Christmas Greetings News letter, December 2025
- jepadbury
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 7 minutes ago
I would like to wish you a peaceful and memorable Christmas and a healthy and prosperous 2026.
Thank you for your continued support and encouragement throughout this year. As always, we remember the passing of fallen comrades, notably Ted Sheriff, former BSAP Senior Assistant Commissioner.
Christmas marks the birth of Jesus Christ, the Messiah — the greatest revolutionary the world has ever known. Through His life and teaching, He challenged the powers of sin, injustice, and human pride, offering a path of reconciliation with God. Yet materialism and pagan traditions have crept in, drawing many away from His transformative purpose. Consequently, we see the words of Matthew 24:6 fulfilled: “You will hear of wars and rumours of wars…” Global instability and conflict will persist until Christ’s return and the fulfilment of prophecy.
It’s been a challenging year, marked by global uncertainty and the emergence of new and ongoing conflicts. There is increasing interest from serving military personnel, academics, historians, and the general public in the hard lessons learned during the Rhodesian Civil War. I am not an advocate of war, but when legitimate circumstances dictate, and political decisions lead nations into conflict, it must be fought sensibly.
Battle For Hurungwe: A Special Branch Victory in an Unwinnable War
Many questions still surround the Rhodesian Civil War, and in some cases propaganda continues to shape how the conflict is remembered. Battle for Hurungwe addresses several of these issues head-on. I explore what senior commanders really thought of Ian Smith’s government’s racial policies toward African members of the police and military (pp. 45–47), and examine why Lord Owen’s documented support for the Interim Government — along with the backing he soughtat the United Nations — ultimately collapsed (p. 148). Above all, the book examines the political and military successes and failures across a broad spectrum of the conflict. https://www.battleforhurungwe.com/orders
Asymmetric Warfare: The peoples' guide
Civilisations, cultures, traditions, and societies are under attack. Christian persecution, long foretold, is accelerating. What happens when governments stop listening to the people and start instilling fear? What strategies do they use?
"Today’s politics increasingly forsakes long standing ethnic, historical, cultural, traditional and social principles in the ruthless and relentless pursuit of power retention. Lies, deceit and corruption are used as 'legitimate' tactics, eroding trust, undermining 'democracy' and harming societies. This underscores the need for transparency, accountability, ethical leadership and good governance." (p. 9).
What is state capture and how does it influence a nation’s judiciary, police and civil administration? Can a manipulated democracy become a road to dictatorship? And in today’s multiplying global conflicts, is asymmetric warfare more relevant than ever? Is there a solution?
One key warning from Asymmetric Warfare: The peoples' guide:
“Nations should prepare for civil war, which could erupt at any time — as current global and national developments increasingly point to rising civil, regional, and international conflict.”
Asymmetric Warfare: The peoples' guide offers practical answers by revealing the core strategies of successful insurgencies: building a unified political and military aim rooted in the people’s grievances, needs and aspirations (GNA); mastering the complementary techniques of infiltration, indoctrination, isolation and occupation; and applying the twelve strategic phases so effectively demonstrated during the Battle for Hurungwe.
Book Review - Battle For Hurungwe.
Chris Dickinson, former Squadron Leader, Rhodesian Air Force
“I finished reading your book in a couple of weeks and thoroughly enjoyed it. As you mentioned, it was hard going in places but I persevered. When you were involved with the SFA’s in Karoi I wasn’t on 7 Sqn but training on 6 Sqn so we didn’t really get the feedback from the war. We were briefed every now and again by a chap from Air HQ but he didn’t give the full story and his briefings were a waste of time.
But I agree you with you that the politicians were clutching at straws towards the end and Smith wouldn’t realise the folly of his ways and try and get ZAPU and ZANU to form a real multiracial government which would have seen Zimbabwe prosper.
Also, during the war, when I was with 7 and 4 Squadrons, the Police were always considered secondary to the Army, which was wrong. We were indoctrinated into believing that the Army was always right. The Police were not regarded as the senior force within the JOC setup. The Army always wanted to take command, and if they had an OP sighting, they would get the Fire Force. However, I also feel that the Police did not assert their role strongly enough during JOC briefings.” https://www.battleforhurungwe.com/reviews
BLACK FRIDAY SPECIAL — UK Residents Only
8 - 22 December 2025.
Battle For Hurungwe - £32.00 (incl. p&p) - this includes a 30% discount.
Asymmetric Warfare: The peoples’ guide - £8.35 (incl. p&p) - this includes a 30% discount.
Kindly email orders directly to sburungwe@gmail.com indicating which book(s) you are interested in.
As we reflect on the year past and the uncertainties ahead, may we remember that history’s lessons are learned at great cost. Understanding the past is not about reliving old conflicts, but about recognising patterns and preparing wisely for the future. In an increasingly unstable world, discernment, moral courage, and faith remain essential.
Images: (L-R - first three images from FB/Internet) Ian |Smith with his African soldiers; a typical rural village; ZPRA insurgents cross the Zambezi River; Flt. Lt. Chris Dickinson a young pilot on 4 Sqn in a Trojan at Sipolilo. (Circa 1973); The late Snr Ass Comm Ted Sheriff.
