18 May, let us pause to remember these young men from our Generation who answered the Sunset call.
18 May 1965: Lance Corporal Cecil Derrick St. John Ayre from the Natal Carbineers died as a result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head while playing “'Russian Roulette” while the Regiment was in camp at Potchefstroom. He was 24.
18 May 1980: Four members from 41 Battalion (Later 911 Battalion SWATF) were Killed in Action during a contact with a numerically superior force of SWAPO/PLAN insurgents in Northern Owamboland. The casualties were:
79872750SD Rifleman Hendrik Balie. He was 21
79872172SN Rifleman Dawid Goliath. He was 29
79870663ST Rifleman Vincent Sekopomashe. He was 23
79870580SH Rifleman Joseph Tjipuna. He was 24
18 May 1981: 75561217BG Corporal Johannes Petrus Nicholaas Keeve from 2 Signals Regiment was killed in a private motor vehicle accident at Hammanskraal. He was 21.
18 May 1982: Two members of 701 Battalion SWATF were killed after suffering multiple shrapnel wounds in an accidental mortar bomb explosion at Nkongo Base. The casualties were:
81953747HO Rifleman Likambo Zecks Maxwell. He was 24.
79841939SP Rifleman Swana Paulus. He was 23.
18 May 1984: W54825B Warrant Officer J F Coetzee 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 32.
18 May 1986: 83531400BG Airman Peter Norman Franken from the Air Force Gymnasium was killed in a private motor vehicle accident at Gingindlovu. He was 18.
18 May 1996: Corporal John Lennet Reitz from 16 Maintenance Unit was killed in a private motor vehicle accident. He was 26.
18 May 1998: 94836202 Private G M Msito from the Western Cape Command Head Quarters Unit died of disease in 2 Military Hospital. He was 23.
Their names and sacrifices will not be forgotten.