† Lest We Forget - 3 September †

Today, 3 September, we salute and honor 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 

03 Sep 1978: Four Crew Members and 44 Passengers from Air Rhodesia Viscount "Hunyani", Registration YP-WAS, Flight RH825 were killed when the aircraft was shot down by ZIPRA insurgents using a Soviet SAM-7 Grail shoulder-launched Surface-to-Air Missile approximately five minutes after take-off from Kariba Airport. Almost immediately a distress signal was received to the effect that the aircraft engines had failed. The aircraft crashed near the northern border with Zambia in the Urungwe Tribal Trust Land, 40km South-East of Kariba Dam. Eighteen people survived the initial crash but 10 survivors were executed by the ZIPRA Terrorists who returned to the accident scene to loot the aircraft contents. The remaining eight passengers managed to escape. The four crew members were posthumously awarded the Rhodesian Meritorious Conduct Medal (MCM) for brave and gallant conduct.

CREW:

• Captain & Aircraft Commander John Eric Courtenay Hood MCM (P) (36)
• First Officer Garth George Beaumont MCM (P) (31) (South Africa)
• Air Hostess Miss Dulcie Esterhuizen MCM (P) (21)
• Air Hostess Miss Brenda-Ann Louise Pearson MCM (P) (23)

PASSENGERS:

• Mr Fred Barkhuizen (47) (South Africa)
• Mrs Anne Barkhuizen (48) (South Africa)
• Mr Walter Brown (50) (Fife, Scotland)
• Mrs Elizabeth Brown (45) (Fife, Scotland)
• Mr Jeremy Bull (22) (Gwelo)
• Mrs Karen Bull (23) (Nurse, Bulawayo)
• Master Gary Callow (12) (Salisbury)
• Mr Walter ferrier (57) (Salisbury)
• Mrs Margaret Ferrier (54) (Salisbury)
• Constable Malcolm Gillespie (22) (BSAP, Salisbury)
• Mr Ramesh Gulabh (34) (Centrust Travel Bureau)
• Mrs Shakuntala Gulabh (28)
• Miss Veena Gulabh (8)
• Miss Leena Gulabh) (4)
• Mrs Dahiben Gulabh) (58)
• Mr Aubrey Hewitt (64) (Attorney, Bulawayo)
• Mrs Jeanette Hewitt (53) (Teacher, Bulawayo)
• Miss Audrey Hewitt (23)
• Mrs Prabhaben Lalloo (38) (Milton Park, Salisbury)
• Miss Meela Lalloo (20)
• Miss Romsla Lalloo (11)
• Mr Douglas Loder (58) (Builder, Bulawayo)
• Mrs Margaret Loder (51) (Headmistress, Carmel school, Bulawayo)
• Master Keith Loder (11)
• Mr Paul Nicholls (30) Good Year Tyres, Bulawayo)
• Mrs Francis Nicholls (26)
• Mrs Joan Nicholls (55)
• Master Mark Nicholls (9)
• Miss Michelle Nicholls (7)
• Mrs Ruth Rainey (33) (Salisbury)
• Mr Roger Seaton (42) (Salisbury)
• Miss Cheryl Tilley(20) (Rhobank, Salisbury)
• Mrs Vina Ellizabeth Trinder (63) (TTC, Bulawayo)
• Miss Lida van Beuningen (24) (Marandellas)
• Mr Peter Vermeulen (51)
• Mrs Mary Vermeulen (49)
• Mr Ronald Vermeulen (26) (Aircraft Engineer, Salisbury)
• Mrs Alison Vermeulen (27) (Barclays Bank, Salisbury)
• Master Matthew Wilger (8) (Bulawayo)
• Miss Leanne Wilger (4) (Bulawayo)
• Mrs Margaret Wray (55) (Bindura)
• Miss Marianne Wray (7) (Bindura)
• MasterJohn Wray (9) (Bindura)
• Miss Dawn Young (19) (BSAP, Salisbury)
• PASSENGER SURVIVORS
• Mr Robert Hargreaves (28)
• Mrs Shannon Hargreaves (18)
• Mr. Anthony Hill (39)
• Mr. Hans Hansen (35)
• Mrs Diana Hanson (31)
• Dr. Cecil MacLaren 
• Mrs Sharon Cole 
• Miss Tracey Cole (4)

03 Sep 1981: 78434719PE Rifleman Cornelius Jacobus Vermaak from Special Forces Headquarters died in the Edenvale Hospital from injuries sustained in a Military Vehicle Accident in Edenvale. He was 19.

03 Sep 1985: Two members from 6 SAI were killed when their Buffel Troop Carrier overturned in Grahamstown. The casualties were:

• 82532581BG Rifleman Orlando De Portugal Goncalves. He was 19.
• 79350401BGRifleman Shaun Patrick Atkins. He was 21.

03 Sep 1987: One member from 42 Squadron and one member from 4 Field Regiment were Killed in Action when a 42 Squadron Atlas AM3-C Bosbok, Serial No 934 was shot down by a Soviet SA-8 Gecko Surface-to-Air Missile South of Lomba river in Southern Angola during Ops Modular. The Artillery Observation Officer was giving battery targeting information on the enemy positions when the Angolan brigades started launching SAM’s at the aircraft. A total of 17 missiles were launched against the aircraft and the Pilot, Lieutenant Richard Glynn successfully avoided three of the missiles before the aircraft was hit by a fourth missile. Both the Pilot and Artillery Observation Officer were killed instantly in the explosion. SADF Ground Forces in the area successfully recovered the bodies from the wreckage. The casualties were:

• 82430414PS Lieutenant (Pilot) Richard William Glynn from 42 Squadron. He was 21.
• 70517313PE Commandant Johann Christiaan Du Randt from 4 Artillery Regiment (Artillery Observation Officer). He was 32.

RHODESIAN BUSH WAR 

03-Sep-76 Rfn Peter Groom 2(Indp) Coy RR KIA Died in Andrew Fleming Hospital from injuries received in a landmine explosion, at the age of 18.

03-Sep-76 Cst Davison Mudzi G Tp, SU BSAP KOAS in an accidental shooting during a training exercise on Lonely Park Farm in Goromonzi, Op Thrasher. Died aged 19.

03-Sep-77 DSA Mhande Takendesa Kp Prtn Intaf DOAS

03-Sep-78 L/Cpl Aristo Aristotelous Army DOAS of natural causes.

03-Sep-78 Tech Jeremy Bull No 7 Sqn RhAF KOAS when the Viscount Hunyani was shot down with a SAM-7 missile by ZIPRA CTs. He was 22 years old. The aircraft had just left Kariba en route to Salisbury, when it came down in the Urungwe TTL, Karoi district, Op Hurricane. Jeremy and his newly-wed bride, Karen (nee Leach), were returning from a week's honeymoon in the Kariba resort. They were both killed on impact with the ground. A memorial service was held for them in the Gwelo Baptist Church, the same church where they were married only two weeks earlier.

03-Sep-78 PO Michael Dicker Uniform BSAP KIA by a landmine explosion, at the age of 19.

03-Sep-78 PO Malcolm Gillespie Uniform BSAP KOAS in the first Viscount disaster. As a 22 year old. Malcolm was a passenger on Air Rhodesia Flight RH825, Hunyani, shot down over Urungwe district. Upon completing his education at Kearsney College, near Hillcrest, South Africa, Malcolm spent a year at the University of Natal before joining the BSAP. Passing out third in his training squad at Morris Depot. He served in Salisbury with the Central Licence Inspectorate and the CPU. An excellent shottist, he took part in the National Combat Pistol Competition in August 1978. A joint semi-military funeral for PO Gillespie and WPO Young was held at Warren Hills Cemetery, Salisbury, on 13 September.

03-Sep-78 PO David Smith Uniform BSAP KOAS Accidental death during operational duties with PATU, at the age of 25. 

03-Sep-78 Woman PO Dawn Young Uniform BSAP KOAS in the first Viscount disaster. The 19-year old. Dawn was a passenger on Air Rhodesia Flight RH825, Hunyani, shot down over Urungwe district. Dawn joined the force immediately after completing her secondary education at Roosevelt Girls High School. She was initially posted to the Salisbury Central Licence Inspectorate, where she proved to be a conscientious and dedicated member of the force. She was finally transferred to Rhodesville. A joint semi-military funeral for PO Gillespie and WPO Young was held at Warren Hills Cemetery, Salisbury, on 13 September.

03-Sep-79 Sgt Committee Sandi - not his surname 4 Group, PV Prtn, Bindura GF DOAS