OP/RECCE DITANDE CAMP
June/July'77
South Eastern Zambia

Special Branch had gained information from captured ZIPRA1 terrs that there was a camp called Ditande, situated in Zambia, west of the lower reaches of the Lake Kariba. The camp was reported to be in the Zambian escarpment, well-hidden and heavily defended. The terrs also said that their crossings across the Lake in small boats had been risky since the Lake was patrolled by armed Police boats. SAS call signs were deployed to do OPs2 along the Zambian escarpment to find any evidence of ZIPRA activity, routes, or camps. The task at hand was to confirm that this camp existed and them to find it. B Troop was operating from Milibizi base at that time and after only being deployed a short while, reports indicated that there was ZIPRA activity along a road running at the foot of the Zambian Escarpment.

Lieutenant Nigel Theron’s call sign was tasked to establish an OP along this road to determine if there was any ZIPRA using it. The OP was to be established in a range of hills situated on the valley floor about 3 kilometres from the escarpment. The most prominent kopje1 called Zeze was part of this range,
some 18 kilometres from Lake Kariba’s shores and found in a sparsely populated area. The kopjes were well wooded with plenty of cover. The infiltration route from the Lake’s shores would pass through densely populated kraals2 near the lake’s shores, through some old fields and eventually into the foothills of the range of kopjes that would provide good cover. As per SAS SOP3s, the local population was to be avoided since they would report our presence to the police, Zambian Army or ZIPRA cadres in the area.
The Lieutenant’s call sign consisted of Corporal Clive Cripps, the signaller, Trooper Nico Slabber, the RPD4 gunner and me, the medic. The equipment we were to carry was typically that for a reconnaissance/OP task. Light packs, AKs (5 magazines – 150 rounds), Nico had 500 rounds for the gun, TR485 carried by the signaller, binos, a telescope, food for 7 to 10 days, water for 3 to 4 days, one Small Means6 carried by the Lieutenant, a piece of camo net each and a shock pack carried by me. We were to be dressed in our customary greens used for external operations and blackened up using black is beautiful7. Footwear was a personal choice. Some preferred wearing the trackless ‘boots special’8 during the winter and others vellies9. Personally, I did not enjoy ‘boots special’ in the summer especially when it was wet since they tended to slip too easily. They were made from a black canvas material and hence became very hot during the day. I preferred wearing vellies with no socks when the packs were light such as on this occasion.

Lt Nigel Theron

Late afternoon on Thursday 23 June’77, we were taken by Police boat from Milibizi on a fairly fast ride into the upper reaches of the Lake. There was a slight breeze coming from the east across the water which made the water choppy. The ride was far from being a comfortable one but the wind in our faces was cool and crisp. At about 17H30 as the sun was setting in the west the boatmen estimated that we had reached the correct position to start the approach to the Zambian shoreline. Then at idling speed we set off in a north westerly bearing and approached the shoreline keeping a low profile in the boat. On the slow run towards the shore, we put on our “make-up” ensuring that all exposed white skin was blackened up with black is beautiful. As it was getting darker the half-moon was directly above us and when we got close to the shoreline, we scrutinized it for a long time using our and normal binoculars. There was enough moonlight to distinguish the features on the shoreline and a small cove in between two fishing camps or
kraals was selected as the drop-off point. Once it seemed that everyone had settled down in the kraals, we glided towards the shore, the boat’s motors covered with blankets to muffle the noise. It was about 19H30 when the boat’s nose crunched into the sand, and we disembarked quietly keeping low to reduce our silhouettes.
We waited for the boat to move off and I was surprised just how quiet it was and how difficult it was to see on the water. After ensuring that there was no evidence of the boat having beached or tracks on the sand, we moved off in extended line giving the kraals a wide birth and paying particular attention to antitracking. Africans living in the rural areas are very aware of footprints and tracks and can immediately recognise the tracks of a stranger. The progress was difficult and slow because we had to be so careful with our spoor. Much time and effort was spent on stepping carefully onto grass, rocks, or patches of hard ground while we progressed through the inhabited area. As we moved further away from the Lake’s shore however, we were able to speed up. We reached the foothills of the kopjes just before 23H00 just as the moon dipped below the horizon and found a safe LUP1 to sleep until morning. It was not a good idea to continue in the dark and possibly leave spoor.

Early the next morning Lieutenant Theron and Cpl Cripps went on a quick recce to find a suitable OP position from where we could watch the road. They returned a while later having found a good LUP. The kopjes were well wooded with large granite boulders and dense scrub giving excellent cover. At the LUP the ground was carpeted with leaves that had fallen from the trees over time and the position would be dappled in shade the whole day. The OP position, about twenty metres away, was on the upper terrace of the kopje amoungst some rocks, well concealed and in the shade. On a rotational basis we each had a shift of an hour, watching the road recording any activity. The road was about 1½ kilometres away and not that busy. We set up the telescope to observe the road where the traffic slowed down for some reason and used normal binoculars for general all-round observation. A camo net was draped over the telescope, and we would watch the road from under it. Local pedestrians mostly used the road but occasionally we saw military type vehicles carrying personnel. Because of the distance from the road, it was difficult to see exactly who or what was being transported. On open backed transport we were able to count the personal and occasionally see them holding what appeared to be weapons. The camp had to be further north along the escarpment. The vehicles also seemed to be more heavily laden going in that direction which suggested that they were carrying supplies. Later that day Cpl Cripps and I did a wide 360 around the OP position and established that there were no paths used by locals passing close by. There was, however, a game trail running on the lower terrace below the OP. While on OP duty we were also observing the locals to see if they might seem uneasy or wary. Their actions would indicate whether they were suspicious of strangers being in the area. We also wanted to find out where they were getting their water from so that we could replenish our own supply when it became necessary. The locals seemed very much at ease, and we soon established the area where we thought their water supply must be. OPs more often than not are boring affairs when there is little activity on the subject being watched. This one was no different. When “off duty”, we either read, slept, or kept ourselves busy with other little tasks. Tasks such as fixing up or re-arranging your webbing using the nylon thread from inside a certain strand of paracord. Reading was the most favoured pastime and each of us would carry two or more books and once read, exchange them between us. Whittling wooden spoons and decorating them by burning on patterns using a piece of wire was another activity. We used wooden spoons as cutlery because they were much quieter than metal spoons while eating or stirring tea in a mess tin1. The clinking of a metal teaspoon in a metal mug can be heard a long way off in the bush. We chatted in whispered tones, and we killed mopane flies. What an annoyance they were. Nico and I held a daily competition to see who could kill the most. Mopane flies, actually very small bees (only 3mm long but without a sting) are attracted to moisture and as a result would try to get into one’s eyes, nose, or mouth. They seemed to come from nowhere and would in their annoying and persistent manner descend onto humans. They are slow moving and easily killed but in their irritatingly persistent manner they just keep on coming trying to crawl into one’s facial cavities and in the process driving one nearly insane. The smokers would have brief periods of respite while smoking as the smoke seemed to keep them away. There were no smokers in our call sign so one couldn’t even bum a cigarette to keep them away. Not that smoking would be allowed on the OP or LUP anyway. The only other effective way to combat them was to wrap your head in a face-veil or hanky. During OP shifts you would kill as many as possible by keeping your hands (thumbs in your ears) on either side of your face like blinkers and then rubbing your hands together rapidly. Care had to be taken not to make sudden movements since movement was always a give-away during OPs. The dead bees would then be piled into groups of ten for the next guy to count. A tally was kept and the prize at the end of the day was for the loser to make a brew for the winner. One’s hands as a result, had a sweet sickly smell from their juices. Thank goodness we were not there during the summer months when they certainly would have been more numerous. Mealtimes were always monotony breakers but because of the close proximity of locals and their presence in the area, ground coffee with its strong aroma and spicy foods were a no no. Movement around the LUP and the OP itself had to be kept to a minimum too. On the third morning I was on OP duty when I heard a troop of baboons approaching our position. It was not long before I could see the troop moving up towards the upper terrace where our LUP was located. The lookouts consisting of large adult males, were patrolling on the edge of the troop while the females with their young remained in the centre, typical baboon behaviour. They were very noisy and vocal as they moved through the bush feeding. A particularly large male, possibly the dominant male, climbed up to the upper terrace onto the rocks right next to us and sat scratching amongst the leaves for bugs. He was no more than five metres away. He was completely unaware of our presence, and it showed just how well we and our equipment was camouflaged. Suddenly he must have either seen some movement or smelt us. His eyes widened, he pulled his ears back cocking his head forward in a typical threatening posture looking directly at Nico Slabber who was lying down reading a book. He let off a loud warning bark and, in a flash, he jumped down the 4 to 5 metre drop to the terrace below. The whole troop reacted in a splitsecond, barking, screaming, and climbing up into the trees and disappeared instantly. We sat silently watching and found it hilarious to see the juveniles trying to hide behind leaves while simultaneously looking all around to try and find the source of the danger. Eventually they saw us and with much grunting and barking the troop moved off. Hopefully the locals would think that it was a leopard that had frightened or attacked the troop.

On the fourth night, Corporal Clive Cripps and I, with all the call sign’s empty bottles in our packs, went to find the water source. The moon was well up by the time we set off and taking extreme care to antitrack, we moved slowly into the area where we had seen the local women carrying their empty containers. We found the waterhole in a dry riverbed. It was a neatly dug pit in the sand with good clean water. With one of us keeping guard, the other moved down barefoot to the pit to fill up empty bottles. Much care was taken while around the pit since this was one of the focal points for the locals and a slip-up here would mean being compromised. The next morning, we monitored the reaction of the first visitors once they left the waterhole to see if they may have seen something amiss. They were their normal chatty selves indicating that they harboured no suspicion at all. Had they been quiet moving away quickly, we would have been worried. On the fifth day we saw a green Toyota Landcruiser followed by a Zil truck with its back covered going east. This was evidence enough to indicate that there was a camp situated further east. Someone had to move closer and find it. After the afternoon sitrep2 we were informed that we had to withdraw to be picked up that night.

That night we returned to the lake’s shore to be picked up. There was moonlight nearly the whole night since the moon was only to set at about 03H30. We cautiously moved through the kraals again and chose an uninhabited piece of shoreline for the pickup. It was just before midnight when radio contact was made with the police boat, and they started moving towards the shoreline. As we sat waiting, we were attacked by what seemed to be a cloud of mosquitoes. We couldn’t slap the bloodsuckers for fear of making a noise, so we tried to kill them by rubbing our hands firmly over our arms, legs, and bodies whenever we felt them bite. The mozzies were almost as persistent as the mopane flies, but they bite. The rubbing method didn’t keep them away and we eventually just sat there enduring their bites. To add to our discomfort, a hippo was in the cove where the pickup was to be made. To move elsewhere would have meant losing time and possibly leaving tracks. We threw rocks at the snorting beast and eventually after much grunting and blowing, it moved off. Although we had made radio contact, the boat party could not see the shielded light which we were asked to flash periodically. The boat must have been in the wrong position when they made their initial approach to the shore and ended up in a position where they couldn’t see our light. They then had to move away from the shoreline and run parallel to it in an effort to pick up our light. Then they probably turned in the wrong direction. After about an hour they still couldn’t see our shielded flashing light and turned around. Nearly two and a half uncomfortable and frustrating hours after the initial contact, the boat silently slid in to pick us up. Once on board, with the motors covered, the boat moved silently away from the shoreline towards the centre of the Lake. An hour later we took off for a fast boat ride back to Milibizi and eventually docked at the jetty just as the dawn was breaking. In the showers that morning, it looked as if someone had shot us with buckshot. We had red lumps from the mosquito bites all over our bodies and it itched like hell. Hopefully the anti-malaria tablets we took weekly would do their thing. There was nothing worse than contacting malaria and having to be treated for it. At breakfast the cook did us proud with a huge helping of steak, sausage, eggs, chips, toast, and tomato gravy. The food at base camp was one thing we could not complain about. Our cooks, who were attached personnel, really did us proud and always tried their best with what little they had. I often wondered what they thought of our comings and goings blackened up and dressed like the terrs. Were they spoken to about keeping quiet about what they had seen at our forward bases? It may not have been an issue for a particular deployment, but they may have mentioned it to others afterwards. I know that it was always a concern with SAS members – not talking to “outsiders” about our Ops1. Even my immediate family did not know what I was up to. I often wondered what my folks thought the SAS actually did! I initially told them that as Special Air Service we were involved with special deliveries for the Air Force, but I suppose someone would have corrected that story. Little did they know how special some of those deliveries were!

From the map there seemed to be a suitable location for a camp about 12 kilometres northeast of Zeze in the escarpment – a re-entrant where a river had carved its way through the ridge over time. I don’t know why an aerial photo run wasn’t considered. Maybe there were too many trees, or a closer recce was deemed necessary. Unfortunately, there were no alternative positions from which to launch the assault on the escarpment other than from the Zeze range of kopjes. The rest of the valley was either very flat with very little cover or too populated to stay undetected. Anyway, it was decided that we would be dropped off in roughly the same area, move onto Zeze range again and from there climb up the escarpment to start searching for the camp. After replenishing our supplies, we were dropped off on the Zambian shoreline again the following night in almost the same spot as the first time. There was a beautiful full moon for the duration of the night’s activities giving us ample light. It never ceased to amaze me how much one can see in such moonlight. We moved to the kopjes again taking care with our anti-tracking. The infiltration was uneventful. A mishap and a new plan The next day we were all studying the escarpment through the telescope looking for a possible route up. We realised that the climb up the escarpment would be extremely difficult. There was no obvious route up and Lieutenant Theron decided to cross that bridge when we came to it. Next, we searched for the best possible route from Zeze hill through the local kraals concentrated near the road to the foothills of the escarpment using as much cover as possible. We just had to be careful crossing the road though. That afternoon the accident happened. Corporal Clive Cripps was making a brew and had the burner with a mess tin full of boiling water between his legs when he reached for his brew kit in his pack behind him. As he stretched back, his leg bumped the burner over, spilling boiling water over his calf and shin, burning his leg very badly. Immediate first aid was to cover his leg with a crepe bandage and soak it with water. It was impossible for him to continue with the recce or OP for fear of infection not to speak of the discomfort and pain associated with a serious burn wound. The bad news was radioed through to Milibizi asking for a pick-up of the injured Corporal and a replacement signaller that night. However, during the wait for last light we had concluded that it would be difficult to climb up the escarpment lugging the big means and the RPD. Someone suggested that the call sign should split up leaving two operators on Zeze with the gun, the TR48 (for communication to our forward base) and the A76 while a 2-man recce team, with another A76, would climb up the escarpment to look for the camp. That would require the new man to bring an additional A76 radio and batteries. From the escarpment there would be a direct line of sight and within range of the A76 radios ensuring communication. The new plan was radioed through to the base camp. The Troop Commander supported the new plan but suggested that the Zeze call sign should have three members as they would have to keep




A happy Corporal Clive Cripps – this photo was not taken on this deployment. Note that the AK was not painted/camouflaged as was done later in the war.


a 24-hour radio watch while the 2-man recce team was away. We were to return to the Lake’s shores with the injured Corporal and pick up the other two operators that night. Later that afternoon we were nearly compromised. I was watching a Cardinal Woodpecker as it was probing and chipping at the bark of a tree on the lower terrace while looking for beetle larvae and insects. It suddenly scurried to the other side of the branch as if trying to hide and as I looked down to see why, I saw a hunter carrying an axe and a spear a short distance away. He was quietly walking on the terrace below our position scouting around for animal sign. I warned everyone quietly and fortunately he passed below us without seeing anyone. He did not seem alarmed or uneasy as he ambled past. We watched him as he disappeared into the thick bush further down the ridge showing no concern or alarm and it was safe to say that he was unaware of our presence. I realised that had I not been watching the bird, he may have seen one of us. Bird and animal behaviour and their alarm calls, gives one an additional layer of awareness providing that you know what those calls and behaviours mean.

That night it was full moon proper with the moon coming up as the sun was setting. We accompanied Clive back to the Lake’s shore. It was a difficult and painful walk for him. There the other two operators joined us. They had the extra A76, and additional batteries and they had also brought us some welcome fresh rations. Previously it had taken us a whole night to exfiltrate and another night to infiltrate. In retrospect, this hasty change-over where we had to do both in one night, a round trip of nearly 36 kilometres, may have caused us to be less cautious with our anti-tracking and may have been the reason for the problem we were to encounter later. It was a long hard night with the exfiltration taking slightly longer because of Clive’s injury. The return trip back to Zeze was quicker but the three of us who had done both legs were tired and may have been less careful and probably left a telltale track or two. Who knows? We reached the kopjes as the sun was rising. Back on Zeze, Lieutenant Theron had decided that I would accompany him on the recce. We reached consensus where we would start our ascent and on the best possible route to that point. We would go as light as possible carrying only four bottles of water, as we believed that we would find water once in the escarpment, one A76 radio, extra batteries, binos, the telescope, night vision equipment, a medical shock pack, camo nets and rations to last 5 to 8 days. The recci party caught up on some sleep during the day so that we would be fresh for the climb up the escarpment that night. We did an OP shift together and went over the route we were to use to the foot of the escarpment. There was only one place where we would have to be careful and that was when we crossed the road. As I said before, boredom on OPs is a bugger and it’s amusing what one will do to pass the time! I changed the words to a Harry Belafonte song called ‘Jamaica Farewell’ which had been taught to our standard four class at Murray McDougal School in Triangle by Mr Tony Shepard. Mr Shepard, an Ozzie, had also taught us a few other Australian songs including ‘Waltzing Matilda’ and ‘Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport’. The encounter with the baboons inspired me to changing the Jamaica Farewell lyrics to my version of ‘Zeze Zeze Farewell’:

Down the way where the nights are gay And the sun shines daily on the mountain top We took a trip on a motorboat
And when we reached Zambia we made a stop

But I’m sad to say I’m on my way
Won’t be back for many a day
My heart is down my head is turning around
I had to leave a bobo1 on Zeze gomo2

Down in the valley you can hear
Abafazi3 cry as on their heads they bear
Sadza4 or rice, kapenta5 is nice
And utjwala6 in fine any time of year

But I’m sad to say I’m on my way
Won’t be back for many a day My heart is down my head is turning around
I had to leave a bobo on Zeze Zeze gomo

Sounds of laughter everywhere
And the dancing girls sway to and fro
I must declare my heart is there
Though I’ve been from Binga to Limpopo

I didn’t sing it to anyone but jotted it down in my notebook. What next?

The moon rose at about 17H15 and we left the kopje about half an hour later following the route we had studied. Thankfully there would be moonlight the whole night while we were to attempt the climb up the escarpment. We reached the road at a spot where there were rocks and we crossed easily leaving no tracks. At the bottom of the escarpment, we spent some time trying to find a game trail or other natural path up but there were none. As predicted, the climb was extremely difficult and at stages very dangerous. Most of the time we had to sling our AKs so that we could use both our hands to grab onto rocks, grass, shrubs, or roots. Luckily our packs were light. At one point it seemed impossible to continue and we had to move horizontally and down again to find a better route. On one occasion we dislodged rocks that went crashing down the steep sides of the escarpment. At times the climb was nearly vertical, and our packs made it difficult to look up to find hand and footholds. It was best not to think too much about the position you’re in and to keep looking up. Through determination and guts displayed by Lieutenant Theron, we eventually reached the top. It took us well into the night to climb up and because of the physical exertion we had used most of our water. Thank goodness we had left the TR48 and RPD gunner behind and that there was a good moon! Had it been a darker night, the climb would have been even more treacherous. Once or twice that night I got that tingling feeling one gets when your life is in danger while hanging precariously onto a rock or root. I was glad that climb was over. After a brief rest, we carefully moved north eastwards along the top of the escarpment. I was in the lead when we came across a large path. I knelt to inspect the ground in the moonlight when Lieutenant Theron knelt beside me and remarked, “There must be hundreds of terrs up here”. However, as we cautiously continued further down the path, I came across some very old elephant dung which I showed to a much-relieved Lieutenant. The old elephant trail contoured the top of the escarpment heading roughly in the direction we were going – eastwards. If ever you want an easy walk, follow an elephant trail! As we warily continued to move along the path taking care to anti-track properly, it became apparent that it was not well used. The elephant had moved out of the area a long time ago probably because of the increased human activity in the area. We followed the path until it suddenly veered northwards away from the escarpment. We had covered 5 to 6 kilometres by then and decided to find a suitable LUP to rest briefly until first light. Finding water would be our priority that morning.

e were awake before first light and while we were packing away our sleeping bags, I heard the swizzling sounds associated with weavers. Weavers are normally not far from water. The sounds seemed to come from a small kloof1 nearby. Leaving Lieutenant Theron to give his sitrep to the Zeze call sign, I went to investigate. I followed a small game trail down the steep sides of the kloof and into a dry water course. As I walked further down the dry stream, I came across a smooth rock dropping vertically down about five metres – a waterfall when there was water flowing. Looking downstream from the falls, there were trees lining the watercourse and I saw a few weavers’ nests with long vertical spouts hanging down from the drooping branches. There amongst the rocks was a pool of crystal-clear water. It was one of the most beautiful spots I had ever seen in my life. Maybe it was because we had to find water that it was so special. To try to describe it would not do justice to its natural splendour. As I peeked over the waterfall’s rock, I could see water seeping out about halfway down the falls and trickle further down over moss covered rocks into the pool. All around the pool amoungst the rocks were large ferns, palms, and shrubs with several large trees hanging over the stream that would provide shade throughout the day. The vegetation surrounding the pool was lush, green, and dense. What a spot. God certainly new his business. I moved back to where I had left Lieutenant Theron and told him I had found water.
There was no sign of human activity, and we moved down to the pool taking extreme care to use the available cover and not to leave any tracks. Around the water’s edge there was evidence of small game and birds using the pool. We filled up our empty bottles and then moved away from the kloof into a secure thicket close by for the day. Plenty brews were made that day! Sleep was also high on the priority list. It would have been difficult for anyone to approach our position without us seeing them first and then there was also a safe escape route where we could disappear without being seen.
those gems in the bush probably unseen by humans, just as God had made it. Throughout the day the pool was visited by numerous birds, and we were able to enjoy some birding from our natural hide in the thicket. The culprits that had given away the pool’s position were a pair of Redheaded Weavers. During the rest of the day we saw Crested Francolin, a noisy gaggle of Arrow-marked Babblers, a lone Swainson’s Francolin, some Blue Waxbills, and a host of other birds I didn’t know. At some point during the day, I thought that I heard a single rifle shot in the distance towards the east. Was it a hunter or possibly the camp? It brought us back to reality realizing that we could not be reckless and that one of us had to always remain alert. This spot was one of those gems in the bush probably unseen by humans, just as God had made it. Throughout the day the pool was visited by numerous birds, and we were able to enjoy some birding from our natural hide in the thicket. The culprits that had given away the pool’s position were a pair of Redheaded Weavers. During the rest of the day we saw Crested Francolin, a noisy gaggle of Arrow-marked Babblers, a lone Swainson’s Francolin, some Blue Waxbills, and a host of other birds I didn’t know. At some point during the day, I thought that I heard a single rifle shot in the distance towards the east. Was it a hunter or possibly the camp? It brought us back to reality realizing that we could not be reckless and that one of us had to always remain alert.

The vegetation on the top of the escarpment consisted mainly of well grassed rocky ground with sparsely wooded medium sized trees. Occasional large multi-stemmed shrubs provided ideal cover to hide in. Late afternoon, we carefully started moving in a north easterly direction towards the area where we thought it would be suitable for a camp. We would first sit and watch from a well concealed position making sure that it was safe before moving stealthily to the next vantage point to repeat the process.
Just as the sun was setting, we were at the edge of the escarpment when we came across what seemed to be a sentry post. Suddenly my pulse started racing! Here was the first evidence of human activity and probably the very people we were looking for. A few stompies1, bits of old sadza, a rock used as a stool at the base of a shady tree and military print boot tracks on the ground, was the obvious evidence. A path led down a spur to the edge of the escarpment. We were pretty excited since this was the first real proof of possible terr activity. With my heart in my mouth, I kept a look out with my AK at the ready while Lieutenant Theron scouted around. The evidence showed however, that it had not been recently manned. After carefully avoiding the bare ground, we decided to move away to find a secure sleeping place for the night. The plan was to return before first light the next morning to find a suitable position from which to observe the area below. Hopefully, this was where the camp was.
We found a secure LUP some 500 metres away in a small thicket. We moved past the position and then entered it after completing a dog’s leg2. It was already fairly dark when Lieutenant Theron contacted the group on Zeze giving them a sitrep while I kept a lookout in the direction we had just come. The comms with the Zeze call sign was about strength 3’s and Lieutenant Theron managed to give a six figure locstat3 of our position with the sitrep. That information would be relayed to our forward base at Milibizi by the Zeze group using Morse code. Afterwards we ate a cold meal not risking to light a gas stove at night so close to a potential camp. The moon rose at about 18H20 and we sat up until after 21H00 straining our ears for sounds that may support our findings at the sentry post but heard nothing. We decided to do one-hour shifts of sentry duty keeping our boots and chest webbing on for the duration of the night. Peering out from our LUP at the surrounding countryside bathed in bright moonlight, with the grass bending gently in a light breeze, everything seemed so peaceful. Who would have thought that we were in a war situation with a possible terr base a short distance away whose occupants wanted to terrorise our country.

Well before sunrise with the moon still hanging above the horizon, we contacted the Zeze call sign. Lieutenant Theron informed them of our intentions telling them that we would be off the air after the sitrep. We would contact them again later when it was safe to do so. The reason for switching off our radio was obvious. We did not want any squelching or sudden hissing noises sometimes associated with radios while we could possibly be close to the enemy. After checking our black is beautiful, we moved
towards the sentry post in the moonlight. At the edge of the escarpment, we found some shrubs where we would not be silhouetted and slipped over the ridge. Carefully we descended on all fours to an outcrop of rocks and shrubs about 20 metres down the slope. The outcrop was covered with a bush which would give us ample cover while we were observing the terrain below. When we had hidden our packs amoungst the rocks and shrubs, we slowly removed our binos and the telescope, covered ourselves with the pieces of camo nets and settled down ready to observe the surroundings.
We were not sure that this was where the camp was, but the old sentry position indicated that it may be close. If we didn’t find any evidence of the camp, we would move further along the escarpment and continue with the search.
As the sun’s rays drove away the darkness, we could make out the landscape around and below us. We were sitting on the side of a ridge overlooking a small tree-covered valley through which a stream passed. On the other side of the stream the escarpment rose steeply again. The stream came through the escarpment via a steep-sided kloof. The sides of the escarpment were sparsely wooded and covered with knee high grass and shrubs. However, down in the valley it was heavily wooded, so much so that we could not see through the canopy of trees. This would be an ideal spot for a camp I thought to myself. There was excellent cover, water close at hand with high ground for observation posts and defence.
Looking down at the canopy of trees we could see what looked like a faint cloud of mist but a short while later we realised that it was a wispy smoke trail filtering through the canopy of trees. Could that possibly be the kitchen area? Just then we picked up some movement about 150 metres down the spur to our right.

Sketch showing Ditande Camp Layout


A terr suddenly emerged from a well concealed shelter, walked away a few paces and urinated next to tree! I nudged Lieutenant Theron and pointed in that direction. A path led down the side of the spur to the shelter which was extremely well hidden amongst thick bushes. The terr was unarmed. Yes, yes this was it! Two more terrs appeared and sat down on some rocks chatting to their comrade. Their demeanour indicated that they were completely relaxed, and bored. The fact that they did not have their weapons with them showed that they felt secure. Another two terrs emerged from the shelter and also urinated in the same place as the first. Boy, there must have been a pong there! All of them were dressed in green uniforms and as with most Africans, their boots were not tied properly. We scanned the rest of the area but regularly turned our attention back to them to see what they were up to. If they were to move up the path to the OP, we wanted to know since that would effectively cut off our escape route back over the escarpment’s edge. We realised the danger of that but decided to stay put should someone move to the OP position since we felt secure in our hiding place.
The canopy of trees below us was so thick that even with the telescope nothing could be seen. At about 07H30 a pistol shot rang out from below amongst the trees. To the left of us, across the kloof, the ridge seemed to come alive. Five terrs also wearing green fatigues were silhouetted as they stood up and zigzagged their way down the side of the spur and into the thick bush below. All of them were armed with either AKs or SKSs1 slung over their shoulders. Four of the group down our spur also got up and disappeared into the bush. One terr remained behind and we could only see his upper body sticking out from what appeared to be a weapon’s pit. While we were watching him, he seemed to be moving in a smooth arc from one side to the other. It was then that we realized that he was sitting on a 14.5mm AA27 (Anti-Aircraft) weapon mounted in the pit. Across the kloof to our left on the other ridge, a similar pit existed also with one terr visible. That particular one we could make out that the weapon had a canvas cover draped over it.
This was Ditande Camp and from the little we had seen, it seemed organized, very well concealed but not very vigilant. We would have to get down into the tree line to find out the extent of the camp and to possibly estimate the number of terrs that were encamped there. The moon would be up about an hour later that night at about 20H25 and we would have moonlight throughout the night to do a close-in recce. Maybe there would be too much light?

About an hour or so later, “our” crew came back. One of them was carrying a bowl of food for their comrade who had stayed behind. We were making sketches and discussing excitedly how we were going to try and get closer for the close-in recce when suddenly pandemonium broke out amongst them. Some of the gooks were dashing around looking for their weapons and when they found them, they jumped into the AA pit. The cover had been taken off with one terr manning the weapon. The same happened on the other ridge and they were all looking out in a south westerly direction towards Zeze hill.
Lieutenant Theron quickly switched the radio on and tried to contact the Zeze call sign only to find a calm ‘blue job’s’28 voice telling him that they were on their way to pick us up. The Zeze crew had been compromised – a group of youths had walked into them that morning and it was decided that they should be pulled out. Lieutenant Theron in no uncertain terms told the chopper pilot to stay well clear of our position! Emphasising that if he had to come over the camp, he would be taken out! He then told the pilot that we would break radio contact while extracting and get back to him as soon as we were able. We heard the thump thump thump of the choppers as they crossed into the escarpment to the west of us. The choppers must have been well out of range because the terrs didn’t open fire. I kept watching the gunner behind the 14.5. He followed the chopper’s sound around until his weapon pointed almost directly at us. I whispered to Lieutenant Theron to keep still. The sound of the chopper faded as it went further away from the camp. A short while later there was a commotion on our spur as a couple of gooks appeared from below brandishing their AKs and with much gesticulation and noise “our” terrs were explaining to them what they had seen. These two were probably from the leaders’ corps. Meanwhile, the gunner sat on the 14.5’s seat staring intently in our direction. To him something may have seemed amiss, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. For what seemed like an eternity (probably no more than 10 minutes or so) he continued to stare in our direction. I reminded the Lieutenant to keep still. Any movement would give us away. Eventually the terr shook his head and joined his buddies who were chatting excitedly. It seemed as if the two gooks from below were trying to rally a party to go up to the sentry position or even further into the escarpment in the direction where the choppers had disappeared. What amazed me was the volume of noise coming from them “talking” – more like shouting – to each other! We had to get out of there smartly before our escape route was cut off.

While the gooks were distracted and chatting excitedly, Lieutenant Theron and I moving slowly packed away our equipment and with extreme care furtively slipped back over the lip of escarpment. Using all the available cover we sneaked off away from the camp. We were concerned that the terrs would send a search party out thinking that the choppers may have dropped off some troops. We moved quickly, antitracking as much as possible. About twenty minutes after having left the escarpment, Lieutenant Theron tried to contact the chopper pilot again. Fortunately, the choppers were still in the air, and he asked the pilot what arrangements there were as far as communications were concerned. The chopper pilot informed him that a fixed wing aircraft would soon be in the air for that purpose in case we ran into trouble.
I was leading and followed an old game trail running directly north away from the camp. At about midday we were about 10 or 11 kilometres from the camp when we tried to make contact again to arrange for uplift. By then a Lynx1 with the Troop Commander on board was airborne. The suggestion that followed was definitely not what we wanted to hear! He suggested that we should hang around and possibly do the close in recce as planned that night. Lieutenant Theron nearly flipped his lid! He emphatically said that it would be impossible. Firstly, a hornet’s nest had just been stirred up and the whole camp would be on alert possibly for the next few days. Secondly, we would have no comms during the night should the pawpaw hit the fan! Fortunately, sanity prevailed, and we were told that we were to be picked up just before last light. We set off further into the hills away from the camp and after another hard walk we found a suitable LZ30 where a chopper could land. We were probably some 20 to 22 kilometres away from the camp by then. Late afternoon we contacted the choppers and were picked up. As we flew back, I admired the beautiful countryside we were flying over and wondered what the terrs at the camp must have thought about all the chopper activity. I recon they would have been jumpy for sure.
Back at Milibizi Nico told me that a group of 4 or 5 young boys with their dogs, probably out hunting, had walked into the LUP early that morning. Nico who was extremely quick, managed to catch one of the lads but the others took off in all directions screaming blue murder! Even the dogs took off yelping. There had been no chance to catch all of them and thus the Zeze call sign had to pack up and call for extraction. The question was whether the boys were hunting or were they sent to investigate? It was well known that terrs sometimes used juveniles to flush out the “enemy” knowing that we would normally not harm them. Or could it have been because in our haste to drop off Clive and to return all within the same night, that one of us must have left some tracks that were picked up? These questions remained unanswered, but this highlighted what we were taught during training, that it was inadvisable to use the same OP or the same infiltration/extraction routes more than once.

Me at the controls of a 14.5 in our forward base. ZPU-1 Russian manufactured anti-aircraft 14.5mm gun