01 February, let us pause to remember these young men from our Generation who answered the Sunset call.
01 Feb 1960: Air Mechanic John Alfred Schultz from 1 Air Depot died after suffering a fatal heart attack at his home in Pretoria. He was 39.
01 Feb 1961: Warrant Officer Class II Pieter van Zyl from the Army Service Corps suffered a fatal heart attack in Pretoria. He was 42.
01 Feb 1971: Two members from the South African Armoured Corps were accidentally Killed or Died of Wounds when a 90mm High Explosive Anti-Tank round exploded in the gun breech of their Eland 90 Armoured Car during live firing exercises at De Brug, Bloemfontein. The casualties were:
67482463N 2/Lieutenant Johannes Jacobus Bester from the School of Armour Died of Wounds at 3 Military Hospital in Bloemfontein. He was 19.
67450072N Trooper Jasper Gerhardus Johannes Visser from 1 Special Service Battalion was killed instantly in the explosion. He was 19.
01 Feb 1976: 64135395BT Rifleman Nicolaas Pretorius from Regiment Springs was critically wounded by an accidental discharge of a fellow soldiers rifle while in Southern Angola on 31 Jan 1976. He was evacuated to 1 Military Hospital in Pretoria where he Died of Wounds on 01 February 1976. He was 29.
01 Feb 1979: 75345074BG Private Johannes Andries Isak Swanepoel from 1 Maintenance Unit was accidentally killed at his home while on a weekend pass. While he was attempting to remove a .22 rifle from the gun safe, the weapon discharged and the bullet struck him in the head, killing him instantly. He was 19.
01 Feb 1980: 77881282SP Rifleman José Miranda from 32 Battalion was Killed in Action during a contact with enemy forces in Southern Angola. He was 26.
01 Feb 1980: Two members from 2 Signal Regiment were killed and one member critically injured when their private motor vehicle was involved in a head-on collision with a lorry carrying cement pipes between Bloemfontein and Winburg while they were travelling home on a weekend pass. The casualties were:
76293471BG Signaler Christiaan Lourens Oberholzer. He was 19.
76473941BG Signaler Gert Frederik Meyer. He was 19.
01 Feb 1981: 79645003KC Rifleman Willem Babu from Sector 40 Headquarters died after being stabbed at Okaukukyo during an altercation while on duty. He was 26.
01 Feb 1981: 05532346PE Flight Sergeant Clifford Derek Fouché from Air Force Base Bloemspruit suffered a heart attack at the Unit and was rushed to 3 Military Hospital where he died shortly after admission. He was 57.
01 Feb 1982: Special Constable D Ndishishi from the South West African Police Counter-Insurgency Wing: Ops K Division (Koevoet) was Killed in Action during a contact with SWAPO/PLAN insurgents in Northern Owamboland. He was 27.
01 Feb 1984: 70087283 Pioneer Petrus Tsimane from 42 Squadron was killed in a private motor vehicle accident at Ikageng. He was 47.
01 Feb 1986: 72393762PE Sergeant Gerhardus Frederick Nortje from 5 Reconnaissance Regiment was Reported Missing after being attacked by a crocodile while swimming. He has no known grave and remains unaccounted for. He was 29.
01 Feb 1987: Four members from 32 Battalion were Killed in Action during the 32 Battalion assault at first light on the SWAPO/PLAN Cassumbi Base located 15 km East of Cassinga during Operation Kakebeen. Lance Corporal Joao and Rifleman Tolosi the MAG Machine-Gunner were killed instantly when a Soviet 82mm Mortar Bomb landed and exploded between them while the other two soldiers suffered fatal gunshot wounds during the ensuing fire-fight. The casualties were:
76906403SP Lance Corporal Evaristo Joao. He was 32.
83708842SP Rifleman Gonsalves Antonio. He was 22.
83747758SP Rifleman Kambala Tolosi. He was 22.
77880771SP Rifleman Domingoes Zua. He was 31.
01 Feb 1988: 83314088BG Gunner Stephanus Petrus Stoop from 14 Artillery Regiment, attached to “P” Battery 32 Battalion, accidentally drowned while swimming in a river somewhere in Southern Angola. He was 20.
01 Feb 1991: 76913326HL Rifleman Joao Andrade from 31 Battalion died of natural causes while in Hospital. He was 42.
01 Feb 1992: 78910593PD Rifleman Domingos Chivango from 32 Battalion died from stab wounds after being assaulted by his wife. He was 35.
01 Feb 1998: 90716226 Private E N Makhanya from Natal Command Maintenance Unit died of disease in the King Edward Hospital in Durban. He was 36.
01 Feb 2003: Lieutenant Franklin Boksman from 4 SAI died from Pulmonary Tuberculosis in 1 Military Hospital. He was 28.
Their names and sacrifices will not be forgotten.