Today, 29 September, 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
29 Sep 1977: Four members from 4 SAI were killed in a friendly fire incident near Okalongo when a soldier who formed part of an ambush position, opened fire. The casualties in this unfortunate incident were:
- 69206464PE Sergeant Jan Pieter Albertus Furstenburg. He was 24
- 74413659BB Corporal Leslie Muller. He was 19.
- 74281734BG Rifleman Jan Joachim Jacobus de Vos. He was 18
- 74382862BG Rifleman Cornelius Johannes Lourens. He was 19
29 Sep 1981: Two helicopter crewmen from 19 Squadron and four members of the SADF including a Medical Doctor were Killed in Action when Aerospatiale SA330L Puma, Serial No.174 crashed at Oshakati after the Puma Helicopter tail rotor got caught up in a stay cable of the Sector 10 Headquarters radio mast while bringing in casualties at night. It is suspected that the Pilot got disorientated in a brown-out situation causing the helicopter tail rotor to connect with the cable. The sole survivor of this incident was the Pilot, Major Johannes Jacobus Vogel. As far as it is known, he never flew again.
HELICOPTER CREW:
- 76450212PE Lieutenant Desmond O’Connor (Co-Pilot). He was 21.
- 70331103PE Sergeant Daniel Francis Lamprecht (Flight Engineer). He was 27.
PASSENGERS:
- 70265772BG Lieutenant (Dr) Cecil George Bartie from 3 Military Hospital. He was 27.
- 76397959BG Candidate Officer James van Zyl (Hygiene Officer) from the South African Medical Corps att 201 Battalion SWATF. He was 21.
- 78452075BG Private Hendrik Jacobus Badenhorst (Ops Medic) from the South African Medical Corps. He was 19.
- 79574554BG Rifleman Richard Anthony Herbst (Casualty) from 3 SAI. He was 20.
29 Sep 1990: 83319236BG Rifleman Barry Hart from 6 SAI was killed in a military vehicle accident on Beit Bridge Road while traveling towards Vhembe Base. He was 23.
RHODESIAN BUSH WAR
1971 – PO David Hamish Malcolm "Jomo" RAMES-TAYLOR, Uniform, BSAP, died from multiple injuries in a vehicle accident on the Karoi/Sinoia road. He was 22 years old.
1972 – Tpr Krag George YUNKER, Spt Grp, 1st Bn RLI, died en route from Shamva to Salisbury after sustaining multiple injuries in an accidental mortar bomb explosion, Shamva, at the age of 21.
1977 – FR Ebenhauser Bernadus "Eben" CLASSEN, PATU, BSAP, died of a heart attack in Odzi, Op Thrasher, aged 32 years. Eben had been called out to Odzi police station to assist in stock theft enquiries. He proceeded on horseback, but went missing near the fast-flowing Odzi River. His body was found in the river three days later, the victim of a heart attack.
1977 – FR Geoffrey Kellet DODDS, PR, BSAP, died of a sudden heart attack during training, Salisbury Province, aged 49 years. Only just attested, Geoffrey was a member of Intake 7 Morris Depot, which had just completed a range exercise at Calgary Farm near Salisbury, when he had a fatal heart attack.
1979 – Pte Office Herbert HOVE, 1 POU, COI, died on active service, aged 30.
1979 – Rct Noel JEEP, CTD, GSC, Army HQ, died from a gunshot wound as a result of an accidental discharge. 1979 – Tpr Keith Edward "Ted" MANN, S Scouts, was killed on Op Miracle during an attack on a ZANLA base in Mozambique, dubbed Monte Cassino. He was 28 years old. Lt Chris Gough (C/S 72) and Lt John Barnes (C/S 74) had finally reached the top of Cassino and were clearing up. Ted Mann, radio operator for Lt Gough, was standing near a Scout who was using an aircraft shell as a hammer, when it exploded, killing Ted and wounding three others.
1979 – Spr Joseph MARUNGA, 7 Sqn, RhE, died from shrapnel wounds in action.
† Their names and sacrifices have not been forgotten †
0