12 November, let us pause to remember these young men from our Generation who answered the Sunset call.
12 Nov 1963: 45480 Bombardier Gideon Jacobus Visser from 10 Anti-Aircraft Regiment was killed in a military vehicle accident. He was 33.
12 Nov 1974: 72434848N Rifleman Barend Johannes Andries Vorster from 2 SAI was Reported Missing after he went to collect water from the river at Bagani. He was seen to suddenly disappear under the water and it is thought that he may have been taken by a crocodile. He has no known grave and remains unaccounted for. He was 18.
12 Nov 1975 72475403BA Rifleman Gideon Joubert Klopper from 3 SAI was killed instantly after being struck by lightning during a thunderstorm while he was busy with an agricultural task in No. 3 Sub Area at Omgoni. He was 19.
12 Nov 1975: 71511018N Rifleman Bartholomeus Venter from 11 Commando Regiment was Killed in Action by enemy mortar fire North of Lobito during Operation Savannah. He was 20.
12 Nov 1979: Two members from Cape Corps were Reported Missing when they accidentally drowned while swimming at Mpalela Island. Despite an intensive search, their bodies were never located. Both men have no known grave and remain unaccounted for. They were both officially declared dead on 13 May 1982. The casualties were:
79687208CK Rifleman Abraham Jacobus Maarman. He was 18.
79687935CK Rifleman Billy Willem Selldon. He was 19.
12 Nov 1980: 77322782BG Rifleman Nicolaas Jacobus van der Walt from 3 SAI attached to 53 Battalion was accidentally killed in Northern Owamboland when a hand grenade exploded while he was still handling it. He was 19.
12 Nov 1980: 77279297BG Rifleman Jowert Hessel Dijkstra from the Infantry School suffered severe brain injuries in a private motor vehicle accident on the National Road near Vredefort during August 1980 while travelling home on a weekend pass. He succumbed to his injuries in the H.F. Verwoerd Hospital in Pretoria on 12 November 1980. He was 18.
12 Nov 1982: 78508686BG Corporal Carlo Marcel Bosch from the Finance Service Corps was killed in a private motor vehicle accident at Silkaats Nek near Schoemansville while travelling home on a weekend pass. He was 20.
12 Nov 1983: 81228116BG Rifleman Pierre Hanekom from Echo Company, 8 SAI was Killed in Action near Chiede in Southern Angola while carrying out a daily inspection of an SADF minefield that was laid to prevent insurgent infiltration from the North. During this inspection, one of the claymore mines was accidentally triggered and exploded, killing him instantly. He was 18.
12 Nov 1985: 80234933BG Rifleman Andrew Steward Dougall from Natal Command collapsed and died of suspected heart failure while running a 2,4 at the Greyville race course. Andrew was described by his colleagues as a gentle soul who had been brought up by his grandmother. She had passed away earlier in the year. He was 21.
12 Nov 1987: 85227213BG Private Gareth Visser from 16 Maintenance Unit died in the Grootfontein Hospital after contracting Meningitis while serving in the Operational Area. He was 18.
12 Nov 1991: 88469606BG Lance Corporal Petrus Hendrik Theodorus Tait from 6 SAI was killed when the South African Police Boerbok vehicle in which he was travelling as a passenger, overturned near Richmond. He was thrown out of the vehicle and crushed when the vehicle rolled over him. He was 19.
12 Nov 1993: 86470242PE Corporal Selwyn Leslie Wesley from 3 Electronic Workshop was killed in a private motor vehicle accident after sustaining multiple injuries while traveling as a passenger on his way to Durban from Bloemfontein when the driver of the vehicle lost control and crashed near Mooi River. He was 23.
12 Nov 1998: 94751013 Rifleman L S Ramalepa from 3 SAI died of disease in Rustenburg while Absent Without Leave (AWOL) from his Unit. He was 24.
12 Nov 1998: 94978723 Corporal N Monare from 21 Battalion died of disease in the Goldfields Hospital. He was 26.
12 Nov 2003: Two members from 85 Combat Flying School were Killed when their Atlas MB326M Impala Mk I, Serial No.530, developed mechanical problems possibly caused by a bird strike that led to catastrophic engine failure while on a low-level tactical navigation flight. The crew tried to save their aircraft but both pilots ejected too late and were killed. The aircraft crashed at Krokodilpoort (between Nelspruit and Malelane) next to the N4 highway. The casualties were:
98192958PW Lieutenant (Pilot) Gert Willem Diederik Duvenhage. Killed instantly when his ejection seat struck a passing delivery truck on the N4 Highway driven by Mr. Enoch Nkosi. Mr. Cornelius Johannes Steenkamp, a cargo truck driver from Kempton Park witnessed the accident. He was 22.
Lieutenant (Pilot Instructor) Paul Andrew Martin. Killed instantly when he ejected through trees and his ejection seat struck a rock face. He was 28.
Their names and sacrifices will not be forgotten.