Second World War
The regiment was raised again in 1940 during the Second World War and staffed with black non-commissioned officers (NCOs) from the British South Africa Police Askari Unit. This was considered as the direct successor of the Rhodesia Native Regiment, which was confirmed in 1962, and the RAR inherited all of that Regiment's battle honours. Until the late 1970s, the RAR had exclusively black recruits and NCOs and exclusively white officers.
During the Second World War, the RAR established its first training depot at Borrowdale Camp, Salisbury in 1941. The RAR shipped out to Burma in 1944, to serve with King's African Rifles battalions in 22 (East African) Independent Brigade. The unit saw action in April 1945, and earned the battle honours 'Taungup', 'Arakan Beaches', and 'Burma'. The regiment went back to Rhodesia in 1946, where its depot was closed, and the unit effectively disbanded.
Read more about this topic: Rhodesian African Rifles
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