Chris Schulenburg

Captain Christofel Ferdinand Schulenburg is a South-African born former Rhodesian Army soldier. He is one of only two recipients of the Grand Cross of Valour, Rhodesia's highest military honour and also received the Silver Cross of Rhodesia. Schulenburg received the Grand Cross of Valour in 1978 for an action in which he penetrated an enemy position before returning to his unit and leading a successful assault.

Early career

Schulenburg was known as . A South African by birth, he joined the Rhodesian Army and became a sergeant in the Rhodesian Light Infantry, who were then fighting in the Rhodesian Bush War against militant African guerilla organisations. Schulenburg received the Silver Cross of Rhodesia on 26 September 1975 for actions while serving with the SAS.

Selous Scouts After his contract with the Rhodesian Army expired Schulenburg returned to South Africa but soon returned to Rhodesia, seeking to rejoin the SAS, but they were unwilling to accept specific conditions he placed on his service: that he have a rolling one-month contract, held no responsibility for command and would instead operate as a one-man reconnaissance unit. During this period the Bush War intensified and the Rhodesian Army established the Selous Scouts as a less elitist special forces unit than the SAS. The Selous Scouts commander Ronald Reid-Daly was an old friend and was willing to accept the terms except the last. Because two men could evacuate a wounded third or, in extremis, kill him, Reid-Daly insisted that Schulenburg operate on this basis as a minimum. Schulenburg agreed to the terms and they were approved by Major-General John Hickman. At least one of these missions took him deep into neighbouring Mozambique. On another occasion, as a lieutenant, commanding a remote post he established a small poultry farm to provide his men with fresh eggs. The poultry relocated frequently with the unit. In the aftermath of the successful Operation Eland Schulenburg participated in Operation Prawn against FRELIMO-controlled rail lines in Mozambique. Schulenburg received the award for actions whilst serving as a captain in the Selous Scouts. He conducted a number of reconnaissance operations on the north-east Rhodesian border. On one occasion, he penetrated an enemy position to count the number of defenders and note their weaponry. Upon returning to his unit, which was cut-off from support and outnumbered, he led a successful frontal assault on the position. Schulenburg's black soldiers wrote to Reid-Daly to express their admiration for Schulenburg, noting "no man who has done what he has done should still be alive". Schulenburg returned to South Africa, and by 1983 was the Transvaal region liaison officer of the Selous Scouts Regimental Association.

Awards