Today, 30 May, we salute and honour the following men & woman who sacrificed their lives whilst standing in the defence of what they held dear at the time and against evil and tyranny.
SOUTH AFRICAN BORDER WAR
30 May 1970: 66341264R 2/Lieutenant Johannes Jacobus Theron from 4 Artillery Regiment was killed in a military vehicle accident at Messina. He was 19.
RHODESIAN BUSH WAR
1976 – Sergeant William Patrick PHINN, Regular Army, killed on active service. Died from a gunshot wound, Inkomo Barracks, Salisbury. He was 34 years old and is buried in Glasgow Cemetery.
1977 – Flight Lieutenant (Pilot) Bruce Ivan COLLOCOTT, No. 3 Squadron, Rhodesian Air Force, KIA. Killed taking off at Mapai, Mozambique, during Op Aztec in a Dakota R3702 when hit by ground fire - the starboard engine was hit by an RPG7 rocket. Pilot Jerry Lynch was able to control the aircraft, and he and Flight Sergeant Russell Wantenaar managed to get out of the burning wreckage. The following day an air force salvage team flew in by helicopter to recover what they could from the Dakota that had once been General Jannie Smuts' personal aircraft. Buried in the Warren Hills Cemetery, Salisbury.
1977 – Trooper Christopher John "Bobo" EDMUNDS, 2 Command, 1st Battalion, RLI, KIA. Killed by ground fire whilst being choppered back from Mozambique en route from a ZANLA base called Rio, in the south of Mozambique near the Limpopo River during Op Aztec (RLI and Selous Scouts). He was with a heli-borne group of RLI soldiers.
1978 – Guard Edmon SIKANDAVIRE, RHQ Charlie, Op Repulse, Guard Force, died on active service.
1978 – District Security Assistant, Tuesday ZONDO, Intaf, murdered. Killed by CTs at Filabusi, Op Tangent. P Rundgren gives the date as 06 June 1978.
† Their names and sacrifices have not been forgotten †
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