20 August, let us pause for a minute to remember the following young men from our Generation who answered the Sunset call.
20 Aug 1975: 65415408BT Trooper Leon William Bessinger from the Prince Alfred’s Guard was killed in a military vehicle accident near Peddie in the Eastern Cape. He was 26.
20 Aug 1975: 726606 Lance Corporal Herman Gustav Pfeil from 3 Commando, 1st Battalion Rhodesian Light Infantry was Killed in Action during Operation Hurricane after suffering multiple gunshot wounds during a contact with insurgents near Pachanza Keep, Karuyana, Mount Darwin. He was 20.
20 Aug 1977: Two members from 40 Squadron were killed when their AT-6 Harvard, Serial No. 7412, while carrying out a routine general flying sortie. The aircraft went into a spin from which the pilot was unable to recover and the aircraft crashed near Delmas. The casualties were:
08458846BV Captain Keith Neil Smith. He was 27.
69533016BT 2/Lieutenant Paul Christopher Sarbutt. He was 24.
20 Aug 1978: 75308270BG Private Jacobus Johannes Etienne Bothma from the Defence Headquarters Personnel Unit died from a gunshot wound to the neck, accidentally sustained in a shooting incident while he was on duty in Pretoria. He was rushed to 1 Military Hospital but succumbed to his injuries the same day. He was 19.
20 Aug 1988: 78533320BT Lance Corporal Brian Albert Hoy from Regiment Noord Transvaal was accidentally killed after being crushed in the Commanders turret when his Ratel overturned approximately 40 km South of Ruacana. He was 26.
Their names and sacrifice have not been forgotten.