August 2012 News

BSA Police Former Members Web News
The web site administrator's news pages are kept up to date by courtesy of the Regimental Association Branches and all those members who report recent news events concerning former members of the force. Your contributions and articles for publication are welcome. Have you or has a former member of the force achieved some fame or passed a milestone? Please drop me a line by and tell me about it. Send pictures too.


Telephone: +263-772-129215

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You can also keep up with news of your old colleagues on Facebook and Yahoo Groups


Death: Edmundson 'Eddie' Matchett 4789
Tom Meekin advises, with regret, the death of Eddie Matchett on 26 August 2012 in Lisburn, Northern Ireland. Eddie joined the BSA Police in October 1951 and first served with the Mounted Troop in the Salisbury District before joining the Farriers in 1956. He was to be involved with police horses and equitation instruction for the rest of his police career. Eddie represented the police in competitive show jumping and was also a polo player. He retired from the successor force, the Zimbabwe Republic Police, in May 1983 with the rank of Chief Inspector. Eddie was the recipient of the PMM (June 1979) and PLSM and was a member of the United Kingdom Branch of the Regimental Association. Our thoughts and condolences go out to his wife, Joan, family and friends, to whom we extend our deepest sympathy.
27 August 2012




Transvaal Outpost - August 2012 - Edition 30.2
Craig Viljoen, editor of the Transvaal Outpost has offered his latest edition of the magazine for your reading pleasure. Another excellent publication from Transvaal... thanks
27 August 2012



Death: Dermot Henry 'Paddy' Allen 4072
Des Howse advises, with regret, the death of Paddy Allen on 25 August 2012 in Durban, South Africa. Paddy joined the BSA Police June 1946 and appears to have spent much of his service in the Salisbury District. He was promoted to Chief Inspector in 1964 and received the Colonial Police Long Service medal in that year. Paddy received his commission in January 1967 and continued serving in the Salisbury Central District before taking command of Salisbury South District in 1972. He retired in July 1978, with the rank of Assistant Commissioner. Recently he emigrated and settled in Natal and was a member of the Natal Branch. Our thoughts and condolences go out to his wife, Helen, family and friends, to whom we extend our deepest sympathy.
27 August 2011

Death: Robert Kenneth 'Bob' Papenfus 5095/5897
Dick Glanville advises, with regret, the death of Bob Papenfus on 21 August 2012 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Bob first joined the BSA Police in August 1953 and originally served just three years. Two years later, in October 1958, Bob rejoined the force and served mostly in the Criminal Investigation Department for the rest of his career. He was a scenes of crime specialist and fingerprint expert. Bob retired from the successor Zimbabwe Republic Police with the rank of Detective Chief Inspector in June 1981. He was the recipient of the Police Medal for Meritorious Service in 1978. Bob was a keen pistol and Bisley shottist and represented the force and province in shooting championships and shot for his country in Bisley in 1980. After leaving the ZRP, Bob emigrated and took up an appointment with the South African Police Service. He continued his work in fingerprints and scenes of crime analysis and was eventually promoted to the rank of Colonel before retiring from that force. Bob had been based at John Vorster Square and was held in high esteem by his colleagues. He was a member of the both the Transvaal and Western Cape Branches of the Regimental Association and was living in Klienmont before his death. Our thoughts and condolences go out to his family and friends, to whom we extend our deepest sympathy.
25 August 2012

Death: John Radford 6078/7222
Bob Franklin advises, with regret, the tragic death of John Radford on or about 19 August 2012 near Kirkwood, South Africa. John first joined the BSA Police in October 1959 and served just over four years, originally as a remount rider who participated in the Queen Mother's Escort, before being stationed in Beitbridge and then Bulawayo. He left the force in October 1963, but rejoined in January 1965 serving in Information Room Salisbury and then Salisbury Province Dog Section. John left the force in January 1968 with the rank of Patrol Officer. He was once a member of the Transvaal Branch of the Regimental Association and was living in Kirkwood at the time of his death. Our thoughts and condolences go out to his family and friends, to whom we extend our deepest sympathy.
22 August 2012

Pensions Update
reports the following information on pensions:

As the Branch Secretaries of the South African Branches will know, pensions are being paid in South Africa but only to pensioners who have bank accounts with Standard Bank. We conducted an exercise recently where four South African pensioners opened new accounts with Standard Bank. Details of their new accounts together with a Certificate of Life were forwarded to the Pensions Office, and all four received pension payments at the end of July.
I have discussed this issue with my contact at the Pensions Office, and he recommends that ALL South African pensioners who do not bank with Standard Bank and who are not receiving their pensions, open accounts with Standard Bank.
The Pensions Office will require a correctly completed Certificate of Life duly certified by a competent person whose details appear on the form, and a correctly completed Bank Details form giving details of the pensioner's new Standard Bank account.
The Bank Details form must be signed and stamped by the pensioner's local branch signifying that the details contained thereon are correct. The forms must then be sent by registered mail to: -
The Pensions Master
PSC Pensions Agency
P O Box CY.397
Causeway,
ZIMBABWE.


For UK Pensioners, my contact advised that it was hoped to commence the payment of UK Pensions either at the end of this year or early next year. Payment will be made through Standard Chartered Bank, with whom the Zimbabwe Government has an account. Learning from pension payments in South Africa, my contact recommends that UK pensioners open accounts with Standard Chartered Bank.
For UK Pensioners who decide to open account with Standard Chartered Bank, then they must complete and have certified the Certificate of Life and the Bank Details Form as set out above. Regrettably, for pensioners in other countries, there is no indication as to when pension payments in these countries will commence.
12 August 2012

Death: Graham Allen 'Spats' Jansen 6780
Neville Spurr reports with regret the death of Graham Jansen on 4 August 2012 in Cape Town, South Africa. Graham joined the BSA Police in November 1962 and served until November 1981, retiring on pension with the rank of Inspector. He served mostly in Uniform Branch in Salisbury Province and Depot and represent both the Police and national teams in service and combat pistol shooting at one time. Graham emigrated to South Africa, settling in Cape Town, where at one stage he ran a small business in Fishhoek. He was an active member of the Western Cape Branch of the Regimental Association. Our thoughts and condolences go out to his wife, Pauline, family and friends, to whom we extend our deepest sympathy.
5 August 2012

Queensland Newsletter: July 2012
Mike Edden has sent in his Queensland Newsletter for your reading pleasure. We thank Mike for his continued support of this media.
5 August 2012

Social Media
There has been quite a lot of discussion in both social media circles and the various forums of the Regimental Association about the use of social media. Those using social media seem to think that the internet provides a platform which could enhance the objectives of the traditional association branches, thus maintaining a strong esprit de corps and a ground ripe for recruitment into the physical branches of younger former members.

There do appear to be some rather negative views about social media being expressed, strangely, by some who have never fully ventured into this area of cyberspace. One either likes it or dislikes it, and most would respect their views.

This web site, the Yahoo Groups listings (e-mail based groups), and at least two social media platforms (Linked In and Facebook) have attempted to fill a communications gap. They provide for the needs of former members to enjoy the esprit de corp... the traditional association branches only need to embrace a concept and use it to their best advantage.

A couple of Facebook pages have sprung up, and a couple of interesting groups too. If you are a member of Facebook, and have not visited... here are the links:

You would be pleasantly surprised by the number of people subscribed to these groups and you will find a few former close colleagues there too. Come and join us. For more on discussion groups, go to the Contact page
5 August 2012

Aussie Outpost: Winter Edition 2012: Volume 14 Issue 1
We were pleased to receive the Aussie Outpost Winter Edition 2012 from Kerry Hoadley for your reading pleasure. This is yet another interesting and in some places thought provoking edition from Australia. Our special thanks to Kerry and the Australian Committee, who continue to support the efforts of this web site. This is well worth a read. You may click on the image to the right to download (1.15Mb).
5 August 2012

Achievements: August Birthday Parade
A few former members will celebrate 'landmark' birthdays this month, including:

  • 75th by 6768 Geoffrey Groves (14 August); 5766 George Fairlie (16 August); 5883 Murray Gouldstone (21 August);
  • 70th by 6766 Dudley Leslie-Pringle (1 August); 7157 Reg Graham (12 August); 7014 Malcolm Smith (19 August); 7333 Darell Wigley (26 August);
  • 65th by 20585 Keith Adams (28 August);
  • 60th by 8608 Stewart Michael (2 August); 8558 Peter Harris (13 August);

If you know them, drop them a message... its a good time to refresh your connection
1 August 2012

Prior Year News Archive
There is a News Archive of items going back two years here:


1 August 2012

Andrew Field (8646)
Web Master



BSA Police dog handler
The BSA Police Dog Section was first a part of the CID.

 

Images by Dick Hamley
author of
'The Regiment'

 

 


Senior Assistant
Commissioner