01 November, let us pause to remember these young men from our Generation who answered the Sunset call.
01 Nov 1968: 47174 Sergeant Rodney Graham Fall from the South African Police who was serving in Rhodesia, died four hours after being admitted to the Wankie Colliery Hospital at Wankie suffering severe dehydration, exhaustion and heatstroke after collapsing while on a Counter Insurgency Patrol in the Zambezi Valley. He was 20.
01 November 1979: 77284511BG Rifleman Mark Anthony Ashington from the Technical Service Corps was killed in a private motor vehicle accident near Ladysmith while travelling as a passenger. He was on his way home to Howick on a weekend pass at the time of the accident. He was 18.
01 Nov 1980: Three members from the SADF soccer team, one from 112 Battalion and two from 113 Battalion, were killed and another seriously injured (he died the following day) when the military vehicle in which they were travelling as passengers, overturned 10 km north of Makuya in Venda. The casualties were:
80895675HE Rifleman Musandiwa Bernard Ralikwatha (112 Battalion). He was 26.
80895717HE Rifleman Nndateni Kenneth Netshifhefhe (113 Battalion). He was 24.
01 Nov 1981: 80588858CK Private Louis Brian Schoeman from the Cape Corps Maintenance Unit was killed when his Buffel Troop Carrier overturned near Rundu. He was 17.
01 Nov 1983: Rifleman Thomas Lochner from 8 SAI was accidentally killed at the Riemvasmaak training facility a few days before clearing out after 2 years of National Service. He was swimming in a cement dam and while walking along the dam wall with his wet plakkies, he slipped and grabbed onto a 380V generator cable that was suspended across the dam between two buildings. As he landed in the water, he was electrocuted and died instantly. He was 19.
01 Nov 1986: 70473566KV Corporal Pieter Johann van Oordt Barnard from the Kirkwood Commando was killed in a private motor vehicle accident at Kirkwood. He was on official duty participating in OPS PONCHO at the time of his death. He was 31.
01 Nov 1987: 83271031BG Rifleman Jean Marc Schuurman from 1 Parachute Battalion Died of Wounds received in combat on 31 October 1987 during Ops Firewood. He was evacuated from the battlefield back to the Base Surgical Hospital at Air Force Base Ondangwa where he underwent emergency surgery. Once he had stabilised, he was evacuated back to the RSA early on the morning of 1 November 1987 but unfortunately, he Died of Wounds before the aircraft landed in Pretoria. He was 20.
01 Nov 1998: 91065136 Sergeant Johann Jacobs from the South African Army was killed in a private motor vehicle accident near Kimberley while on a weekend pass. He was 25.
Their names and sacrifices have not been forgotten.