Today, 8 August, we salute and honor the following men 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
08 Aug 1963: The tactical submarine phase of Operation CAPEX (Cape Exercise), a joint training exercise involving elements of Britain's Royal Navy and both the SA Navy and Air Force, commenced on August 7, 1963. During this phase, the Royal Navy submarine, HMS Alliance would relocate from her existing position south of Port Elizabeth to a position further west, from where she would take part in further exercises with the SA Navy. During this transitional phase of the submarine, a 35 Squadron Avro MR. Mk 3 Shackleton Serial No.1718-K was tasked by Maritime Group to conduct a CAPEX A exercise with the submarine. In gusting winds and severe icing conditions down to 3,000ft (1 000m), the aircraft struck high ground before crashing into the Wemmershook mountain range just outside the town of Worcester, some 96km east of its destination. All thirteen crew members on board were killed. The casualties were:
- P/22051 Captain Thomas Howard Sivertsen (Pilot in Command). He was 34.
- P/21805 Captain Jaques Guillaume Labuschagne (3rd Pilot). He was 29.
- P1/24862 2/Lieutenant George James Smith (2nd Navigator). He was 21.
- P/20965 Lieutenant Abraham Gert Willem Coetzee (Navigator). He was 24.
- P1/48842/1 2/Lieutenant Charles Alwyn du Plooy (Co-Pilot). He was 19.
- P/50506 Candidate Officer Derrick Ian Strauss (3rd Navigator). He was 19.
- P/4895 Warrant Officer Class II Sydney Shields Scully (Flight Engineer). He was 46.
- P/17877 Flight Sergeant David Hope Sheasby (Signals Leader). He was 27.
- P/20356 Lance Corporal Charl Paul Viljoen (Radio Operator). He was 28.
- P2/20554 Lance Corporal Marthienus Christoffel Vorster (2nd Flight Engineer) He was 23.
- P/23845 Lance Corporal Michel Adolf Brodreiss (3rd Radio Operator). He was 21.
- P/17993 Lance Corporal Matthys Johannes Taljaard (2nd Radio Operator). He was 27.
- P/50083 Air Mechanic Johannes Chamberlain (4th Radio Operator). He was 20.
08 Aug 1981: Two members from 5 Reconnaissance Regiment were Killed in Action while carrying out pseudo operations in enemy territory. They were:
- 78121985PB Rifleman Mahlomola Samuel Mokoena. He was 23
- 74435017PE Lance Corporal I van Maleta. He was 23.
08 Aug 1983: Rifleman M. Frans from 5 Reconnaissance Regiment was Killed in Action while carrying out operations against enemy forces. He was 22.
08 Aug 1983: Two members from 40 Squadron were killed when their Atlas MB326M Impala Mk I, Serial No. 487 crashed near Centurion. The casualties were:
- 77251106PR Lieutenant (Pilot) Leon Jacobs. He was 22.
- 78435450PE Lance Corporal (Passenger) Pieter Johannes Terburgh. He was 21.
08 Aug 1984: 80449242BG Rifleman Stephanus Badenhorst from 1 Parachute Battalion died from a gunshot wound accidentally sustained at the De Brug Training Area during COIN OPS Training. He was 19.
08 Aug 1985: 81021123BT Bombardier Hendrik Petrus Uys from the School of Artillery was killed in a military vehicle accident near Potchefstroom. He was 20.
08 Aug 1985: 75808470BG Rifleman Edwin Williams from 8 SAI died from a gunshot wound resulting from the accidental discharge of a fellow soldiers rifle while he was stationed at Ondangwa. He was 23.
08 Aug 1986: 76908888SP Rifleman M.C. Joao from 32 Battalion was burnt to death at Buffalo when his house caught fire and burnt down during the night. He was 32.
Their names and sacrifice have not been forgotten.
08 Aug 1988: At 17h00 hours, the guns in Southern Angola fell silent when a ceasefire came into effect, effectively bringing an end to the Bush War.
RHODESIAN BUSH WAR
1971 – Pte Newton, 1st Bn RAR, DOAS.
1976 - L/Cpl Machiel Bredenkamp (aged 22), F Coy, 4th Bn RR, KIA.
1976 – WO2 Maurice “Chippie” Clipston MFC-non Ops, (aged 48), F Coy, 4th Bn RR, KIA.
1976 – Rfn Fredrik “Fred” Halberstadt (aged 20), F Coy, 4th Bn RR, KIA.
1976 – Rfn Jeffrey Klew (aged 25), F Coy, 4th Bn RR, KIA.
1976 – Sgt Howard Lunderstedt (aged 47), F Coy, 4th Bn RR, KIA.
(All five of these 4th Bn men were KIA in the same incident when the base camp, at Clydesdale in the Burma Valley (Zimunya TTL), was mortared by FRELIMO and ZANLA, Op Thrasher. Clipston and Klew were killed instantly. Bredenkamp died in the Umtali General Hospital from a shrapnel wound to the head. Lunderstedt died from wounds to the chest and abdomen. Halberstadt died from a gunshot wound, later in the day, when, at first light, a patrol was sent out to follow up. A contact ensued in which Halberstadt was killed.)
1977 – WO2 Tongesayi Manunure, 1st Bn RAR, Murdered. Tongesayi, together with his younger brother, was proceeding on R&R when they were taken off their bus and shot dead by terrorists. Their bodies were only found weeks later.
1977 – Pte Patrick Mlalazi, Spt Coy, 2nd Bn RAR, KOAS in a vehicle accident.
1977 – Pte Fanny Ruwana, 1st Bn RAR, KIA from wounds received in an ambush.
1978 – FR Pieter Cloete (aged 27), PR BSAP, KIA. Died from wounds received in a contact.
1978 – Sgt John “Marnie” Marneweck (aged 24), 4 Trp, 1 Cdo, 1st Bn RLI, KIA in a CT action in the Op Hurricane area.
1978 – A Cpl Rodney “Robbie” Robinson, A Coy, 5th Bn RR, KOAS in a vehicle accident near Sipolilo, Op Hurricane.
1978 – Aux Cst Kachenga Tonderayi (aged 23), PR BSAP, KOAS in a vehicle accident.