12 February, let us pause to remember these young men and women from our Generation who answered the Sunset call.
12 Feb 1956: P/16987 Private Marthinus Retief Barnard from the South African Medical Corps attached to 1 Military Hospital died as a result of self-administered barbiturate poisoning while on duty at 1 Military Hospital. He was 17.
12 Feb 1958: P/15602 Flight Sergeant Andries Christoffel Jansen van Rensburg from 1 Air Depot died from of post-operative shock following a liver operation in 1 Military Hospital. He was 28.
12 Feb 1961: Private Johannes Hendrik Simes from the Army Service Corps died from a brain tumor, in Hospital in Pretoria. He was 25.
12 Feb 1976: 70414123BT Rifleman Johannes Jacobus Bruwer from 6 SAI was critically wounded in the lung on 10 February 1976 in a friendly fire incident while setting up an ambush in Northern Owamboland. He was evacuated by air to 1 Military Hospital in Pretoria where he sadly Died of Wounds on 12 February 1976. He was 21.
12 Feb 1979: Five Crew Members and Fifty Four Passengers of Air Rhodesia Viscount "Umniati" Registration YP-YND, Flight RH827 were killed when their aircraft was shot down near Kariba by ZIPRA insurgents using a Soviet SA-7 Grail shoulder-launched heat-seeking surface-to-air-missile. There were no survivors. The casualties were:
Pilots
Captain Jan Andre du Plessis, (50) (South Africa)
First Officer Michael Thomas Moolman, (37)
Air Hostesses
Kathryn Jane Creigh-Smith, (29)
Caroline Lynette du Chemin (21)
Regina Chigwada. (23) (Air Rhodesia's 4th black Air Hostess)
Passengers:
Mrs Lynnette Ballentyne (25)
Mr Arthur Bensusan, (66) (Mining consultant, ex-WWII RAF Pilot serving with BSAP Reserve Air Wing)
Mrs Brenda Betts (36)
Master Mark Betts (11)
Master Russell Betts (9)
Mrs Annette Billington, (35)
Miss Martha Blignaut (South Africa) (37)
Mr Desmond Boyd, (53) (New Zealand)
Mrs Gladys Boyd (49)
Mr Noel Boyd (26)
Mr Ian Boyd (25) (Manager of Old Hararians, to be engaged to Gill Tabor)
Miss Andrea Boyd (16)
Miss Leonie Boyd. (14)
Mr George Dardagan (44) (Businessman from Banket)
Mrs Ursula Dardagan (47)
Miss Margaret Davies (35) (UK) (British Airways Air Hostess)
Mr Francis Deleplangue (50) (Belgium)
Mrs Pauline Delport (26)
Mr Ian Dempsey (34) (Off duty Air Rhodesia pilot)
Mr Bertrand Der Rham (27) (Switzerland)
Mr Jules Descampe, (67) (Belgium)
Mrs Adele Descampe, (66) (Belgium)
Mr Derek Ebben (59)
Mr Alec Fairlie (76)
Mrs Nancy Fairlie (66)
Mr Rouche Francois (30)
Mr John Gobey (52) (Gatooma Business Man)
Mr Donald Goldin (46) (Rhodesian Front MP for Wankie),
Mr Peter Grey (67) (UK)
Master Andrew Hardinge (14)
Mr Michael Harraghy (37)
Miss Patricia Ings (36)
Mr Ronald Isitt (55) (Director of Brook Bond Liebig UK, unofficially visiting its Subsidiary in Rhodesia)
Mr Ide Maere (54) (Belgium)
Mrs Stephane Maere (56) (Belgium)
Lieutenant Andrea Mason (32) (Rhodesian Army)
Miss Susan Morgan (25)
Miss Beauty Muzando (25)
Mr Robert Plouvier (55) (Belgium)
Major Neville Alastair Powell MBE (45) (OC 1st Battalion RLI, Rhodesian Army)
Mrs Nerene Quinsee (32) Norton
Miss Mitze Rees (21)
Miss Gillian Tabor (22) (Soon to be engaged to Mr Ian Boyd see above)
Mr Paul Tasker (19)
Mr John Teede (54)
Mrs Sheila Teede (54)
Mrs Linda Thomson (neé Mann) (22)
Mr Henry van der Merwe (South Africa) (32)
Mrs Joanna Viljoen (South Africa) (53)
Miss Denise Viljoen (South Africa) (17)
Mr Robert Virgette (30)
Mrs Deirdre Wakefield (41)
Mr Edward (Ted) Wigg, (37) (Managing Director Liebigs Ltd Bulawayo)
Mr Loris Zucchini (58) (Technical Director Liebigs Ltd Bulawayo)
12 Feb 1980: 79011649PE Lance Corporal (Miss) Sophia Elizabeth Smit from 10 Air Depot in Voortrekkerhoogte died from injuries received when she accidentally fell from a 2nd floor flat in Queenswood, Pretoria. She was 26.
12 Feb 1981: 79876595GB Rifleman Abraham Louw from 911 Battalion SWATF was killed in a military motor vehicle accident in Northern Owamboland. He was 20.
12 Feb 1985: 76907302SP Rifleman Musose Muema from 32 Battalion Died of Wounds after receiving multiple shrapnel wounds to the body from an RPG-7 Anti-Tank Rocket during a desperate action on 11 February 1985 against a numerically superior SWAPO/PLAN force in the vicinity of the Bale River in Southern Angola during Ops Forte. Evacuated for medical treatment, he sadly succumbed to his wounds on 12 February 1985. He was 32.
12 Feb 1985: 74402892PS Captain Robert Raymond Rodel from 4 Squadron was Killed in Action in Northern Owamboland in Atlas MB326KC Impala Mk II, Serial No.1096. Shortly after take-off from Air Force Base Ondangwa for an operational night sortie against enemy targets in Southern Angola, he radioed the Control Tower informing them that the canopy was still on the latch but was not closed properly and that he was going to attempt to close it while in-flight. It appears that as he released the latch, the canopy blew open with such force that he was severely injured resulting in loss of control the aircraft which flew into the ground a few kilometers from AFB Ondangwa. He was 26.
12 Feb 1985: 66524380PE Major Johannes Albertus Retief from Air Force Headquarters died as a result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head administered using his 9mm service pistol during a lunch break at Air Force Headquarters. He was 34.
12 Feb 1985: One member from 102 Battalion SWATF and four members from 1 SWA Engineer Regiment SWATF (attached) were Killed in Action and another 25 soldiers wounded in the Etanga area of the Western Kaokoveld when their Buffel Troop Carrier convoy was ambushed by a numerically superior force of approximately 40 heavily armed SWAPO/PLAN insurgents. The first Buffel detonated a strategically placed Anti-Tank Mine that flipped the vehicle over in such a way that the open side of the Buffel faced their ambush firing positions and three of the following Buffel Troop Carriers were systematically knocked out by Yugoslavian M60 HEAT STRIM rifle grenades and Soviet RPG-7 Anti-Tank Rockets. The ambush survivors were then subjected to heavy automatic rifle, machine-gun and mortar fire before the SWAPO/PLAN force withdrew. The five fatal casualties in this encounter were:
81966160HX Rifleman Mannie Muhenje. He was 23. (102 Battalion)
83809517SCC Sapper Willem Vallien. He was 26. (1 SWA Engineer Regiment)
83823369SCC Sapper Gerhard van Wyk. He was 21. (1 SWA Engineer Regiment)
83825323SCK Sapper Bartholomeus Kapindi. He was 22. (1 SWA Engineer Regiment)
80880460SCC Sapper Niklaas Johannes Ferris. He was 24. (1 SWA Engineer Regiment)
12 Feb 1986: 80021827PE Sergeant Ronald Alan Cook from 5 Reconnaissance Regiment was Killed in Action at Soutpansberg when he was shot dead by an enemy sniper while tracking the spoor of two insurgents near Messina. He was 35.
12 Feb 1990: 80890015HG Rifleman Themba Christopher Zungu from 121 Battalion was killed in a military vehicle accident at Umhlanga Rocks. He was 30.
12 Feb 1990: 86581733BG Trooper Eugene Baker from 2 Special Service Battalion was killed instantly approximately 12 km outside Swartruggens while riding on the back of a Samil 50 Truck. A civilian utility truck carrying scrap metal that was coming from the opposite direction passed his Samil 50 and he was struck by a piece of scrap iron that was protruding out from the side of the truck. He was 19.
12 Feb 1990: 80890015HG Rifleman Themba Christopher Zungu from 121 Battalion was killed in a military motor vehicle accident Umhlanga Rocks. He was 30.
12 Feb 1991: 76919232PD Rifleman Joao Canga from 32 Battalion was found in the street in Voortrekkerhoogte by Military Police with critical head injuries sustained after being assaulted by persons unknowns. He was rushed to 1 Military Hospital where he sadly succumbed to his injuries shortly after admission. He was 33.
12 Feb 1992: A civilian farmer Mr Roelof Johannes Fourie was shot and killed after being ambushed on his farm in Stormberg, Verkeerdevlei, Orange Free State by four APLA operatives. All four APLA operatives Hendrik Leeuw, Daniel Magoda, Meshack May and Sebolai Petrus Nkgwedi were arrested two days later and were convicted of aggravated robbery and murder. All four were sentenced to terms of between nine and fifteen years’ imprisonment but were later granted amnesty during 1998.
12 Feb 1995: 88356522PE Leading Seaman Richard Johannes Proudfoot from SAS Emily Hobhouse was killed in a private motor vehicle accident near Parys while returning to Cape Town from vacation leave. He was 24.
12 Feb 1995: 92061688PY Rifleman Jakob Jakobus Titus from 9 SAI was shot dead by a fellow soldier at Acasia Park. He was 29.
12 Feb 1997: 89086521 Rifleman David Kerspey from 6 SAI was killed in a military motor vehicle accident. He was 34.
Their names and sacrifices will not be forgotten.