The amalgamation of the various forces into a combined force in based on the Commandant General’s Orders of 5 October 1903 defined the structure of the new BSA Police at that time.

There had been established a Mashonaland and Matabeleland Division in approximately 1896, along with the Bechuanaland Division of the British South Africa Police. By 1903, shortly after the Second Boer War, what was to be come Rhodesia had had its boundaries set. The Bechuanaland Division fell away from the BSA Police and became the Bechuanaland Protectorate Police in March 1903.

The force was to be commanded by a Commandant, two Chief Inspectors in command of Divisions, Inspector and Sub-Inspectors. Magisterial Districts were provided as the general geographic divisions of territories and there was the creation of 11 Troops, one per District.

Mashonaland Division

Police districts were defines by Magisterial jurisdictions centered in the major towns and villages that had been established:

• ‘A’ Troop – Salisbury (with Headquarter element)
• ‘B’ Troop – Goromonzi
• ‘C’ Troop – Sinoia
• ‘D’ Troop – Umtali
• ‘E’ Troop – Depot
• ‘F’ Troop – Fort Victoria

Up until 1906, Major Audley Gosling was in command of the Mashonaland Division.

Matabeleland Division

Matabeleland Divisions was similarly apportioned according to magistrates’ jurisdictions.

• ‘G’ Troop – Gwanda
• ‘H’ Troop – Gwelo
• ‘J’ Troop – Filabuzi
• ‘K’ Troop – Bulawayo
• ‘L’ Troop – Fort Usher

In 1903, William ‘Billy’ Bodle was in command of the Matabeleland Division. He went on to become the first commander of the amalgamated force, comprising to two divisions.

The apparent rapid expansion of the force in just 8 years is evidenced by the larger number of stations and men attached to the basic Troop structure established in 1903.

The area of command for Matabeleland was expanded south and east to encompass Tuli and along the border with the Transvaal Colony at the time, and it took in many towns and villages in the province we now know as the Midlands.

It appears that in the process ‘J’ Troop – Filabuzi was merged into ‘G’ Troop.

Matabeleland Division

The Matabeleland Division had by this time established a town police and the first evidence of a Criminal Investigation was about this time, with CID Headquarters being in Bulawayo.

• ‘G’ Troop – Belingwe; Filabuzi; Fort Rixon; Gwanda; Tuli; West Nicholson;
• ‘H’ Troop – Enkeldoorn; Gwelo; Que Que; Selukwe; Umvuma
• ‘K’ Troop – Bulawayo; Essexvale; Inyati; Nyamandhlovu; Umzingwane; Victoria Falls; Wankie
• ‘L’ Troop – Figtree; Fort Usher; Holi; Madabis; Mphoengs; Plumtree

There is some contention as to when the Midland Province became the third province of then Southern Rhodesia. Further more, from a police administration perspective, there is some suggestion, which is disputed, whether this new province included the Southern Mashonaland Districts at the time. The absence of any mention of a Midlands Province is hardly evidence to go on, but it appears from first mentions of appointments to the Midlands Province that this took place in late 1953 or early 1954.

Southern Rhodesia Year Book of 1955 still mentions just two provinces, although it is clear from this publication that then Native Affairs Department had Provincial areas including North Mashonaland, Midlands, South Mashonaland, Matabeleland and a Manicaland. There were just 10 magisterial district in Southern Rhodesia at the time. Victoria and Manicaland Provinces were to become a police provinces in their own right circa 1965, but there is no clarity on that date either. The matter is being researched.