PRISON SERVICES OF RHODESIA
History, Uniforms, Medals & Insignia
This website is an attempt to fill the gap in current Insignia and Militaria books covering The Rhodesian Security Forces, most of which have very little, if any information on the various Prison Services/Departments in Rhodesia.
My thanks to the Collectors and ex Prisons Personnel who have helped me with this research, especially Doug McRobb and the late Brian Ruff. Special thanks as well to; Gordon Campbell, Rory Drainer, Andrew Field, Craig Fourie, Carl Keith, Randal Kennerley, Miles MacDonald, Richard Perry, the late John Vye, Dudley Wall.
If anyone has any additional information, photographs, documents, uniforms, insignia, etc., please contact me via the email link below. I am especially interested in any articles or books that have the history of any or all the individual Prison Services.
Wayne M. Kennerley
Email
Approximate dates of Prison Service Titles
| Title | Shoulder Title Initials | Approx. Period of use |
| Southern Rhodesia Prison Department | S.R.P.D. | Pre 1953 |
| Federal Prison Service | F.P.S. | 1953 – c1963 |
| Federal Prison Service ? | PRISONS | Pre 1963 ? |
| Southern Rhodesia Prison Service | S.R.P.S. | 01-Dec-1963 (SRGN 677 of 1963) – c1965 |
| Rhodesia Prison Service | R.P.S. | c1965 - 1980; * |
| * An item of correspondence headed “Rhodesia Prison Service” has been noted with the date 25th March 1965, which pre-dates the declaration of UDI on 11th November 1965. | ||
Rhodesia Prison Service Flag
The flag was adopted in May 1971 as in terms of the Republican
Constitution of 1970, the Prison Service was defined as a
uniformed disciplined Force along with the BSAP and Security
Forces. Accordingly it was fitting that it should also have its
own flag.
The Flag had a dark green (the same shade as
found on the National Flag) field in the proportion 1:2, with the
Prison Service badge in full colour in the centre. The badge
comprised a yellow lion within a circlet containing the words
"Rhodesia Prison Service". Superimposed on which was a sheathed
sword, pointing vertically, with a Zimbabwe Bird above and a Flame
Lily below. The guard and pommel of the sword were yellow and the
hilt was black and white. The Flag and badge were designed by Alan
Simpson.
Note that the SAVA Journal 5/96 (31
December 1996) mistakenly describes the Flame Lily as Flames.
The flag was replaced in 1980 when the Service
became the Zimbabwe Prison Service. This flag follows the same
basic design but with a new badge. The Z.P.S. badge retains the
lion, sword, Flame Lily and Zimbabwe Bird, but these are now
surrounded by a silver laurel wreath with the motto "Tenax et
Justus" (Just and Tenacious) below.
For the record I have included below the
Zimbabwe Prison Service Flag as well. Thanks to B. Berry for the
images of both flags
References:
Contact – John Lovatt
Contact II – Paul L. Moorcraft
Flags & Symbols of Rhodesia, SAVA Journal 5/96 (31
December 1996 – R. Allport, p/137
Flying High - The Zimbabwe Bird on the Flags of Zimbabwe -
B. Berry, paper presented at the 28th International Congress
of Vexillology, San Antonio (Texas), July 2019.
Insignia and History of the Rhodesian Armed Forces 1890-1980
– Dudley Wall
Military Badges and Insignia of Southern Africa – Colin R.
Owen
Rhodesia Medal Roll – Edited by David Saffery
Rhodesia: Orders, Decorations and Medals and their Ribbons
1890-1980 – J.P.I. Fforde and A.W. Rich
Rhodesian Commentary, May 1971, Vol 5, No. 10 p.2
Service before Self – M.P. Radford
Links to other Rhodesian related websites
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