- Title: RHODESIA: DESERTERS CLAIM R.A.F. MEN WOULDN'T FIGHT RHODESIANS
- Date: 23rd May 1966
- Summary: INTERVIEW WITH MILNE AND CLARK (SOF) TRANSCRIPT: INTERVIEWER: "WHEN DID YOU DECIDE TO FLEE ZAMBIA AND COME TO RHODESIA?" MAN: "WELL, WE'D BEEN IN ZAMBIA FOR ABOUT FIVE AND A HALF MONTHS AND DIDN'T ACTUALLY LIKE TO THE PLACE. WE LIKED THE PEOPLE. THE RHODESIANS, YOU KNOW. BUT WE WERE DUE OUT AGAIN IN SEPTEMBER SO WE THOUGHT -- WHY GO TO ZAMBIA? YOU KNOW, GET OVER THE BORDER INTO A DECENT COUNTRY. WE'D HEARD THAT MUCH ABOUT IT SO -- LET'S TRY IT." INTERVIEWER: "WHAT WERE THE CONDITIONS LIKE IN ZAMBIA, THEN?" MAN: "VERY POOR. WHEN WE CAME TO NDOLA AT FIRST WE WERE LIVING AT THE SHOWGROUNDS IN A BIG SHED - A BIG COTTON SHED, KIND OF THING. EVERYBODY WAS IN THERE. BED TO BED. FROM THERE WE WENT TO A SECOND -- ANOTHER BIG SHED THERE. THE NEXT ONE WAS QUITE GOOD DOWN THERE. AND THEN WE WENT BACK UP THERE TO NDOLA. WE WERE BILLETED THERE IN A CONDEMNED POLICE WARDERS' QUARTERS." INTERVIEWER: "HOW LONG HAD YOU BEEN THERE?" MAN: "AT THE STATION...IN ZAMBIA. FIVE AND A HALF MONTHS ALTOGETHER". INTERVIEWER: "AND YOU WERE BORED WITH THE R.A.F. WHAT HAS BEEN THE R.A.F. SERVICEMEN'S ATTITUDE TOWARDS RHODESIA WHILE HE'S BEEN SERVING IN ZAMBIA?" MAN: "WELL, MOST OF THEM THINK THEY'RE WASTING THEIR TIME THERE, YOU KNOW". INTERVIEWER: "IS THERE A LOT OF SYMPATHY TOWARDS RHODESIA IN ZAMBIA?" MAN: "YES, VERY MUCH. ABOUT SEVENTY PER CENT OF US". INTERVIEWER: "WHAT DO YOU THINK WOULD HAPPEN IF THE R.A.F. WERE ORDERED TO TAKE UP ARMS AGAINST RHODESIA?" MAN: "THAT'S OUT OF THE QUESTION. IT JUST WOULDN'T HAPPEN. YOU KNOW, THERE'D BE A LOT OF PEOPLE 'GOING INSIDE' BECAUSE THE JUST WOULDN'T DO IT. THEY'D BE DISOBEYING ORDERS." INTERVIEWER: "WHAT DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THIS RON?" SECOND MAN: "THE SAME, YES". INTERVIEWER: "NOW THAT YOU'RE HERE IN RHODESIA, WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE PLANS?" MAN: "YOU KNOW, TO MORE OR LESS GET A GOOD JOB AND SETTLE DOWN AND START A NEW LIFE. AND BE QUITE HAPPY IN RHODESIA" Initials RM/VS/WH/EEH Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 7th June 1966 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: BULAWAYO, RHODESIA
- Country: Zimbabwe
- Reuters ID: LVA973GQDOKBK9C722YKNPZBP9H4
- Story Text: TWO ROYAL AIR FORCE DESERTERS, RON MILNE AND GEORGE CLARK, CLAIMED IN BULAWAYO, RHODESIA, RECENTLY THAT MEMBERS OF THE R.A.F. STATIONED IN ZAMBIA WOULD DISOBEY ANY BORDERS TO TAKE UP ARMS AGAINST RHODESIA.
- Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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