02 April, let us pause to remember these young men from our Generation who answered the Sunset call.
02 April 1977: 66829301KT Private Gabriel Peter Greeff from 11 Maintenance Unit was killed in a military vehicle accident at near Buffalo Base. He was 27.
02 April 1978: 76927417SP Rifleman Carvalho Esals from 32 Battalion was Killed in Action in Southern Angola during a contact with enemy forces near Omalapapa. He was 26.
02 April 1981: 78397122BG Lance Corporal Ean Andrew Chapman Pettit from Hotel Company, 1 Parachute Battalion, was accidentally killed after he and his section were extracted from a contact with SWAPO/PLAN insurgents. Their Buffel Troop carrier overturned while travelling at high speed and he was thrown out and crushed by the vehicle when it rolled onto him. He was 19.
02 April 1983: 80571326BG Gunner Lodewyk Jozef Engelbrecht from 61 Mechanised Battalion Group was Killed in Action while providing a Ratel escort for the recovery team for a South West Africa Police Vehicle that had hit a mine in Northern Owamboland. He was the driver of the Ratel and after assisting the team to hitch up the vehicle, he walked back to his Ratel and stood on an anti-personnel mine as he was about to climb in. He was killed instantly in the explosion. He was 19.
02 April 1984: 72472459BT Gunner Alfred Lokington Tomes from 17 Field Regiment Died of Wounds after being critically wounded during a contact with the enemy forces in Southern Angola on 29 March 1984. He was evacuated to 1 Military Hospital in Pretoria where he sadly succumbed to his wounds on 2 April 1984. He was 27.
02 April 1987: 77881571SP Rifleman Domingos Cassela from 32 Battalion was Killed in Action in a contact with enemy forces near Evale in Southern Angola during Operation Kakebeen. He was 27.
02 April 1987: 81960460SWH Rifleman N. Ngombe from 102 Battalion SWATF was Killed in Action during a contact with SWAPO/PLAN insurgents in Southern Angola. He was 33.
02 April 1987: Two members from 2 SWA SPES, SWATF, were Killed in Action near Evale in Southern Angola while supporting Operation Kakebeen alongside 32 Battalion. While forming up in Company Formation in preparation to move out, the group were subjected to a hit-and-run attack on their rear position by a small group of heavily armed SWAPO/PLAN insurgents using rifle grenades and sustained AK-47 and RPD light machine-gun fire. Both members were killed alongside each other under a tree that was situated in the center of the formation. The casualties in this attack were:
76909068SP Corporal Fernando Andre (ex 32 Recce Wing). He was 26.
Rifleman Victor Gaiseb. He was 20.
02 April 1988: 79337200BG 2/Lieutenant Jacobus Hendrick Diedericks from 101 Battalion SWATF was Killed in Action in a landmine explosion during a contact with SWAPO/PLAN insurgents. He was 24.
02 April 1988: Two members from the South West Africa Police Counter-Insurgency Wing: Ops-K Division (Koevoet) were Killed in Action during a contact with SWAPO/PLAN insurgents in Northern Owamboland. They were:
Special Sergeant Kandjunga Tenaseu. He was 27.
Special Sergeant Usebiu Ndemwimba. He was 29.
02 April 1988: 87715297SP Rifleman D.N. Dala from 32 Battalion accidentally drowned at Buffalo. He was 35.
02 April 1989: 84328616BT Rifleman Marius van der Merwe from 32 Battalion was Reported Missing while on patrol near Buffalo when he went for a swim amongst the reeds and disappeared. It is thought that he was taken by a crocodile. He has no known grave and remains unaccounted for. He was 21.
02 April 1989: Heavy fighting continued to rage throughout Northern Owamboland as large groups of heavily armed SWAPO/PLAN insurgents numbering 150+ continued with mass infiltrations into the area from Southern Angola and were constantly being engaged by Koevoet elements in the field. The Koevoet Casspirs bore the brunt of the attacks in the face of fusillades of Soviet RPG-7 and Czech RPG-75 anti-tank rockets, Yugoslavian M60 Anti-Tank rifle grenades and M60P HEAP Pencil STRIM rifle grenades. The SWAPO/PLAN insurgents paid dearly for their efforts but the South West Africa Police Counter-Insurgency Wing: Ops-K Division (Koevoet) Combat Teams suffered another twelve members Killed in Action during these fierce contacts with many others being wounded. The casualties for this day were:
Special Warrant Officer Leonard Benjamin. He was 34
W400650T Sergeant Sarel Hercules van Tonder. He was 25.
Special Sergeant Daniel Teteiko. He was 25.
W403389E Constable Johannes Jacobus Badenhorst. He was 24.
W414579P Constable Leon Thorne. He was 21.
Special Constable Nambahu Abiatal. He was 27.
Special Constable Joseph Andreas. He was 29.
Special Constable Thomas Johannes. He was 26.
Special Constable Filippus Joseph. He was 24.
Special Constable Muyunga Kakonyi. He was 28.
Special Constable Fernendo Tyipoya. He was 25.
Special Constable Aktofel Silvanus. He was 26.
Their names and sacrifices will not be forgotten.