10 October, let us pause to remember these young men from our Generation who answered the Sunset call.
10 Oct 1976: 67304519BT Rifleman Richard Charles Palmer from the Natal Carbineers was accidentally killed after suffering multiple shrapnel wounds when a rifle grenade exploded prematurely after being fired. He was 25.
10 Oct 1976: 73242042BB Corporal Jan Hendrik van Brandis from 2 SAI accidentally drowned during a river crossing while on patrol near Rundu. He was 19.
10 Oct 1980: 74324500PM Lieutenant Steven Volkersz from 2 Squadron volunteered to do an Impala aircraft tour at Air Force Base Ondangwa. He was Reported Missing when his Atlas MB326KM Impala Mk II Serial 1042 was shot down by a shoulder-launched Soviet SA-7 Grail Surface-to-Air Missile some 20 km South West of Mupa. Steven successfully ejected and after landing, waved to his Wingman Lieutenant Chris Skinner from the ground. It appears however that while trying to evade capture, he accidentally walked into a SWAPO/PLAN base and was shot and killed. An intercept of SWAPO/PLAN radio messages later indicated that he had been killed but there was no confirmation. During a later cross-border operation, SADF soldiers picked up propaganda pamphlets that showed photographs of Steven's body lying next to his flying helmet and this provided positive confirmation of his death. He has no known grave. He was 23.
10 Oct 1980: 78269065BG Rifleman Anthony Hayton from the Infantry School was killed in a private motor vehicle accident on the National Highway at Fields Hill, approximately 20 km from Durban. He was 18.
10 Oct 1988: 88731526HJ Rifleman Maphakela George Molokomme from 116 Battalion was killed instantly at the 116 Battalion Training area at Messina when he was struck by lightning while sheltering under a tree during a thunderstorm. He was 27.
Their names and sacrifice have not been forgotten.