British South Africa Police Abbreviated History
The BSA Police has an 84 year history in the territory which became Southern Rhodesia through to today’s Zimbabwe. This set of web pages under the ‘history’ banner attempts to outline the rich history of the British South Africa Police in a very abbreviated form. It will hopefully provides a number of interesting facts about the force from the days when it provided valuable military assistance to both a Royal Charter Company and later the British Empire, when it became a renowned Colonial police force with strong allegiance to the British Crown, and later a para-military police force involved in the defence of a Republic which had declared its Independence from Britain.
British South Africa
The origins of the British South Africa Police lie not in Rhodesia itself, but in the imperial frontier administration of Bechuanaland during the 1880s. Following the declaration of the Bechuanaland Territories as a British Protectorate in May 1884, the Bechuanaland Mounted Police was formed to impose order along a volatile frontier exposed to Boer, Portuguese, and African political pressures. This was reinforced in August 1885 by the creation of the Bechuanaland Border Police, a more overtly paramilitary body intended to secure Britain’s northern interests. These forces provided the institutional and human foundation upon which later Rhodesian policing would be built. When the Royal Charter of October 1889 authorised the British South Africa Company to administer and police territories north of the Limpopo, it drew directly upon these earlier formations, absorbing experienced men, methods, and frontier assumptions.
In 1890 the Company’s ambitions became operational reality with the organisation of the Pioneer Column, contracted under Frank Johnson and supported by Company police. After assembling at Macloutsie, the combined police and pioneer force advanced northwards, establishing Fort Tuli on the Shashi River before pushing into Mashonaland under Lieutenant Colonel E. G. Pennefather. The occupation culminated in September 1890 with the establishment of Fort Salisbury, after which the Pioneer Column was disbanded and the police were compelled to assume civil responsibilities in an embryonic settler society. Policing farms, mines, and trading posts rapidly replaced purely military escort duties. This transition marked a decisive shift from expeditionary force to territorial police, a role that would expand relentlessly as Company authority hardened into administrative control.
Formal policing structures soon followed. The Mashonaland Mounted Police was established in 1892, followed a year later by the Matabeleland Mounted Police, both operating within an increasingly militarised environment.
The Matabele War of 1893, triggered by raids into the Fort Victoria district and culminating in engagements at Shangani and Bembezi, confirmed that the police were inseparable from Company military power. The occupation of Bulawayo in November 1893 ended organised Matabele resistance, but it also led to the creation of the Matabeleland Native Police in 1894 under Native Commissioners, embedding racialised policing practices into the administrative system. In 1895 the Company’s territories were formally named Rhodesia, yet the appearance of stability concealed profound tensions that would soon erupt.
The Jameson Raid of December 1895 proved catastrophic for Company credibility and directly contributed to the widespread uprisings of 1896 and 1897.
With police manpower depleted by the ill-fated Transvaal incursion, Matabele and Mashona resistance flared violently, resulting in significant settler casualties. In response, imperial authority reasserted itself, placing all Southern Rhodesian forces under the command of Sir Richard Martin. During this period the various mounted police units were amalgamated, and on 1 October 1896 the British South Africa Police formally came into being, though divided into regional commands. By the end of that year fixed establishments were set for the Matabeleland and Mashonaland Divisions, while Bechuanaland would soon form a third division, highlighting the hybrid and uneven nature of early command structures.
The closing years of the nineteenth century and the opening of the twentieth saw the force increasingly integrated into imperial military commitments. During the Anglo-Boer War the police participated in operations including the Relief of Mafeking and engagements such as Cannon Kopje, functioning as both soldiers and constables. Administrative consolidation followed, with the Mashonaland and Matabeleland Divisions united under one command in 1903 and the Bechuanaland Division subsequently separated as the Bechuanaland Protectorate Police. Training and discipline became more systematised, marked by the creation of a central depot later associated with Morris Depot. These reforms reflected a gradual shift away from improvised frontier policing towards a professional colonial force with defined hierarchy and standardised practice.
After the transfer of control to the Imperial Government in 1909, the British South Africa Police entered a new phase characterised by bureaucratic expansion and institutional permanence. Successive Commissioners oversaw the introduction of fingerprinting, the establishment of a Criminal Investigation Department, and the reorganisation of districts to align policing with magistrial authority. The First World War again drew the force beyond its borders, with operations in the Caprivi Strip and German East Africa, earning its only battle honour. By the early 1920s the BSAP had evolved from a charter company’s armed escort into a mature colonial police institution, shaped by frontier warfare, rebellion, and imperial conflict, and firmly embedded within the machinery of Rhodesian governance.
Southern Rhodesia & Federal Era
The British South Africa Police in Southern Rhodesia entered the interwar years as a force that retained its military structure but largely functioned as a civilian police service. Commissioners such as George Stops and John S Morris oversaw a body that was increasingly professionalised, yet still capable of military mobilisation. In 1936 Morris was appointed Commanding Officer of all Southern Rhodesian Forces, underscoring the dual role of the police. By 1939, the Police Reserve was formed under Major HH Rochester, and during the Second World War elements of the force were deployed to North Africa, Abyssinia, Eritrea, Cyrenaica, and Tripolitania. The adoption of Kum-A-Kye as the regimental march in 1941 symbolised the enduring military identity of the organisation despite its civilian duties.
The postwar years brought reform and expansion. The Mundy Commission of 1945 recommended improvements to the force, and Brigadier John Ross was appointed Commissioner soon after. Specialist units were introduced, including the Police Dog Section in 1948, while the Reserve was expanded into A and B sections. By 1949, the colony was divided into Mashonaland, Matabeleland, and Midlands provinces for policing administration, marking the creation of a third provincial command. Under Commissioner James Appleby, appointed in 1950, the BSA Police consolidated its role as a professional body. These developments reflected both the lessons of wartime service and the growing complexity of policing in a rapidly changing colonial society, where civil order and military preparedness were increasingly intertwined.
The creation of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland in 1953 marked a new era. The Federal Intelligence and Security Bureau was formed under Basil de Quehen, himself a former member of the force, to coordinate intelligence across the territories.
Elements of the BSA Police were deployed to Nyasaland to quell nationalist disturbances, demonstrating the force’s regional responsibilities. In 1954, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother became Honorary Commissioner, a symbolic imperial endorsement of the force. Commissioner Arthur Hickman oversaw the establishment of the Police C Reserve, known as the Field Reserve, while Harold Jackson succeeded him in 1955. These years saw the BSA Police balancing ceremonial recognition with operational demands, as the Federation brought both prestige and new challenges to the organisation.
The mid-1950s and late 1950s were marked by unrest and political ferment. In 1956, a BSA Police contingent was deployed to the Copperbelt in Northern Rhodesia during large-scale strikes, while in 1957 the Police Reserve Airwing was formed to extend operational capacity.
That same year, the Southern Rhodesian African National Congress was established, signalling the rise of African nationalism. In 1959, the ANC was banned and Operation Spider launched, resulting in the arrest and detention of 500 leading nationalists. The Criminal Investigation Department headquarters moved from Bulawayo to Salisbury, consolidating operations at Morris Depot. These developments reflected the growing tension between colonial authority and nationalist movements, with the BSA Police increasingly drawn into political conflict.
The early 1960s intensified these pressures. The National Democratic Party, formed in 1959, was banned in 1961, followed by the banning of ZAPU in 1962. In 1960, the Special Police Reserve and Women’s Field Reserve were established, expanding the force’s reach. The Police Forensic Science Laboratory was created in Salisbury in 1963, enhancing investigative capacity. That same year, Ken Flower, a senior officer, was appointed to lead the newly formed Central Intelligence Organisation, which grew out of the Prime Minister’s Department. The CIO was supported by the BSA Police Special Branch, known as Branch I, tasked with internal security. These measures reflected the colonial government’s determination to counter nationalist activity, as intelligence and policing became ever more closely aligned.
The dissolution of the Federation at the end of 1963 ushered in a turbulent period for Rhodesia. The formation of ZANU under Ndabaningi Sithole in August 1963 marked a new phase of nationalist mobilisation. In 1964, insurgents carried out their first offensive action, killing Petros Oberholtzer at a roadblock in Melsetter. The government responded by declaring a State of Emergency in August and banning ZANU. Volunteer Additional Force units, known as the Sinoia Commandos, were created from regular and reserve police to combat terrorism. These developments compelled the BSA Police back to its military roots, as the force confronted nationalist insurgency and political upheaval. By the time of the 1965 Unilateral Declaration of Independence, the BSA Police had become a central instrument of state security.
UDI Period and Rhodesian Republic
The Unilateral Declaration of Independence in November 1965 marked a clear change in the environment in which the British South Africa Police operated. The force nevertheless continued its core civilian duties. Criminal investigation, public order policing, traffic control, and court work remained constant. Police stations and provincial commands functioned without interruption. Early security incidents in 1966, including armed contact near Sinoia and murders on isolated farms, exposed new threats to public safety. These events required adaptation but did not displace routine policing.
In August 1966 the Police Anti-Terrorist Unit was formed under police command. It was based on voluntary service and additional training. This approach preserved the civilian character of the force. The appointment of James Spink as Commissioner in 1968 reinforced administrative continuity. When Rhodesia declared itself a republic in March 1970, the change was constitutional rather than operational. Policing law, powers, and procedures remained largely unchanged. Sydney Bristow was appointed Commissioner later that year.
The early 1970s saw measured expansion. The Women’s A Reserve was formed in 1971 and undertook normal police duties alongside male reservists.
In 1973 the first National Service Patrol Officers began training at Morris Depot. These developments addressed manpower pressures across both urban and rural policing. Throughout this period, the British South Africa Police retained its civilian mandate while adjusting its structure to meet changing conditions. From late 1972 the security situation deteriorated in specific regions.
Joint Operations Commands were introduced to improve coordination between police and military forces.
Operation Hurricane commenced in the north-east, followed by further operational areas in Manicaland, Victoria Province, Matabeleland, the Midlands, and the Kariba region.
For the BSA Police, these arrangements affected coordination rather than command. Police units remained under police authority while contributing to joint objectives.
Civilian policing continued alongside these demands. Urban crime investigation, licensing, traffic enforcement, and public order duties remained daily responsibilities. Rural stations stayed open, often under sustained pressure. In September 1976 a programme of advancement promoted African members into ranks previously restricted by race. This marked a significant institutional change. Leadership also evolved, with Peter Sherren appointed Commissioner in 1974 and Peter Allum in 1978.
Major civilian incidents in 1978 and 1979, including attacks on commercial aircraft, placed additional strain on policing resources. Investigation, public reassurance, and public order management remained police responsibilities. Political negotiations during this period altered authority structures but did not suspend policing functions. The transitional administration of 1979 and the return of British authority later that year left the force operationally intact. On 1 August 1980 the British South Africa Police was formally disbanded and reconstituted as the Zimbabwe Republic Police, closing a long and continuous institutional chapter.