16 March, let us pause to remember these young men from our Generation who answered the Sunset call.
16 Mar 1958: P/7042 Fight Sergeant James George Scott from 1 Air Depot died in the Pretoria Hospital after being diagnosed with a brain abscess. He was 34.
16 Mar 1976: 73557894KT Private Walter Eden Bethridge Skinner from the Benoni Commando died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest after he shot himself with his R1 Assault Rifle while standing guard duty in Tower 5 at 95 Ammunition Depot at Lenz. He was doing a three-week compulsory Camp when the incident occurred. He was 19.
16 Mar 1977: 76901883SP Rifleman Pedro Joao from 32 Battalion was killed near Omundaungilo when a hand grenade exploded inside the Buffel Troop Carrier in which he was traveling. He was 26.
16 Mar 1978: 01142447PE Colonel Abraham Jacobus Botha from Air Force Headquarters died in the H.F. Verwoerd Hospital in Pretoria. He was suffering from cancer and had been boarded as medically unfit only 8 months previously. He was 47.
16 Mar 1981: 72362122BT Corporal John Badenhorst Chandler from Regiment Springs was critically injured in a private motor vehicle accident near Edenvale on 13 March 1981. He sadly succumbed to his injuries in the Edenvale Hospital on 16 March 1981. He was 25.
16 Mar 1983: 69011104PE Warrant Officer Class II Petrus Andries Jacobus Noeth from the Artillery School died in 1 Military Hospital after suffering a fatal stroke. He was 56.
16 Mar 1983: 6608825PC Chief Petty Officer Nadiem Mooi from the South African Navy Provost Unit was accidentally killed while attached to 102 Battalion SWATF. The Battalion was on an exercise, walking all the inner base troops from the Opuwa Base to the outside Alpha Base when Koevoet Casspirs came around a bend in the road. They were flagged down and because the whole road was full of troops, the Casspirs elected to drive off into the veld to avoid them. Unfortunately, CPO Mooi who was doing point duty, went into the bushes to relieve himself and was accidentally struck down and driven over by one of the Casspir vehicles. He was 34.
16 Mar 1984: Two members of the South African Cape Corps and one from the Army Catering Corps were killed after suffering multiple shrapnel wounds in an accidental mortar bomb explosion at Ruacana. They were:
83072561CK Corporal Theo Christopeus Noel Maseti (Army Catering Corps). He was 21.
82062274BW Rifleman Charles Johannes Coram. He was 19.
82063207BW Rifleman Willem Swartz. He was 22.
16 Mar 1984: 82900978SWK Rifleman P. Haupindi from 202 Battalion SWATF was Killed in Action during a contact with SWAPO/PLAN insurgents. He was 20.
16 Mar 1987: Two members from 5 SAI were killed when their Samil 50 vehicle skidded off the road and overturned 10km east of Colenso while ferrying troops from Durban Airport back to the 5 SAI Base at Ladysmith. They were:
84585785BG Rifleman Gavin Gainsford. He was 19.
84273010BG Rifleman John Adriaan Marlow. He was 18.
16 Mar 1989: 05528252PE Warrant Officer Class I Louis Jacobus van Rensburg from the Technical Service Corps Training Centre suffered a fatal heart attack and died after admission to 1 Military Hospital. He was 53.
16 Mar 1998: 95218632PV Corporal M.I. Mokwena from the South African Army Formation died in Sebokeng from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. No foul play was suspected. He was 25.
16 Mar 2001: 96205075PV Rifleman Morris Phuti Selolo from 4 SAI was killed after being struck by a Taxi while in pursuit of illegal immigrants at Komatipoort. He was 27.
Their names and sacrifices will not be forgotten.