11 February, let us pause to remember these young men from our Generation who answered the Sunset call.
11 Feb 1974: 05525001E Sergeant Richard Johannes Proudfoot from 1 Air Depot died from cancer. He was 28.
11 Feb 1976: 71564283BA Private Johan Pieter Botes from the Technical Service Corps was killed in a private motor vehicle accident in Vanderbijlpark. He was 21.
11 Feb 1978: 72570187PE Lieutenant Johannes Hendrik Du Toit SM from 1 Reconnaissance Regiment attached to “D” Squadron Rhodesian Special Air Service was Killed in Action during Ops Acrobat/Ops Melon when his patrol was ambushed by FRELIMO forces in the Madulo Pan area of Gaza Province in Moçambique. He was 23.
11 Feb 1980: 76224757BG Private Gert Petrus Gerber from Central Flying School Dunnottar attached to 95 Tactical Airfield Unit, Ondangwa, suffered critical head injuries when his fuel bowser overturned near Oluno in Northern Owamboland on 5 February 1980. He succumbed to his injuries in 1 Military Hospital on 11 February 1980. He was 19.
11 Feb 1981: 80631858CK Rifleman Archie Ronnie Williams from the 1st Battalion South African Cape Corps died from a gunshot wound accidentally sustained while he was on foot patrol in Northern Owamboland. He was 26.
11 Feb 1981: 05168190PF Warrant Officer Class II Johann Dreyer Jansen van Rensburg from the Free State Command Headquarters suffered a fatal heart attack while at the Unit. He was 43.
11 Feb 1981: 75501403BG Private John Michell Arthur Tizzard from the Technical Services Corps attached to 72 Motorised Brigade was killed in a private motorcycle accident on the Benoni to Heidelburg Road. He was 21.
11 Feb 1982: 75501494BT Sapper Phillipus Johannes De Bruin from 5 Engineer Regiment was killed when his Buffel Troop Carrier overturned in Northern Owamboland. He was 23.
11 Feb 1985: Nine members from 32 Battalion were Killed in Action and five more Died of Wounds while the Charlie Company Patrol was operating in the vicinity of the Bale River in Southern Angola during Ops Forte. Due to a critical shortage of water, the Company Commander was forced by circumstance to move towards a known waterhole situated close to a large SWAPO/PLAN base. The Patrol passed slightly to the right of the well-prepared Base that was manned by more than 100 enemy soldiers. Although the 32 Battalion Patrol opened fire first, the reaction time of the SWAPO/PLAN fighters inside the base was quicker than expected. In the 25 minutes of heavy close-quarter fighting that followed, Charlie Company suffered 8 men Killed in Action and many more were wounded, 5 of them succumbing to their wounds later that evening. The eight casualties killed in the initial contact were:
82713504PP Lieutenant David Gordon Light was killed instantly by a bullet that struck him below his left eye. He was 26.
78913415SP Lance Corporal Lucas Dumbe was killed instantly after suffering multiple shrapnel wounds. He was 34. His body was recovered a few days later and carried out of the area by a combined Echo and Delta Company Group.
81565293SP Rifleman Jakob Eduardo Jamba was killed instantly from multiple gunshot wounds. He was 31.
78914074SP Lance Corporal Jose Alfredo Sachilombo was killed instantly after suffering multiple shrapnel wounds to the body and abdomen. He was 27.
82746405SP Rifleman Petrus Kalitoko Kahete suffered severe multiple shrapnel wounds to the body and died almost immediately. He was 31.
84700038SP Rifleman Alberto de Almeida was killed instantly from a gunshot wound that penetrated both his lungs. He was 19.
78911989SP Rifleman Paulo Jose suffered severe multiple shrapnel wounds to the body and died almost immediately. He was 27.
81511693SP Rifleman Kausanga Galonga was killed instantly after suffering multiple shrapnel wounds to the head and body. He was 27.
82746488SP Rifleman Jose Chihamba was killed instantly after suffering multiple shrapnel wounds to the head and body. He was 30.
After sunset while the casualties were being evacuated to a temporary emergency base, another four of the wounded men, all suffering from massive chest wounds resulting from Rifle Grenades and RPG-7 Anti-Tank Rockets, succumbed to their injuries. They were:
81526071SP Riflemen Joao Fernando. He was 29.
81509630SP Rifleman Mateus Joaquim. He was 26.
81553422SP Rifleman Zeferino Chipoya. He was 22.
76900109SP Rifleman, Mateus Antonio Kinguelele. He was 32.
The final death from this contact occurred at 10h00 on 12 February 1985 when 76907302SP Rifleman Musose Muema, who had suffered multiple shrapnel wounds to the body, succumbed to his injuries. He was 32.
11 Feb 1993: 79305330PE Sergeant Gordon Henry Bronkhorst from the 7 Division Mobilisation Centre was critically injured in a private motorcycle accident on 10 February 1993 when his motorcycle collided with the rear of another vehicle. He suffered a broken neck and fractured skull and succumbed to his injuries in the Universitas Hospital on 11 February 1993. He was 29.
11 Feb 1997: 94833977PV Private Vincent Sifiso Msimango from the South African Corps of Military Police attached to Northern Transvaal Command Provost Unit was killed after being struck by a bullet as a result of an accidental discharge of another soldier's rifle while the soldier was in the process of cleaning his R4 rifle. He was 23.
11 Feb 1998: 93761005 Rifleman M S B Duma from 5 SAI died of disease at Osizweni. He was 33.
Their names and sacrifices will not be forgotten.