13 September, let us pause for a minute to remember the following young men from our Generation who answered the Sunset call.
13 Sep 1970: Six members from 5 SAI and one member from 3 SAI were killed while being transported in a Gladiator Troop Carrier back to the Ladysmith Army Camp. Their vehicle was involved in a head-on collision with a Newspaper Delivery Van between Colesburg and Philippolis and the vehicle immediately burst into flames with the men still trapped inside and unable to escape. The casualties were:
66458696N Rifleman Hilton Dudley Coker (3 SAI). He was 19.
65395287N Rifleman John Grinyer (5 SAI). He was 20.
67327700N Rifleman Peter Alfons Ernst Leonhardt (5 SAI). He was 19.
68238567N Rifleman Kevin Eric Mack (5 SAI). He was 18.
68444918N Rifleman Richard Neville Marriott (5 SAI). He was 17.
68222322N Rifleman Gregory George Olyott (5 SAI). He was 18.
68307446N Rifleman Mark Felice Vallero (5 SAI). He was 18.
13 Sep 1976: 73528234BA Rifleman Christiaan Frederik Ehlers from 11 Commando Regiment was Killed in Action during a contact with SWAPO/PLAN insurgents approximately 9 km from Eenhana. He was 19.
13 Sep 1977: 73266223BA Lance Corporal Paul Onre Dossena from the Natal Mounted Rifles was Killed in Action when his Bosvark vehicle detonated a boosted a Yugoslavian TMA-3 Cheese Mine just outside Nkongo. He was 19.
13 Sep 1985: 05469085PE Chief Petty Officer Colin George Clement from Naval Base Simonstown collapsed after apparently suffering a heart attack while he was at the Catering School. He died later in 2 Military Hospital. He was 42.
13 Sep 1985: 84918978SWH Rifleman M.H. Mutirua from 102 Battalion SWATF accidentally drowned during a river crossing while his patrol was carrying out a follow-up Operation against SWAPO/PLAN insurgents. He was 22.
13 Sep 1987: Six members of 32 Battalion were Killed in Action in a single incident during Ops Modular in Southern Angola. A 32 Battalion Anti-Tank Ratel 90, Callsign 13, Commanded by 2/Lieutenant Jose Raymond Alves became bogged down in a muddy shona while engaging FAPLA-manned Soviet T-55 tanks. Before the men could extricate themselves, their Ratel 90 was hit and destroyed at point blank by a 100 X 695 mm R Soviet T-55 tank shell. The tank round penetrated the Ratel through the side door and detonated inside the main ammunition storage container. This resulted in a massive explosion within the Ratel that killed all the crew and passengers instantly. The burnt out Ratel was later destroyed by South African Engineers to prevent its capture. Captain Alfred Desmond McCallum was the Commanding Officer of Foxtrot Company. The Casualties in this incident were:
74316175PK Captain Alfred Desmond McCallum. He was 28.
83502815BG 2/Lieutenant José Raimundo Alves. He was 20.
83302422BG Lance Corporal Matthys Michael De Klerk. He was 20.
83244178BGTrooper Marthinus Johannes Kuyler. He was 20.
81533671SP Lance Corporal Joao Rodrigues Mananza. He was 33.
76928621SP Lance Corporal Waite Tchipango. He was 31.
13 Sep 1988: 85269033BG Gunner Andre Meiring from 4 Artillery Regiment was killed in a military vehicle accident at the Army Battle School at Lohatla. He was 19.
13 Sep 1990: 88202551BG Private Warren Ralph Beech from 1 Military Town Management Fire Department was accidentally killed at Voortrekkerhoogte when his harness safety shackle failed, causing him to fall from a fire tower while he was carrying out fire practice drills. He was 19.
13 Sep 1991: 91073696CK Rifleman Amos van Wyk from the South African Cape Corps died in Grey's Hospital after being critically injured when the SAMIL 20 vehicle he was driving, overturned near Richmond. He was 17.
Their Names and sacrifice have not been forgotten.