17 June, let us pause to remember these young men and women from our Generation who answered the Sunset call.
17 Jun 1958: Two members from Air Operations School at Langebaanweg were killed when Vampire FB9 Serial No.239 was involved in a mid-air collision with Harvard 7001 while on final approach to land at Langebaanweg. The casualties were:
Vampire 239
P/21480 Lieutenant Jeremias Jesaias Bouwer. He was 23.
Harvard 7001
2/Lieutenant Johannes Jacobus Kruger (Injured but Survived). He was 22.
P/16388 Air Mechanic Theunis van Aswegen. He was 23.
17 Jun 1977: Private Johannes Albertus Erasmus from 11 Squadron was killed in a private motor vehicle accident in Potchefstroom. He was 19.
17 Jun 1978: 78667482KD Rifleman (Mrs) Heyletta Swanepoel from the Bronkhorstspruit Commando collapsed and died after suffering a fatal heart attack while on official duty at the Zonderwater Shooting Range in Cullinan. She was 40.
17 Jun 1979: 77575892PE Private Gert Olivier van der Westhuyzen from the School of Technical Training died of disease in 1 Military Hospital. He was 19.
17 Jun 1979: 74500802PE 2/Lieutenant Samuel Walters Coetzee from 32 Battalion was Killed in Action during a contact with enemy forces when his patrol was ambushed at a water hole near Hacaonde in Southern Angola. He was 20.
17 Jun 1980: 79880498HX Rifleman M Tjisota from 37 Battalion (Later 102 Battalion SWATF) was Killed in Action during a contact with SWAPO/PLAN insurgents. He was 20.
17 June 1982: Special Constable A. Ndawedapo 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.
17 June 1984: 82807611SCN Trooper Andre van Neel from 202 Battalion SWATF was Killed in Action during a contact with SWAPO/PLAN insurgents. He was 19.
17 Jun 1984: 84700368SP Rifleman L.D. Andre from 32 Battalion was found murdered at Buffalo Base. He was 28.
17 Jun 1985: 79496725BG Rifleman Justin King from 6 SAI was killed in a Private Vehicle Accident at Uitenhage while returning to his Unit from a leave pass to clear out on completion of his National Service. He was 21.
17 Jun 1987: Warrant Officer Class 1 David Tippett from 5 Special Forces Regiment was Killed in Action after being compromised during a clandestine operation on the Moçambique/Swaziland Border. He was 35.
17 Jun 1987: Two members from the Central Flying School at Dunnottar were killed when their AT-6 Harvard, Serial No. 7048 crashed on the farm Rietkuil, 10km South East of Delmas during a general flying training sortie after the pilot failed to recover from a spin. It appears that the rudder cable slipped off a pulley. The casualties were:
76593862PS Captain Bruce Matthew Nelson. He was 26
76273861PS Captain Ricardo Henrico Vergottini. He was 26
17 Jun 1989: 85643294BG Rifleman Neill Knight from 4 SAI, attached to 62 Mechanised Battalion, suddenly collapsed and died while stationed at the Rooikop Base outside Walvis Bay. The Post Mortem revealed that he was suffering from a brain tumor. He was 20.
17 June 1994: 65757296PE Colonel Douglas Leslie Crafford, Senior Staff Officer Logistics at the Engineer Formation died from internal bleeding after being critically injured in a Military Vehicle Accident approximately 10km from the Noeniput Police Station in the Upington Area. He was 45.
17 Jun 1995: Three members from 5 SAI were killed at their Temporary Base on the Margate Airstrip when Rifleman Nxumalo murdered two of his Officers with his R4 Rifle in the conference room before shooting himself. The casualties were:
98259469PE Lieutenant Frederik Petrus van Rede van Oudtshoorn Grobbelaar. He was 21.
90416751PY 2/Lieutenant Rudolph Jacques Smit. He was 20.
93655967 Rifleman Ndabezinhle Joseph Nxumalo (Committed Suicide). He was 24.
17 Jun 1998: 94776903 Lance Corporal X A Kafu from the South African Infantry Corps was killed in a private motor vehicle accident at Bothaville. He was 26.
17 Jun 1998: 93749331 Rifleman P M Mabele from 12 SAI died of disease at the Unit. He was 29.
17 Jun 1998: 94734407 Corporal I L Mohadi from the South African Infantry Corps died of disease in the Victoria Hospital, He was 24.
17 Jun 2014: Three members from 41 Squadron were killed when their Cessna Caravan C208 3006 crashed at Blyfstaanhoogte near Misty Mountain Lodge in the Long Tom Pass while carrying out mountain flying training. The casualties were:
Major Tshepo J Malia. He was 26
Captain Francis P Hugo. He was 24
Captain Marcelino A Wembie. He was 25
Their names and sacrifices will not be forgotten.