1447 Rhodesian National Parks and Wildlife Volunteer Tracker Unit badge (Army Rhodesia)

1447 : Rhodesian National Parks and Wildlife Volunteer Tracker Unit badge (Army Rhodesia)

1975 – 1980

Rhodesia National Parks and Wildlife Management Volunteer Tracker Unit (VTU) qualification badge, one of the most scarce of Rhodesian badges.

These badges were designed by a gentleman, R.F., who worked at Flame Lily Industries in Salisbury, where these badges were made.

R.F. supplied the following information: “This was designed by myself and made for the Army Combat Trackers “The Sparrows”.  I worked for a firm, Flame Lily Industries in Salisbury, where the badges were made.  Approximately 50 were made with 2 brass lugs on the reverse.”

“The Sparrows” was the callsign for these Trackers.

See info from the internet about this badge, copied below.

“The green Tracker badge with the Cheetah was Chief Warden Barry Ball’s initiative. It was intended to give recognition and a sense of pride and importance to the African National Parks and Wildlife Management trackers, who were members of the Parks Volunteer Tracker Unit (VTU).

African VTU trackers were initially attached to army call-signs as and when needed. Later, from around ’74, Parks deployed sticks consisting of two white rangers and two African game scout trackers. When on call-up VTU sticks were deployed to JOC’s or Forward Air Fields. When required they were flown or trucked to the scene and tracked to contact, until spoor was lost or until the terrorists entered a frozen area. From late ’78 until mid-’79, VTU worked exclusively with the RLI, and from mid-’79 operated independently in National Parks areas on the borders.”

One VTU member wrote, “I served in the VTU from 1976-1980 and picked up a badge when at Marongora, Headquarters for the Zambezi Valley. I never saw one being worn, but I, and some others, wore camo-painted Parks badges on our combat caps. Another VTU tracker, who had been a member of the original Tracker Combat Unit was issued one of the VTU Tracker badges in about 1975. He did wear his Tracker badge when working with other units, ie. RLI, RR.”