CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
THE MAKING OF THE GDF 1966 - 1968
4. SETTING UP THE MACHINERY
At the outset, it was intended to set up only a modest 600 man infantry battalion, and so a British Commanding Officer, Ronald Pope was brought to the country, in the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. On 3 January 1966, he assumed direct command of the entity which was styled, First battalion, Guyana Defence Force, (or more popularly - 1GDF) and overall command of the entire GDF which was still a shapeless idea. By this time it had been decided that independence was to be on 26 May 66 and government plans had now become concretised. The new Guyana Defence Force was to take the place of three forces, the British Garrison which was to return to England shortly after independence; the para military, SSU which was a child of the emergencies of 1962-1963-1964 and the old stalwart - the BGVF a child of the Empire. This was a tall order but one which had to be met. The British Army Garrison was here not only to maintain law and order, but to protect British colonial interests; their continued presence after independence would be mockery and completely unacceptable, for even though they had done their job at the height of the disorders, the population was anxious to see that `occupying force' go away. The tiny SSU was a hasty reinforcement for the Police Force when more policemen were needed. Their training had not prepared them for the broader tasks of National Defence and Development which would soon inhere in the sovereign status of an Independent Guyana. The BGVF had done a splendid job under adverse conditions being as it was
under-trained, badly equipped and accommodated and carrying many over-age members who would be out-of-place in a modern force; it was already losing its younger and finer manpower to the GDF and it could not be preserved. The first task was to produce an armed force capable of carrying out basic Internal Security Operations by 26 May 1966 and to make the first battalion fully recruited, trained and equipped as soon as possible after that date.
A second battalion (2GDF) was to be raised as a volunteer reserve or territorial type unit in support of the first battalion. A Headquarters - HQ GDF - would then be formed to coordinate operations, training and administration for the two units. Headquarters was to comprise:
a. Joint Operations Centre: to maintain close liaison with the Police and located at Eve Leary, GEORGETOWN.
b. Training Wing: to carry out recruit, NCO, Officer and specialist training for the two battalions and be. located at Thomas Lands and Atkinson Field.
c. Pay and Records Office: to be responsible for all pay, regimental accounts and other financial matters and be located at Thomas Lands.
d. Central Messes and Canteens: for officers, sergeants and junior ranks, located at Thomas Lands.
e. Quartermaster Stores, Armoury and Mechanical Transport Pool: to provide all the requirements for soldiers to live, fight and move and this too would be located in Thomas Lands.
