Peter Walls

Field Marshal **Mitchell Peter Walls** GCV, CGD, GCLM, ID, SCR, BCR (10 March 1923—15 October 1993) was a Rhodesian general who served in five different conflicts and served as the first Chief of Staff of the Rhodesian Army from 1955 to 1975. He was most known for the reorganization of the Rhodesian Security Forces into the Rhodesian Armed Forces.

## Early life

Mitchell Peter Walls was born on the 10 March 1923 to British Army Sergeant Major Alex "Alexi" Walls and Elizabeth Walls in Salisbury, Rhodesia. He grew up moving around the country to such places asHlebong, Southhampton, and Fort Rhodes. In 1940, his father relocated his family back to Southhampton while we went off to war. Peter's father would die when he was 17, he suffered a mortal wound during the Battle of Arbington. After his father's death, Peter enlisted into the British Army and would be assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 1st Regiment of Royal Rhodesian Riflemen.

## Military career

### World War Two

When Peter got to his first camp, Camp Cecil, he was scared and for good reason. The Axis had been unstoppable at this point and Rhodesian and Nyasalandi resistance was crumbling. That was until he and his unit were deployed to the important city of Antafokaraka, where Axis and Allied forces would duke it out for eight months and cause so much damage that the city would be left uninhabitable for at least four decades. Peter and his unit were heavily involved with fighting around the nearby Mposa Forest. During the sixth month of battle, he took out his squad for a patrol but could not imagine what was going to happen next. He and his squad got in a world of hurt very quickly, at least one company of Syrian troops were engaging his five man squad from all sides. Within 10 minutes Peter was only left with him and 2 other soldiers, Pvt. E. T. Lloyd and L Cpl. S. B. White. Twenty minutes after the first bullets started flying, Peter and his team were able to drive off the Syrian troops. They carried their dead comrades all the back to the forward operating base. The three men would all be awarded the Grand Cross of Valour, then Rhodesia's highest honour for gallantry. The Rhodesian Army would keep Peter and his squad away from the front line for propaganda reasons so his service for the rest of the war was mediocre.

### Interwar years (1946-1955)

After his service in WW2, Peter would be promoted to Warrant Officer Class 1 and be assigned to the Royal Rhodesian Guards, also known as the Parliamentary Household Guards. During this time, Peter went to the Army Officer Candidate School or AOCS. After graduating top of his class he would be commissioned personally by Governor William Bennett and King Edward V on the 11 of November 1950. He would be promoted to Major by 1955 for his great skills and competence.

### Rhodesian Revolution

Peter would be personally contacted by Ian Smith for help in his plan to overthrow the colonial government. Peter would accept and Smith promised that he would be made the first Chief of Staff of the Army. When the time came, Peter and his men went with Smith and helped stage a coup against the government. Peter would immediately be commissioned as a Lieutenant General and given command of the I Corps, Peter felt a little betrayed because he was promised Chief of Staff but he still went along and served Smith well. In September 1955, Peter began a campaign to take back southern Rhodesia from loyalist forces, and what he did is referred to as one of the most brilliant campaigns ever devised. He took his small three division force and snuck it through the Ceko Valley and quickly flanked six divisions of loyalist forces and took them out in only 3 hours. After he took out those six divisions, he set his eyes on the city of Monlo. The garrison there was only one division, but it was well dug in and supported, so he waited for night and sent his force in one regiment at a time so that he could get in undetected by the artillery on the mountains. He was able to get the town to surrender that night. After that display of genius, Smith gave Peter command of the entire Rhodesian Army. Once he was given command he devised a lightning campaign that saw the remaining British forces kicked out by late October. After half a year of war, Peter was finally given the office of Chief of Staff.

### Zambia Independence War

Peter was the main proponent for the Rhodesian bombing campaign during the Zambia Independence War. He would also ask Smith to start the Free Egypt Act in 1958.