The Rhosarian 2021

The Rhosarian 1/21 PROMOTIONS
October 2021
24
Force of Zimbabwe to help the Air Force of
that country to be an efficient fighting force
with the high Standards of the Rhodesian
Air Force in mind. He is promoted to Air
Vice Marshal and is nominated as the
next officer commanding the Air Force of
Zimbabwe. Then, suddenly, the sabotage
of aircraft at Thornhill air base caused an
abrupt and very unpleasant change in
the writer’s life. He is arrested, tortured,
imprisoned, and for some 18 months had
no idea if the current day would be his last.
Unfortunately these first two sections
do not give the reader a real glimpse of the
good days and the evil days that followed
the accession of Mugabe as first Prime
Minister, then President of Zimbabwe.
Unfortunately the details of his torture
and imprisonment are glossed over. This,
perhaps, to save his family from a replay
of that dreadful time.
Eventually, on condition of leaving
Zimbabwe permanently, the author is
released. He settles in and recuperates
PILOT PRISONER PATRIOT in the U.S.A. His friendship with various
by A.V.M.Hugh Slatter DMM
members of the U.S. aircraft industry
leads him to a good position on the first
This short auto biography divides itself rung of the business ladder.
automatically into three parts. These are Subsequently his abilities, plus the
the author’s early life in Rhodesia, the friendship of various U.S. business
formation of Zimbabwe and the author’s men, lead him to an enviable position in
regeneration in the United states. The the U.S. aviation industry. He gratefully
writing in the first two parts tends to be acknowledges the help and trust of many
superficial with, for me not enough detail, in the U.S. aviation world. He is now
especially in the second part dealing with retired and lives in the U.S. with his wife of
the horrors of Zimbabwe.
some 50 years.
The first section dealing with the He still spends his time consulting on
writer’s youth and his life in Rhodesia pre aviation businesses in the U.S.
1965 and UDI and the fifteen year-long Although for me, this book lacks some
anti terrorist war fought by the people of detail it will, I hope, reveal to the reader
Rhodesia.
the descent of Zimbabwe into chaos, and
With 1980 came the election victory of the success attained by this intelligent and
ZANU PF and the appointment of Robert hard working Man.
Mugabe to be the first Prime Minister of Mike Russell (ex-RAF and RhAF)
the new Zimbabwe.
Price: R380.00 at War Books (if available)
The author elected to stay in the Air