![[British South African Police first flag]](../images/z/zw^bsap1.gif)
Last modified: 2006-08-12 by bruce berry
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by Richard Allport, resized by Devereaux Cannon, 6 Feb 2002
On 21 May 1884, the territory of Bechuanaland was declared a British Protectorate. A force of 100 men was organised to police the Protectorate and became known as the Bechuanaland Mounted Police. In1885 a new force was raised and the name was changed to Bechuanaland Border Police. When the Eastern part of the Protectorate was transferred to the British South Africa Company in 1895, most of the men of this force were transferred to the BSAC Police. The badge of the Police at that time was in the colours red on blue, and showed a lion with tusk in the centre, surrounded by the words "The British South Africa Company Police", with the name finally changing to the British South Africa Police (BSAP) in 1898.
For many years the BSAP doubled as a police force and military unit in Rhodesia, and they were at first the only force to confront the armed insurgents that started to infiltrate the country in the 1960s. In later years this task was passed on to the army, although the BSAP retained some units in a military role.
There were numerous variants of the police badge in use at different periods prior to the Second World War. In 1933 a crown was added above the badge to bring it in line with the badges of other colonial police forces.
In 1949 a new version of the badge was adopted and it was this version
that was used on the first police flag, in the centre of a field of very
dark blue. The crest showed the lion badge encircled by a scroll
bearing the BSAP motto Pro Rege, Pro Lege, Pro Patria which can be translated
as "For Sovereign, For Law, For Country", with another scroll below containing
the words "British South Africa Police". This crest, yellow with
dark blue lettering, was used until 1960.
Source: Flags and Symbols of Rhodesia, 1890-1980 (SAVA
Journal 5/96) by R Allport [all96].
Bruce Berry,
06 Feb 2002
![[British South African Police 1960-1970]](../images/z/zw^bsap2.gif)
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by Richard Allport, resized by Devereaux Cannon, 6 Feb 2002
In 1960 the crest was changed to a simpler design of the badge, closer
to that of the original medal design, and a crown was added above the badge.
The police flag was changed to incorporate the new crest, yellow with black
outlining and a yellow scroll with black letters, and at the same time
the colour of the field was changed to a brilliant shade of navy blue.
Source: Flags and Symbols of Rhodesia, 1890-1980 (SAVA
Journal 5/96) by R Allport [all96].
Bruce Berry,
06 Feb 2002
![[British South African Police 1970-1980]](../images/z/zw^bsap3.gif)
image
by Richard Allport, resized by Devereaux Cannon, 6 Feb 2002
In 1970 when Rhodesia became a republic the crown was removed from the
crest and from the flag, although the name "British South Africa Police"
was retained until 1980.
Source: Flags and Symbols of Rhodesia, 1890-1980 (SAVA
Journal 5/96) by R Allport [all96].
Bruce Berry,
06 Feb 2002
![[British South African Police emblem]](../images/z/zw^)bsap.gif)
image
by Richard Allport, resized by Devereaux Cannon, 6 Feb 2002
The badge which later became the official BSAP badge and was featured
on all of the BSAP flags, was first used on the reverse of the medals awarded
to troopers who had taken part in the campaigns in Matabeleland and Mashonaland
between 1890 and 1897. The badge shows a charging lion (presumably the
"British Lion") with a spear in its chest, against a background of Mimosa
bushes, with assegais and shields on the ground.
Source: Flags and Symbols of Rhodesia, 1890-1980 (SAVA
Journal 5/96) by R Allport [all96].
Bruce Berry,
06 Feb 2002