Today, 13 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
13 Sep 1970: Six members from 5 SAI and one member from 3 SAI were killed while being transported in a Gladiator Troop Carrier back to Ladysmith Army Camp. Their vehicle was involved in a head-on collision with a Newspaper Delivery Van between Colesburg and Philippolis and the vehicle immediately burst into flames with the men still trapped inside and unable to escape. The casualties were:
- 66458696N Rifleman Hilton Dudley Coker (3 SAI). He was 19.
- 65395287N Rifleman John Grinyer (5 SAI). He was 20.
- 6732700N Rifleman Peter Alfons Ernst Leonhardt (5 SAI). He was 19.
- 68238567N Rifleman Kevin Eric Mack (5 SAI). He was 18.
- 68444918N Rifleman Richard Neville Marriott (5 SAI). He was 17.
- 68222322N Rifleman Gregory George Olyott (5 SAI). He was 18.
- 68307446N Rifleman Mark Felice Vallero (5 SAI). He was 18.
13 Sep 1976: 73528234BA Rifleman Christiaan Frederik Ehlers from 11 Commando Regiment was Killed in Action during a contact with SWAPO/PLAN insurgents approximately 9km from Eenhana. He was 19.
13 Sep 1977: 73266223BA Lance Corporal Paul Onre Dossena from the Natal Mounted Rifles was Killed in Action when his Bosvark vehicle detonated a boosted a Yugoslavian TMA-3 Cheese Mine while travelling to Nkongo. He was 19.
13 Sep 1985: 05469085PE Chief Petty Officer Colin George Clement from Naval Base Simonstown collapsed after apparently suffering a heart attack while he was at the Catering School. He died later in 2 Military Hospital. He was 42.
13 Sep 1985: 8491878SWH Rifleman M.H. Mutirua from 102 Battalion SWATF accidentally drowned during a river crossing while his patrol was carrying out a follow-up Operation against SWAPO/PLAN insurgents. He was 22.
13 Sep 1987: Six members of 32 Battalion were Killed in Action in a single incident during Ops Modular in Southern Angola. A 32 Battalion Anti-Tank Ratel 90, Callsign 13, Commanded by 2/Lieutenant Jose Raymond Alves became bogged down in a muddy shona while engaging FAPLA-manned Soviet T-55 tanks. Before the men could extricate themselves, their Ratel 90 was hit and destroyed at point blank by a Soviet T-55 tank shell. The tank round penetrated the Ratel through the side door and detonated inside the main ammunition storage container. This resulted in a massive explosion within the Ratel that killed all the crew and passengers instantly. The burnt out Ratel was later destroyed by South African Engineers to prevent its capture. Captain Alfred Desmond McCallum was the Commanding Officer of Foxtrot Company. The Casualties in this incident were:
- 74316175PK Captain Alfred Desmond McCallum. He was 28.
- 83502815BG 2/Lieutenant José Raimundo Alves. He was 20.
- 83302422BG Lance Corporal Matthys Michael De Klerk. He was 20.
- 832441178BG Trooper Marthinus Johannes Kuyler. He was 20.
- 81533671SP Lance Corporal Joao Rodrigues Mananza. He was 33.
- 76928621SP Lance Corporal Waite Tchipango. He was 31
13 Sep 1988: 85269033BG Gunner Andre Meiring from 4 Artillery Regiment was killed in a military vehicle accident at the Army Battle School at Lohatla. He was 19.
13 Sep 1990: 88202551BG Private Warren Ralph Beech from 1 Military Town Management Fire Department was accidentally killed when he fell from a fire tower at Voortrekkerhoogte during fire practice drills when his harness safety shackle failed. He was 19.
13 Sep 1991: 91073696CK Rifleman Amos van Wyk from the South African Cape Corps died in Grey's Hospital after being critically injured when the Samil 20 vehicle he was driving overturned near Richmond. He was 17.
RHODESIAN BUSH WAR
1974 – DA Daniel NYAHUYE, Regular Intaf, died as result of a landmine explosion on the road to Dotito Keep, Kandeya TTL, Mount Darwin, Op Hurricane. Died aged 18 years
1975 – Cpl Donald Martyn Graham "Marty" TEMPLEMORE-WALTERS, 1(Indp) Coy, RR, died from an accidental gunshot wound at the age of 20.
1976 – Pte Ahmed ABUDU (19), Pte Rodwell FRANK (23), L/Cpl Keshav Gopal KALA (42), Pte Patrick SMYTHE (33), and Pte Ozias Peter VALENTINE (42), all of 3 RHU RDR, died from multiple gunshot wounds in a CT attack at night on their camp just south of the BSAP post in Kanyemba, Sipolilo, Op Hurricane.
1976 – Tpr Peter JONA, S Scouts, died from a gunshot wound, Murape Dip, Chinamora TTL. He was 22 years old.
1977 – FR Ian Marshall PROCTER, PATU, BSAP, was killed in a contact beyond Tjolotjo, Op Tangent, at the age of 35. A police patrol had stopped a bus that had been hijacked by terrorists. In the ensuing gun battle, Ian and two terrorists were shot dead, and nine civilian hostages on the bus were killed when the bus was set aflame by an explosion. Another 16 injured African civilians were evacuated to hospital.
1977 – PO Bruce David Mann RALSTON, Uniform, BSAP, died in hospital from injuries sustained in a landmine explosion in the Lupane area earlier that day, at the age of 22.
1979 – Pte Taurayi MANYANGE, 4th Maint, GSC, RhASC, died from injuries sustained in a vehicle accident.
1979 – Gd Obadiah MUYAMBI, Area HQ, GF, died from injuries received in a landmine blast.
† Their names and sacrifices have not been forgotten †
1
I was Muyambi’s CO at AHQ “F”, Mtoko (now Mutoko).
Muyambi was a Guard on the farm of Hans Oostindien in the Mtoko commercial farming area. He was riding on the rear left mudguard of a tractor towing a trailer full of farm labourers back from the fields at the end of the day. A coloured militiaman was riding on the rear right mudguard.
The front left tyre of the tractor detonated a land mine injuring the driver, Muyambi and the militiaman. From memory, none of the farm labourers needed treatment.
I brought Dr. Dell down from Mtoko to treat them and we took them in my Puma to Sub-JOC Mtoko for Casevac by air. The driver, who had lost his legs, died en route but Muyambi and the militiaman were flown to Salisbury (now Harare).
According to the militiaman, who I talked to later, they were both taken to Harare Hospital, but not treated overnight and Muyambi died during this time. He had been unconscious since the blast.
I remember Muyambi as a cheerful, round-faced lad who liked to wear a floppy camouflage bush hat with the front brim turned up, further emphasising the roundness of his face.