Squadron Leader Squadron leader (Sqn Ldr or S/L) is a senior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. Squadron leader is immediatel ...

Christopher John Taylor Dixon D.C.D. (1943 – 21 October 2011), also known by his callsign of Green Leader, was a

Rhodesia Rhodesia ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state, unrecognised state in Southern Africa that existed from 1965 to 1979. Rhodesia served as the ''de facto'' Succession of states, successor state to the ...

n military pilot for the

Rhodesian Air Force The Rhodesian Air Force (RhAF) was an air force based in Salisbury (now Harare) which represented several entities under various names between 1935 and 1980: originally serving the British self-governing colony of Southern Rhodesia, it was th ...

and was born in Shabani,

Southern Rhodesia Southern Rhodesia was a self-governing British Crown colony in Southern Africa, established in 1923 and consisting of British South Africa Company (BSAC) territories lying south of the Zambezi River. The region was informally known as South ...

. He was best known for leading the Rhodesian Operation Gatling bombing raid over

Zambia Zambia, officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Africa, Central, Southern Africa, Southern and East Africa. It is typically referred to being in South-Central Africa or Southern Africa. It is bor ...

, which later became known as the "Green Leader Raid".

Early life and career

Dixon was born in 1943 in Shabani, Southern Rhodesia. He was educated at Plumtree School. In 1962, Dixon joined the Royal Rhodesian Air Force in the

Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, also known as the Central African Federation (CAF), was a colonial federation that consisted of three southern African territories: the Self-governing colony, self-governing British colony of Southern ...

and he passed his Pilot Training Course as an

officer cadet Officer cadet is a rank held by military personnel during their training to become commissioned officers. In the United Kingdom, the rank is also used by personnel of University Service Units such as the University Officers' Training Corps. Th ...

. By 1974, Dixon was serving as a flight lieutenant in No. 1 Squadron. He was later assigned to No. 5 Squadron and later became their

squadron leader Squadron leader (Sqn Ldr or S/L) is a senior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. Squadron leader is immediatel ...

in 1977. As squadron leader, he gave endorsement to a proposal from

Jack Malloch John McVicar Malloch ICD, was a South African-born Rhodesian bush pilot, gun-runner and ''sanctions-buster'' who flew in World War II and in various legal and illegal roles around Africa and the Middle East until the early 1980s. In 1978, he ...

to restore a Mark 22

Supermarine Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and other Allies of World War II, Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. It was the only British fighter produced conti ...

to flying condition after it had been mounted on a plinth outside New Sarum Air Force Station in

Salisbury Salisbury ( , ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parish in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers River Avon, Hampshire, Avon, River Nadder, Nadder and River Bourne, Wi ...

Green Leader

In 1978, following the downing of the civilian

Air Rhodesia Flight 825 Air Rhodesia Flight 825 was a scheduled passenger flight that was shot down by the Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA) on 3 September 1978, during the Rhodesian Bush War. The aircraft involved, a Vickers Viscount named the ''Hunyani'', ...

ZIPRA Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA) was the military wing of the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU), a Marxist–Leninist political party in Rhodesia. It participated in the Rhodesian Bush War against white minority rule of Rhode ...

guerrillas, the Rhodesian Government planned retaliatory strikes against ZIPRA bases across the Rhodesian border in Zambia. The attack, later codenamed ''Operation Gatling'', was to be led by Dixon. Upon crossing the border in his

English Electric Canberra The English Electric Canberra is a British first-generation, jet-powered medium bomber. It was developed by English Electric during the mid- to late 1940s in response to a 1944 Air Ministry requirement for a successor to the wartime de Havilla ...

bomber, he contacted the control tower at Lusaka Airport identifying himself as "Green Leader" informing them to contact the

Zambian Air Force The Zambia Air Force (ZAF) is the air force of Zambia and the air operations element of the Zambian Defence Force. Following the creation of the Republic of Zambia in 1964, the former Northern Rhodesia Air Force was renamed as the Zambia Air For ...

commander at

Mumbwa Mumbwa is a town in the Central Province of Zambia, lying on the M9 Road. Its district covers the western part of the Central Province bordering Kaoma and Western Province to the west, Namwala and Southern Province to the south, Lusaka and Lu ...

. Dixon told the tower to communicate to the commander that he was temporarily taking control of Zambian airspace on behalf of the Rhodesian Air Force. He clarified in the message that the reason was to attack "Rhodesian dissidents and not against Zambia" and stated Rhodesia had no quarrel with Zambia. He did, however, warn the Zambian authorities not to interfere and stated that the Rhodesians were orbiting Zambian airfields and had orders to shoot down any Zambian Air Force planes that attempted to take off. He also had civilian aircraft approaching Zambia put on hold. He kept control until 10 minutes after the RhAF had completed their raid. After a

Kenya Airways Kenya Airways Ltd., more commonly known as Kenya Airways, is the flag carrier airline of Kenya. The company was founded in 1977, after the dissolution of East African Airways. Its head office is located in Embakasi, Nairobi, with its Airline hu ...

pilot complained about who had control of the airspace (to which Lusaka had responded "I think the Rhodesians do"), Dixon said that the airport could let civilian aircraft land. The exchanges were broadcast on television and radio by the Rhodesian Broadcasting Corporation. Dixon's role in the raid was commemorated in the song "Green Leader" by

John Edmond John Edmond (born 18 November 1936) is a Rhodesian folk singer and retired soldier who became popular in the 1970s for his Rhodesian patriotic songs. He reached the height of his fame during the Rhodesian Bush War where he was sometimes known ...

as he was considered a hero in Rhodesia for his actions. He later led the bombing raid against ZIPRA in '' Operation Vanity'' over

Angola Angola, officially the Republic of Angola, is a country on the west-Central Africa, central coast of Southern Africa. It is the second-largest Portuguese-speaking world, Portuguese-speaking (Lusophone) country in both total area and List of c ...

flying an

bomber but almost had to abort participation due to a radio fault. For his military successes, he was awarded the Defence Cross for Distinguished Service on 13 April 1979. Following the end of his Rhodesian military service, Dixon remained in the newly reconstituted Zimbabwe until his death in 2011.

References

{{Reflist 2011 deaths Rhodesian Air Force personnel Rhodesian military personnel of the Bush War Alumni of Plumtree School People from Zvishavane 1943 births Bomber pilots