18 March, let us pause to remember these young men from our Generation who answered the Sunset call.
18 Mar 1950: Two members from 28 Squadron were killed when their AT-6 Harvard 7046 struck an unknown object while in flight that caused the engine cowling to foul the propeller. The aircraft crashed at Doornkop, South of Roodepoort. The casualties were:
2/Lieutenant Ivan Griffith Smith. He was 24.
P1/37795 Lieutenant Neville Dudley Burd. He was 24.
18 Mar 1978: 77080471PC Candidate Officer George Daniel Phillips from the South African Cape Corps Training Centre was killed in a private motor vehicle accident near Faure in the Cape. He was 28.
18 Mar 1982: 79322301BG Corporal Pieter Barend Bouwer Denner from 1 Maintenance Unit was found dead in Pretoria with an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. He was attending an official wrestling championship tournament in Pretoria at the time and was due to return to his Unit after the tournament. He was 18.
18 Mar 1983: 77450146BG Signaler Peterus Andreas Jacobus Bosch from 21 Battalion was critically injured in a private vehicle accident in Pretoria on 17 March 1983 while on a weekend pass. He died the following day in 1 Military Hospital. He was 22.
18 Mar 1984: 80214752BG Rifleman Marius Beyleveld from 1 SWA SPES, SWATF, died in hospital after contracting malaria while serving in the Northern Operational Area. He was 19.
18 Mar 1986: 70440474PE Warrant Officer Class 1 Frederick Petrus Johannes Cornelius from 5 Maintenance Unit was critically wounded in Northern Owamboland on 23 February 1986 when his vehicle detonated a landmine on the road between Oshakati and Ruacana. He was evacuated to 1 Military Hospital in Pretoria where he sadly Died of Wounds on 18 March 1986. He was 31.
18 Mar 1989: Private Gerard Snyman from the Intelligence Corps attached to the Northern Cape Command Headquarters, died in the Intensive Care unit of the Kimberley Hospital after he was accidentally electrocuted by a live power cable while watering the Rugby Field at the Unit. He was 19.
18 Mar 1992: A civilian farmer, Stephanus Johannes Smith was ambushed by APLA operatives who opened fire with AK-47 automatic rifles on his vehicle while he was travelling from Zastron to Sterkspruit in the Free State. One passenger in the vehicle was severely injured but managed to escape with the other two passengers. Smith, who lay critically wounded next to his vehicle was summarily executed by Luyanda Gqomfa. The APLA operatives involved in this incident, Luyanda Gqomfa, Letlapa Mphahlele, Ben Wakumzi, Monde (Alais) and Ethan Frome were all granted amnesty in 1998.
18 Mar 1993: Three members of the Victoria Park High School Cadet Corps were killed while en-route to a Victoria Park High School Cadet Bivouac at Slagboom when the Samil 50 in which they were passengers, drove through a pothole, causing the driver to lose control and the vehicle overturned approximately 4 km from Slagboom. The casualties were:
Cadet Ryan Dennis Mcdonald. He was 16.
Cadet Michael Dan Swart. He was 16.
Cadet Garth Whittal. He was 16.
18 Mar 1994: 90550765PK Rifleman Hendrik Rudolf Jacobs from the Army Battle School was being treated for a broken leg at Postmasburg when he died. The death notice gives the cause of death as viral myocarditis so he possibly suffered an allergic reaction to an injection that was administered to him by a doctor. He was 19.
18 Mar 1998: 95065942 Corporal M E Mosenene from the South African Army died of disease in 1 Military Hospital. He was 22.
18 Mar 2000: 92671429PF Rifleman Mafaladi Joseph Mbele from 21 Battalion was found dead at the Lenz Military Base with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head using his R4 rifle. He was 30.
18 Mar 2001: 95721460PV Rifleman Sakiwo France from Group 45 was killed after suffering multiple injuries when he was accidentally knocked down by a military vehicle at Maluti. He was 27.
Their names and sacrifices will not be forgotten.