18 January, let us pause to remember these young men from our Generation who answered the Sunset call.
18 Jan 1963: Sergeant Jakobus Albertus du Plessis from the Army Service Corps died from cancer and pneumonia in 1 Military Hospital. He was 27.
18 Jan 1978: 76927508SP Rifleman Antonio Cassamano from 32 Battalion was Killed in Action during a contact with the enemy forces when his patrol was ambushed at a waterhole near Omalapapa in Southern Angola. He was 24.
18 Jan 1979: 76456623BG Corporal Fritz August Ferreira from 3 SAI was killed when he accidentally electrocuted himself while stationed at Ondangwa. He was trying to connect up his tape recorder in the tent while standing barefoot on a bed. He was holding onto the middle tent pole when the unfortunate incident occurred. He was 18.
18 Jan 1980: Two members from the 2 SAI Support Company Platoon were Killed in Action or Died of Wounds when their patrol was ambushed by a numerically superior force of SWAPO/PLAN Insurgents just North of the Cut-line. Fresh spoor from three SWAPO/PLAN insurgents was found heading North across the Cut-line and the platoon Commander, Lieutenant Ferreira was granted permission to follow the spoor for a few kilometers into Angola before returning if nothing was found. Half the platoon remained with the heavy kit at the cutline while the other half proceeded into Southern Angola wearing only skeleton webbing. The spoor went North for a short distance before turning West into the setting sun. The three SWAPO/PLAN insurgents had in the meantime, re-joined a much larger group of about 100 cadres and had set up a classic L-shaped ambush. With the setting sun in their eyes, the Section walked into the ambush and came under a hail of small arms fire from AK-47 Assault Rifles, RPD machine-guns and RPG-7 anti-tank rockets. Rifleman Froneman was hit in the chest and killed instantly while Rifleman Maritz was critically wounded after being hit in the shoulder and the bullet ricocheted down into one of his lungs.
The Platoon Commander however stood his ground and the Section continued to engage the dug-in SWAPO/PLAN positions. As darkness was falling, the order was given to retire. Rifleman Froneman’s body could not be recovered from the battlefield but the wounded Rifleman Maritz was carried away by the Ops Medic. Another patrol located about 4km away from the ambush area radioed the base for support and a Puma Helicopter was sent to search for the patrol. A few hours later, the helicopter crew located the Patrol at a kraal a few kilometers from the ambush site and the wounded Rifleman Maritz was evacuated together with the remainder of the Platoon. He unfortunately succumbed to his wounds a few hours later. The body of Rifleman Froneman was later recovered from the battlefield at first light by another Patrol. Blood stains found in the SWAPO/PLAN positions indicated that they had definitely suffered casualties but had removed all the wounded or dead bodies from the scene.
The casualties in this contact were:
76329655BG Lance Corporal Phillipus Rudolf Maritz (Died of Wounds). He was 19. 76532886BG Rifleman Benjamin Arthur Froneman was (Killed in Action). He was 19
18 Jan 1984: 78912763SP Corporal Jose Antonio from 32 Battalion suffered a fatal heart attack and died while stationed at Buffalo Base. He was 32.
18 Jan 1992: 78152279HW Pioneer Hercules Albertus Pretorius from Natal Command suffered a fatal heart attack at his home in Durban. He was 57.
18 Jan 1993: 67871327PE Sergeant Johannes Van Biljon from Army Headquarters suffered a fatal heart attack while riding home after work on his bicycle. He was 47.
18 Jan 1998: 97063812 Airman M P Mphatso from the Air Force Gymnasium was killed in a non-military related shooting incident while off duty. He was 19.
Their names and sacrifices will not be forgotten.