Very interesting. 19:15 Old Sarum is beside Salisbury, England hence New Sarum being beside Salisbury, Rhodesia. Love the shot of the Hunter blasting down the coastline of Moz/SA. Fantastic.
Hey Steve - remember I was on the list to go for a jolly when we got the T bird and was going up with you. Then it was cancelled when I put in my resignation papers!! Doh I was so cross. . . But you did send me on my first solo in Z-YYY a day I'll remember so well. It was great to use Thornhill to fly from with the Flying Club plane - I even did servicing and kept it in the OCU hangar for a few months with the genets.
Absolutely fascinating interview! Beyond interesting.... Regarding the preservation, still possible at this point in time, of military historical records in the contemporary period, one would be hard pressed to name a more important first hand account saved from the erasure of time, than the testimonial of a surviving Rhodesian serviceman. For your labors, a sincere debt of gratitude will, not only be owed unto you by future generations but, is already by your current viewers. Thank you for your work, in conducting such professional interviews. To say I thoroughly enjoyed this one, so far, would be a massive understatement.... Can't hardly wait for part 2!
Was that the Hunter simulator at Thornhill? I flew that bloody thing when I was a glider pilot in Gwelo in the early 70s. I touched down 200ft underground! Was Ed Potterton in the squadron at that time? I worked with his wife Sue at Selukwe, and they lived on a plot at Guineafowl with Sue’s horses.
My mum told me a story about spending the night at a camp with some ‘freedom fighters’ in the 1970s. And she woke up spontaneously around 5am only for the camp to be lit up. There were only 6 pilots on the squadron. I was born in Zimbabwe. 5 years after it stopped being “Rhodesia”. I love the channel and I watch every video. Felt a little bit strange to hear oppressed black people who were fighting against apartheid to be described as “terrorists”. I guess that’s what they used to call Mandela. Can’t wait for part 2 🙌
Rhodesia was not an apartheid state. Mugabe was a blood thirsty terrorist who destroyed one of the few successful African countries and murdered untold scores of its black population in his quest for power - despite his proclamations against "imperialists" the west probably put him in power because he allowed them to loot natural resources from Rhodesia where as Ian Smith likely would have gotten a decent deal out of it and spent it on development. Most of the terrorists probably didn't know any better and allowed themselves to get whipped up into a frenzy by communist rabble rousers like Mugabe who went on to live lives of opulence and hedonism while many of his former terrorist fighters who were promised riches were left with nothing. His economic policies ruined Rhodesia but rather than admit that communism is an insane ideology and change course (like Jerry Rawlings in Ghana) Mugabe doubled down and blamed it all on white people. As former head of the MDC Morgan Tsangari pointed out "if Ian Smith had been born black he would be remembered as one of Africas greatest leaders". Rhodesia was more progressive and did more for its black population in substance than most African countries ever have.
No doubt .. “terrorists”. Same as when we(US) were In various foreign countries fighting the native population and calling them “insurgents” or “terrorists”.. kinda misleading
@@guaporeturns9472 yeah, in Ian Smith’s case, there’s something really weird about poisoning people’s food and water with biological weapons the calling someone else a terrorist. All in the name of preventing democracy 🤦♂️
While the infos on the hunter are interesting, it's a bit weird to interview someone who was violently oppressing the black native population in the service of a racist oppressive regime.
You could equally apply that statement to the Robert mugabe regime that came afterwards too. This is an aviation based channel and a very good one too, so best leave the politics out of it don't you think ?
@@johngreen-sk4yk I do agree with you up to a certain point, but you have to draw a line somewhere. The pilot in this interview participated in a dirty war to uphold a racist minority regime over a native population at least and might have actively been involved in war crimes at worst.
@@lb2791 I served with an ex Rhodesian army guy back in the 80,s not everything is as black and white as you seem to think it is. A large proportion of the Rhodesian army was black. I can kind of see it from both sides it was a dirty war but most Rhodesians didn't want to see their country going down the pan with a Marxist takeover,but at the same time black people needed equality. I don't feel I should judge either side just give them the respect as soldiers/airman fighting for what they thought was right ! Anyway I'll say no more I'm here for the planes 👍
@@johngreen-sk4yk, exactly! It was a war to prevent the Marxist takeover of a previously peaceful country. Natives, black AND white, were far better off under the Rhodesian flag than the Zimbabwean.
It was complicated and not as simple as you portray. Black Zimbabweans are now empirically economically worse off than they were in Rhodesia, so perhaps best to leave the politics out.
Nice to see the Somali Hunters in the pictures there, takes me back! Also, the Avon engine rebuild line in Rhodesia/Zimbabwe balanced the rotating masses (both static and dynamic) to closer tolerances than did Rolls Royce themselves. 🙂
Love these aircraft .. the sound that is unmistakable .. the screaming sound of the Avon is nothing like anything out there ! I grew up on the airbase at Thornhill Gwelo .. my late father was in the airforce for 30 years and my two brothers in listed and both were technicians . The Rhodesians had the finest technicians on the planet at the time .. the amazing skills they developed over the years was simply incredible ! The pilots were incredible and so skilled ! Thanks for your service Mr Murray ! 🙏🏻 respect !
The Royal Air Force in the British colony of Southern Rhodesia received twelve Hunters in 1963, eleven were still flying in 1979. Describe the differences in performance between new Hunters and 15 year old Hunters?
The screaming sound of a Hunter still sends shivers down my spine. Proud to have completed my National Service in the RRAF.
Very interesting. 19:15 Old Sarum is beside Salisbury, England hence New Sarum being beside Salisbury, Rhodesia. Love the shot of the Hunter blasting down the coastline of Moz/SA. Fantastic.
Great interview, Steve - your Hunter lives on. Congratulations.
Hey Steve - remember I was on the list to go for a jolly when we got the T bird and was going up with you. Then it was cancelled when I put in my resignation papers!! Doh I was so cross. . . But you did send me on my first solo in Z-YYY a day I'll remember so well. It was great to use Thornhill to fly from with the Flying Club plane - I even did servicing and kept it in the OCU hangar for a few months with the genets.
Absolutely fascinating interview! Beyond interesting.... Regarding the preservation, still possible at this point in time, of military historical records in the contemporary period, one would be hard pressed to name a more important first hand account saved from the erasure of time, than the testimonial of a surviving Rhodesian serviceman.
For your labors, a sincere debt of gratitude will, not only be owed unto you by future generations but, is already by your current viewers. Thank you for your work, in conducting such professional interviews. To say I thoroughly enjoyed this one, so far, would be a massive understatement.... Can't hardly wait for part 2!
An Officer & A Gentleman
Great interview Steve -
It was a pleasure crewing with you when on Alouettes on 7 Sqdn.
Was that the Hunter simulator at Thornhill?
I flew that bloody thing when I was a glider pilot in Gwelo in the early 70s. I touched down 200ft underground!
Was Ed Potterton in the squadron at that time?
I worked with his wife Sue at Selukwe, and they lived on a plot at Guineafowl with Sue’s horses.
Love your output. Wish my tinnitus wasn't as bad as I do sometimes struggle with the audio.
Excellent! TFP
32:23 "big bend in the river" . . . Nyadzonya Raid in Mozambique, 1,200 insurgents killed.
The link to the store doesn’t work..
Want that hoodie. Your store broke. :(
This is our new store www.teepublic.com/user/aircrew-interview
My mum told me a story about spending the night at a camp with some ‘freedom fighters’ in the 1970s. And she woke up spontaneously around 5am only for the camp to be lit up. There were only 6 pilots on the squadron. I was born in Zimbabwe. 5 years after it stopped being “Rhodesia”. I love the channel and I watch every video. Felt a little bit strange to hear oppressed black people who were fighting against apartheid to be described as “terrorists”. I guess that’s what they used to call Mandela. Can’t wait for part 2 🙌
It was Forward Airfield Mtoko he was talking about btw. My mum was a teenager.
Rhodesia was not an apartheid state. Mugabe was a blood thirsty terrorist who destroyed one of the few successful African countries and murdered untold scores of its black population in his quest for power - despite his proclamations against "imperialists" the west probably put him in power because he allowed them to loot natural resources from Rhodesia where as Ian Smith likely would have gotten a decent deal out of it and spent it on development. Most of the terrorists probably didn't know any better and allowed themselves to get whipped up into a frenzy by communist rabble rousers like Mugabe who went on to live lives of opulence and hedonism while many of his former terrorist fighters who were promised riches were left with nothing. His economic policies ruined Rhodesia but rather than admit that communism is an insane ideology and change course (like Jerry Rawlings in Ghana) Mugabe doubled down and blamed it all on white people.
As former head of the MDC Morgan Tsangari pointed out "if Ian Smith had been born black he would be remembered as one of Africas greatest leaders".
Rhodesia was more progressive and did more for its black population in substance than most African countries ever have.
@@zoidberg444 Mugabe was a dick. Ian Smith was a racist. No country in the world ever recognised Rhodesia as a state.
No doubt .. “terrorists”. Same as when we(US) were In various foreign countries fighting the native population and calling them “insurgents” or “terrorists”.. kinda misleading
@@guaporeturns9472 yeah, in Ian Smith’s case, there’s something really weird about poisoning people’s food and water with biological weapons the calling someone else a terrorist. All in the name of preventing democracy 🤦♂️
The word terrorist here is out of place here...
While the infos on the hunter are interesting, it's a bit weird to interview someone who was violently oppressing the black native population in the service of a racist oppressive regime.
You could equally apply that statement to the Robert mugabe regime that came afterwards too. This is an aviation based channel and a very good one too, so best leave the politics out of it don't you think ?
@@johngreen-sk4yk I do agree with you up to a certain point, but you have to draw a line somewhere. The pilot in this interview participated in a dirty war to uphold a racist minority regime over a native population at least and might have actively been involved in war crimes at worst.
@@lb2791 I served with an ex Rhodesian army guy back in the 80,s not everything is as black and white as you seem to think it is. A large proportion of the Rhodesian army was black. I can kind of see it from both sides it was a dirty war but most Rhodesians didn't want to see their country going down the pan with a Marxist takeover,but at the same time black people needed equality. I don't feel I should judge either side just give them the respect as soldiers/airman fighting for what they thought was right ! Anyway I'll say no more I'm here for the planes 👍
@@johngreen-sk4yk, exactly! It was a war to prevent the Marxist takeover of a previously peaceful country. Natives, black AND white, were far better off under the Rhodesian flag than the Zimbabwean.
It was complicated and not as simple as you portray. Black Zimbabweans are now empirically economically worse off than they were in Rhodesia, so perhaps best to leave the politics out.
Nice to see the Somali Hunters in the pictures there, takes me back! Also, the Avon engine rebuild line in Rhodesia/Zimbabwe balanced the rotating masses (both static and dynamic) to closer tolerances than did Rolls Royce themselves. 🙂
Love these aircraft .. the sound that is unmistakable .. the screaming sound of the Avon is nothing like anything out there ! I grew up on the airbase at Thornhill Gwelo .. my late father was in the airforce for 30 years and my two brothers in listed and both were technicians . The Rhodesians had the finest technicians on the planet at the time .. the amazing skills they developed over the years was simply incredible ! The pilots were incredible and so skilled ! Thanks for your service Mr Murray ! 🙏🏻 respect !
Amazing interview and stories of our airforce. Thank you for sharing this with us all, and thank you, Steve, for your service and recollections.
These always feel too short and then I never find the second part because the titles change.
loved the cattle story, i lived on a farm and i can just imagine.
another great interview, he's a natural public speaker, great to hear his record.
Cheers Ben.
This ought to be great! Can't wait to get into it!
Hope you enjoy.
I was there during the war. We had very few Hunters which were already old. We had vampires and aloutte helicopters. Really had hand me downs
The Royal Air Force in the British colony of Southern Rhodesia received twelve Hunters in 1963, eleven were still flying in 1979. Describe the differences in performance between new Hunters and 15 year old Hunters?