David James, from an illustration kindly provided by his sister, Helen; this appears to based on a photograph of him that was hung, along with a memorial plaque, in the Fraud Squad office in Salisbury
David James, who at the time of his death was a Detective Section Officer with the B.S.A.P., was killed in a terrorist incident on 29th August, 1979.
David was born in England in 1955 and emigrated with his family to Northern Rhodesia in 1961.
He started his secondary education at Alexandra High School in Pietermaritzburg but moved to Falcon in 1967.He showed some talent for Mathematics and won the Senior Chess Championship in his final year, and he was also a useful Squash player.
On leaving school in 1972, he worked for the Wankie Colliery for two years (where his family had moved from Zambia) but subsequently decided to join the Police.
David James, ‘in the sticks’, either 1976 or 1977
After leaving Morris Depot, he served at Inyati, Fort Rixon, Plumtree, Essexvale and C.I.D., Salisbury. He was awarded his R.G.S.M. in 1976 and was promoted to Detective Section Officer.
An obituary in “”The Outpost” described him as a “popular and competent member of the Force whose enthusiasm and spontaneous gaiety will be sorely missed”. We would offer our deepest sympathy to his parents and the members of his family.
From The Falcon, June 1980
Detective Section Officer David Robert James (9308)
On 29th August, 1979, Detective Section Officer David James, of the British South Africa Police, died from wounds received in a terrorist ambush in the Chibi TTL, Chibi District, Op Repulse, aged 24 years. He was serving with the Delta and Golf SB Teams in Victoria Province at the time of his death.
David was born on 24 january 1955 in Rotherham, England, and emigrated with his family to Northern Rhodesia in 1961 and to Rhodesia in 1972. He received his schooling at Alexandra High, Pietermaritzburg, and Falcon College, Essexvale.
After leaving school in 1972, David worked for Wankie Colliery Company for two years before attesting into the Force on 14 January, 1974. After leaving Depot, he served at Inyati, Fort Rixon, Plumtree, Mahlambuzi Post and CID (Fraud Squad) Salisbury.
He was awarded his RGSM in 1976 and was promoted to Detective Section Officer in 1978. David was a popular and competent member of the Force and his enthusiasm and particularly his spontaneous gaiety will be sorely missed.
The semi-military funeral for Detective Section Officer James was held at Wankie Cemetery on 3 September, 1979. To David’s parents, Mr & Mrs Peter James of Wankie, his sisters – Carol, Judy and Helen – and to Cheryl, nursing at the Andrew Fleming Hospital, to who David was shortly to become engaged, we offer our deep sympathies.
David James, with a group of Special Branch colleagues, taken in either 1975 or 1976 in the Operation Hurricane area. David is sitting on the bonnet of the right hand Land Rover, wearing a dark shirt.
Sources: Outpost, Adrian Haggett, Former NS PO 900373 (1973), plus extra information derived from Rhodesian Combined Forces Roll of Honour, kindly provided by Gerry van Tonder, one of its co-authors; photographs provided by Andrew Young.