16 January, let us pause to remember these young men from our Generation who answered the Sunset call.
16 Jan 1968: 65588774R 2/Lieutenant Brian John Poorter from 5 Squadron was killed when his AT-6 Harvard, Serial No 7127 suffered engine failure while on a routine low level training flight and crashed into trees on a plantation 2 miles East of Eston. He was 19.
16 Jan 1976: 72285414BA Trooper Trevor Donald Bodhill from 2 Special Service Battalion was killed while traveling along the Chitado road in Southern Angola to set up a vehicle ambush position. He was standing up in the turret of an Eland 90 armoured car when the driver lost control of the vehicle in extremely dusty conditions and the vehicle overturned. He was crushed under the vehicle turret. He was 19.
16 Jan 1979: 05165618PE Warrant Officer Class I Beltazer Johanns Bosch from Chief of Staff Logistics at Defence Headquarters was found dead in his car at his residence in Pretoria with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. He was 51.
16 Jan 1980: 69340255PE Sergeant John Christopher van Graan from the Far North Command Provost Unit was accidentally killed near Messina while attempting to recover a broken-down vehicle. The Bedford recovery vehicle tipped over during the recovery process, crushing him under the vehicle. He was 26.
16 Jan 1981: 77156610HB Pioneer Sibusiso Michael Msomi from Natal Command was killed at the Durban Naval Armament Depot when he was accidentally shot by a guard on duty. He was 29.
16 Jan 1983: 79297271BG Signaler Joel Johanne Schutte from the South West Africa Command Signal Unit SWATF was killed in a private motorcycle accident in Windhoek. He was 19.
16 Jan 1988: 78911203SP Rifleman Manuel Thomas from 32 Battalion was killed in a private motor vehicle accident in the Caprivi Strip. He was 37.
16 Jan 1992: 87546008PE Lance Corporal Johannes Petrus van Rooyen from the School of Logistical Training was killed in a private motor vehicle accident near the Carousel when a tyre on his vehicle burst causing it to overturn. He was 20.
16 Jan 1996: 94663895PV Private Mmakwena Levy Motshoane from the Eastern Transvaal Command Provost Unit was killed in a military motor vehicle accident at Carolina when the tyre on his Mamba vehicle burst causing the vehicle to overturn. He was 24.
16 Jan 1998: Two members from the School of Logistics Training were killed in a private motor vehicle accident at Philippolis. The casualties were:
95732053PE Corporal Gerhard Wilhelm de Beer. He was 21.
95740114PE Lance Corporal James Stanley Knight. He was 20.
Their names and sacrifices will not be forgotten.