The war diaries of André Dennison

The War Diaries of Andre Dennison recount the activities of Selous Scouts 'A' Company of 2RAR during the bush war in Rhodesia, in the form of the diaries kept by its OC in the period 1976 to 1979. The diaries were brought to the attention of Dr. Wood during his research for a history of Rhodesia. He edited the diaries for publication, interspersing the entries with his own accounts of the main events in Rhodesia during the corresponding period. The book provides a well-balanced narrative, with the inclusion of actual 'sitreps' to clarify and add flavour to the diary entries. An interesting appendix by Lt.Col. Reid-Daly, former commander of the Selous Scouts, on the use of 'Fireforce' is included. Andre Dennison was a seasoned veteran long before he joined the Rhodesian Army. He had been a paratrooper, member of the British SAS, and had seen action in Suez, Cyprus, Indonesia and Northern Ireland. His diaries are mainly an account of the contacts in which he and his men found themselves involved, but a number of humorous events are also related which give an insight into the personality of one of Rhodesia's best fighting men. One of these stories relates how Dennison was wounded and transported to Salisbury by Dakota. He and a few others managed to smuggle a bottle of whisky aboard the plane, which the patients duly emptied. Dennison threw the bottle out of the plane to dispose of the evidence, but swore later that he had only done so because he had seen a group of 'terrs' on the ground below! He thereafter claimed to be the only member of the security forces to have bombed ZANLA with a bottle! At the hospital in Salisbury Dennison was supplied with a new bottle of whisky by sympathisers and surreptitiously poured some into his 'specimen bottle'. When the duty nurse appeared to collect it, Dennison drank the contents before her eyes and sent her fleeing in horror...