12 June, let us pause to remember these young men and woman from our Generation who answered the Sunset call.
12 Jun 1956: Two members from Air Operations School Langebaanweg were killed when their AT-6 Harvard, Serial 7707, stalled and spun into the ground while on the final approach turn to land at Air Force Station Langebaanweg. The casualties were:
2/Lieutenant Adrian Lloyd Koller. He was 23.
2/Lieutenant Willem Jacobus Prinsloo. He was 21
12 Jun 1961: Corporal Adam Oliphant from the Cape Corps died of Broncho-Pneumonia at his home in Pretoria. He was 50.
12 Jun 1962: Two members from Central Flying School Dunnottar were killed instantly when their AT-6 Harvard, Serial No. 7161 struck the ground and disintegrated near Dunnottar while carrying out unauthorised low level aerobatics. The aircraft crew casualties were:
PX/24853 2/Lieutenant (Pilot) Bruce Erroll Gaylard. He was 19.
T/11153 Air Mechanic (Passenger) Hermanus Lambertus Booysen. He was 18
12 June 1980: 76451947BG Rifleman Jacobus Willem Du Plessis from 1 Parachute Battalion was killed in a private motor vehicle accident at Dealsville. He was 19.
12 Jun 1983: 71322556BT Staff Sergeant Donald Norman Coleby from Regiment Groot Karoo Died of multiple shrapnel Wounds 10km south of Cuvelai. He, together with his whole company were lured into a well dug-in ambush by a group of SWAPO/PLAN insurgents from the ‘Typhoon Brigade”. While in the process of withdrawing across the Cuvelai River, a Soviet 82mm mortar exploded near him and he was riddled with shrapnel. He succumbed to his wounds while being evacuated to the Medical Aid Point just north of Mupa. He was 27.
12 Jun 1983: Special Constable K Kambirua from the South West Africa Police Counter-Insurgency Wing: Ops-K Division (Koevoet) was Killed in Action during a contact with SWAPO/PLAN insurgents in Northern Owamboland. He was 26.
12 Jun 1989: 86274743BG Private Clive Dean MacKenzie from 1 Maintenance Unit was killed in a freak accident while offloading ammunition onto a train from a Kwêvoël 100 truck that was parked on a low-bed trailer at the Bulkop Railway Station, Lohatla, Postmasburg. While taking a tea break, Clive opened the Gunners hatch and climbed out onto the roof of the vehicle and instinctively grabbed onto the overhead train cable to steady himself. Although the cable was not live at the time, there was still sufficient residual charge in the cable that rendered him unconscious, causing him to fall off the vehicle and break his neck. All efforts to resuscitate him were in vain. He was 18.
12 Jun 1991: 86753860PE Corporal (Miss) Hendrina Johanna Kruger from South African Corps of Military Police was found dead at her home with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. She was 22.
12 Jun 1993: 77880839PD Rifleman Garcia Gomes Gonsalves from 32 Battalion died of liver failure in the Pomfret Military Base Hospital. He was 49.
12 Jun 1998: 96838917 Rifleman Sibusiso Louis Mlungwana from 115 Battalion was killed at Emdeni after being shot by persons unknown. He was 23.
12 Jun 1998: 94843737 Lance Corporal Lamech M. Nemudzivhadi from Infantry School was killed in a military vehicle accident at Elim. He was 28.
Their names and sacrifices will not be forgotten.