicated book about BSAP uniforms) seems to confirm that, if not quite such a dark green, the tunic was at least greenish-khaki:

(3). The statue of Rhodes being passed by the Lancers (third illustration) no longer exists. Shortly after "Rhodesia" became "Zimbabwe" in 1980, the statues of Rhodes in Salisbury (renamed "Harare") and Bulawayo were pulled down and destroyed:

Illustration from Vol 13 of the "Journal of Hate Studies", published by the 
Institute of Hate Studies, Gonzaga University, Spokane, Washington.
(P.S. We're really not kidding).