Mercenaries in Africa, an impression construction
 

A few weeks ago, I started studying colonial history of Africa after touching on the subject during a lecture in one of my class'. Being of Rhodesian decent, it instantly spurred interest and I spend half a day at RMC's library looking through history books.

I decided that I would build myself a kit based on ether the civil wars of Congo or Angola. The thread on african mers over on Arnies has a great plethora of information that I used to base myself.

If people would like me to post up some more information of these wars, I will be more then happy to do so.

I hope this thread sparks the interest of others. African history is not very well know and is not really taught in our Western Centric schools.

Anyway, on to pictures!

Here are some pictures that I will be using to build my impression:

http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/4438/037qy0.jpg
http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/3684/angolaun4.jpg
http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z...lipboard08.jpg
http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z...lipboard04.jpg

Not the easiest impression to build, compared to my last SEALs one.

I will post more pictures as I update my kit list:

Oct 24, 2009:

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a2...g/DSC00809.jpg

Portuguese Lizard Pattern top, 1954 vintage
British GS (General Service) Combat pants, 1963 issued

Oct 26, 2009

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a2...g/DSC00810.jpg

Chicom arrived. First time that I have owned one, its nice, but probably not going to be on my final look, but can use when want to go lighter.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a2...camuflados.jpg
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a2...g/DSC00967.jpg

Sexy time =D Two smocks and two pairs of pants. Both on their way. My teammate is buying the set so that I have two partners!

Soon to arrive:
Full British Pattern 58 webbing
Belgian Moon and Balls pattern Denison smock (or could be a Brushstroke one, have to verify with my Belgian contact)
Portuguese Lizard tops, smock, bush cap and pants

This is a great thread! I'm very interested in the Angolan war with South Africa. Maybe some info on the recces and South African mercs would be great.

Do you have the link to the arnies thread?

Thanks!

I will take a look into the Angolan war with SA, I have a bunch of pics of what I think are the SA Recces'.

Here is the link to the arnies thread:

http://www.arniesairsoft.co.uk/forum...owtopic=131619

Nothing makes an instructor happier than hearing when the subject matter has spurred intrest outside the classroom. Be sure to let them know that you're into it. And they will have ideas, or even contacts for further info. Also a great opportunity to build a relationship with the prof.

Now that thats out of the way. Walk over to Indigo and buy Singer's Corporate Warriors.

Being of Portuguese decent myself I would love to find a set of Portuguese lizzard pattern. Let me know if you find a good source of the stuff. Have an uncle that served in Guinea Bissau, and African history in general has always been an interest of mine. I'm glad to see this thread exists, it's an interesting topic.

I'd love to get some old-school "rhodesian" camo; I think it'd work well with our local terrain.

Try reading "Soldier of Fortune" magazine; they started up covering these wars, and still occasionally run an article or interview/book excerpt concerning past (and current) conficts in Africa and elsewhere.

What sort of guns are you thinking of for this impression? FN FAL? G3? South African Galil-style? Uzi carbine?

For some movie fun in a related vein, check out "The Dogs of War" and "The Wild Geese".

Haha, my prof was excited when I popped by his office to talk about Congo 1960-1967. I dropped by the Indigo on Friday and was saddened by their lack of books on the subject. I may pick up Corporate Warriors though, or at least order it.

Getting Portuguese stuff is harder then getting my hands on some Dig2 stuff -_- But I'm gonna keep looking around for a good source. African history is much more interesting then what most people think it to be.

Rhoddy camo is awesome, I just cant get my hands on some without it destroying my wallet permanently. Apparently some dudes in Russia managed to make their own, but ran out of material.

Militaryphotos.net has an awesome thread with scans of some SOF articles from the 70's and 80's. Read most of them, and will probably save them for later reading.

Weapon is gonna be FN FAL (as long as I can get one lol). G3 can work and will be my fall back plan, same with the AK. Most of these where captured from Communist rebels or smuggled in by ex SS or Wehrmarcht dudes. UZI would be pimping, but I have not seen one sell here in ages.

Gonna try to get my hands on The Wild Geese and The Dogs of War. Apparently there is a really good Rhodesian one on their Fire Force commando's.

Paging Lawdog, your expertise is needed.

If you can ever find an Uzi, to make it even more difficult, get it with a long barrel and wood stock. :D

Lots more pictures!

Congo 1960's

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z...lipboard01.jpg
http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z...lipboard02.jpg
http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z...lipboard03.jpg
http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z...lipboard05.jpg
http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z...lipboard06.jpg
http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z...lipboard07.jpg
http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z...lipboard09.jpg
http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z...lipboard10.jpg
http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z...lipboard11.jpg

http://i475.photobucket.com/albums/r...iedMller01.jpg
http://i475.photobucket.com/albums/r...iedMller02.jpg
http://i475.photobucket.com/albums/r...iedMller03.jpg
http://i475.photobucket.com/albums/r...iedMller04.jpg
http://i475.photobucket.com/albums/r...olfSteiner.jpg

Katanga, breakaway Congolese province 1960-1961

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i1...ngo_Merc_1.jpg

Try this SITE.

I have been secretly working on a very similar load out...guess the cats out of the bag now LOL.

When ever Trident gets Rhoddy stuff instock, it only is around long enough for some one to click your mouse button.

Haha, awesome to find someone else working on this time frame. The only other personal I know that did something similar was Porkchop.

Gents,
Looks like a few of us have similar interests :), I caught "Africa Bug" after living there for over 7 years.

Merc gear depended on area they opereted in. Varied greatly especially in Congo.
With Katanga being the most "uniformed" of the areas.
Weapons-wise Fals and G3s were the weapon of choice with an eclectic collection of side-arms and SMGs. Supportweapons were mostly .30 and .50 cals with FN Mags showing up in larger numbers in the 70's and mortars.

Here is some rare footage from Congo
YouTube - Mike Hoare's The 5th Commando

Film "Dark of the Sun" is loosely based on situation in Congo as well.

As for Uzi's.... I have not seen any photographic evidence of them being used in Congo.
Seen a few in pics from Biafra (70's), Rhodesia and Angola.

If you are looking for photos from a specific AO drop me a line I may have it ;o)

I was probably thinking of a movie; in the book "The Dogs of War", they reject Uzis as being too expensive, and decide on MP40s, but I think they used Uzis in the movie... maybe. :confused:

The Soviets, Chinese and Cubans equipped the communist rebels (Simbas) in Congo with a lot of WW2 german weapons, so its possible for MP40's to have been captured and used by mercenaries.

Actually, in Panzerfaust's vid you can see MP40's.

EDIT:

OK, so did not want to post again, so gonna add a quick update on this post.

Won a bunch of Portuguese stuff on ebay and also purchased some stuff from my only contact in Portugal, and now have enough stuff for more then one impression. Metternich gets dibs since his Uncle was in Guinee Bissau, which instantly makes him cool. Not cheap though, not cheap.

FN FAL is gonna be my weapon as long as everything goes fine (found one =D)

I'm really aiming to have this done for the Toronto Airsoft Convention

Cool!
Keep us updated as to the progress :)
What are you planning for insignia or patches?

Why yes I am =)
I'm making a couple pairs of epaulets out of green felt, which is surprisingly accurate, as the actual ones used by 5 Commando (Congo 60-61) where made of the green felt from the Belgian Embassy's pool table.

I got a pair of WW2 British pips on the way, and will make myself a 2Lt (which is a promotion lol). Gonna order some more since I have a smock as well.

I'm trying to find a Zaire cap badge for my beret. If that fails, just gonna throw on ether an RAF capbadge that I have from WW2 or find a repo Gurkha one (since my teammate looks like one haha). Behind the capbadge will be a red felt flash (accurate again).

Very nice, I could almost swear that those are Canadian taped buttons on the trousers.

^^ I honestly would have to agree with you, but for some reason its only those two pockets, every other one is the standard Brit/Yank ones. Field mods? No idea.

More footage guys.
These are Schrammes boys in abortive attempt on taking Bukavu in the later part of the Congo conflict. Too bad it's in French but you get to see uniforms and weapons including a solitary Uzi.

http://www.ina.fr/histoire-et-confli...naires.fr.html

Many thanks for providing the link. Absolutely fascinating.

For those who don't speak French, the journalists had snuck across the border from Rwanda into the Congo to be with Major Jean Schramme's ( a Belgian Plantation owner) European and African Mercenaries who had revolted against National President Mobutu who failed to live up to the Katanga Accords. Each day they would smuggle the day's film into Rwanda.
This documentary essentially covers the last five days of the Siege of Bukavu by the Congolese National Army. Essentially, the mercenaries started to run out of ammo, which is why they had to withdraw and escape into Rwanda.

It is actually the first time, that I have seen a documentary that spoke favourably about the courage and the behaviour of the Belgian Mercenaries.

( apologies on gettting my history mixed up)

Glad you liked it...my French is too poor to understand much except orders being given etc.

Ah, the video does not work for me =/ Tried on a few other computers, but to no avail.

If anybody needs some Lizard pat stuff, feel free to contact me, I have a couple shirts coming in a few weeks.

You probably don't have the right codec installed :(
I have a same shirt as your's, but would not mind a pair of lizard pants if you get any spares. Right now I use French OD from the sixties.

PS. Make sure you have Adobe Flash player installed, it should work then.

I was reading SOF today and I found something that caught my eye. It was a manufacturer in the states that sells Rhodesian Uniforms. I quickly got up and went to Phil's (ace of spades) room and showed him the find. He was napping so yeah... but here it goes. the company doesnt really have an internet site but the contact info is there. Its one of those adds in SOF. I think the company is called Kamabee Keep and the address is KAMABEE KEEP PO Box 403 New Milford, PA 18834 USA Phone Order #570.434.8000 Kbee1@nep.net. They sell the pants for $49 and the tunic for $49 as well. The shorts are $30. I think the prices are fair especially for Rhodesian Camo. This is just my 2 cents in the topic.

Great find!
Thanks a lot,...too bad there is no website :(

I wasn't napping dammit, I was inspecting the standard of my hospital corners with my nose...

*Grinding teeth* One of my orders cleared customs today, but no info on the other ones, its driving me nuts. Oh well, can't expect Rome to be built in one day, even if I would want it to.

=) All the parts are slowly coming together! Only a few more parts waiting to show up.

Mine:

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a2...g/DSC00842.jpg

Brand spanking new Portuguese Shirt
Portuguese *I think* Lizard bush cap
Pattern 58 webbing with mag pouches and butt pack

Oniwagamaru's stuff:

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a2...DSC00820-1.jpg

Less then new Portuguese Shirt (To be replaced by a newer one)
Chicom Chest Rig
AK-47