Copper Wings Bundle: Volumes 1-2 (PDF EDITION)

Exclusive Deal: 30% Off

This two-volume set offers the first complete operational history of the British South Africa Police Reserve Air Wing (PRAW)—a little-known but critical component of Rhodesia’s internal security and counterinsurgency efforts from 1967 through to the end of the Bush War in 1979.

Volume 1: Formation and Early Operations
Established in 1967 due to a lack of funding for official police aircraft, the PRAW was built around privately owned light aircraft flown by volunteer pilots—often the owners themselves. These civilian aircraft became vital to policing and logistics across Rhodesia’s vast and often inaccessible terrain. Volume 1 details the creation and expansion of the unit into three flights, its role in supporting rural policing, criminal investigations, and early wartime operations, drawing on official records and personal recollections to provide a rich, illustrated narrative of its formative years.

Volume 2: War-Escalation and Combat Support
As the Rhodesian Bush War intensified, so too did the role of the PRAW. By 1974 it had expanded to five flights, and by 1979 to nine, with its pilots performing increasingly hazardous missions. Volume 2 explores the Air Wing’s transformation into a semi-militarised force that flew direct combat support missions alongside the Rhodesian armed forces. The aircraft—ranging from Cessnas and Beechcrafts to Pipers—were often crudely but effectively armed with light or even heavy machine guns, turning them into ad hoc gunships. Two pilots were awarded the M.B.E. for exceptional service during this period.