21 November, let us pause to remember these young men from our Generation who answered the Sunset call.
21 Nov 1968: 6630505N Trooper Brian Wesley Dyer from 1 Special Service Battalion was accidentally killed when his Eland 60 Armoured Car, Callsign VA-60, overturned on the single bend in the road between M’pacha and Katima Mulilo. In 1971, an engraved white stone was unveiled by the Officer Commanding of 1 Special Service Battalion, Commandant W.C. Meyer in his memory. He was 17. He was the first SADF soldier to die on service in the Bush War.
21 Nov 1977: 74556101BT Rifleman Lionel Melvin Reynolds from 1 SAI was killed in a private motor vehicle accident between Smithfield and Reddersburg. He was 19.
21 Nov 1980: 79830287SP Rifleman Armando Eduardo from 32 Battalion was Killed in Action during a contact with enemy forces in Southern Angola. He was 32.
21 Nov 1981: 79271011BG Trooper Marthinus Christoffel Botha from 1 Special Service Battalion was accidentally killed in a freak accident while on manoeuvres at the Army Battle School. The crewmen were camped next to their armoured car that was awaiting repair. A thunderstorm came up and lighting struck the armoured car. Botha was critically injured and died a few minutes later. The other four other crew members were injured in the same incident but they all survived. He was 18.
21 Nov 1984: Three members from 202 Battalion SWATF were killed when their Buffel Troop Carrier overturned in the Operational Area. The casualties were:
82830555SCC Trooper W.A. Basson. He was 19.
82845629SCB Trooper H. Diergaardt. He was 20.
82845123SCB Trooper C. McNab. He was 20.
21 Nov 1984: 80400898BG 2/Lieutenant Gustav Brink from 1 Special Service Battalion was accidentally killed during the night in Owamboland when his armoured car drove into a water-well at dusk and overturned. He was crushed under the vehicle and died instantly. He was 20.
21 Nov 1986: 77875029KV Rifleman Nicolaas Carel Martinus Bronkhorst from the Ermelo Commando collapsed and died after suffering a fatal heart attack while participating in an official live shooting exercise at the Amsterdam shooting range. He was 39.
21 Nov 1994: 08358855KV Warrant Officer Class I Michael Laue from the Umvoti Commando was murdered after being shot five times by a fellow soldier during an argument about rations. He was 49.
21 Nov 1998: 92677764 Gunner M.M. Mabele from 4 Artillery Regiment died of disease in the Orkney Hospital. He was 37.
21 Nov 1998: 94841319 Rifleman M.L. Zweni from 21 Battalion was found dead at Botshabelo with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. It appears that he had first shot his girlfriend before turning the gun on himself. He was 25.
Their names and sacrifices will not be forgotten.