23 April, let us pause to remember these young men from our Generation who answered the Sunset call.
23 April 1979: 78916272SP Rifleman Alfredo Manuel Tchicondo from the 32 Battalion Reconnaissance Wing was Reported Missing while part of a Patrol tasked to carry out a visual Reconnaissance close to Chana (Enhombe), situated about 15 to 20km's North of the Cut-line to determine the extent of SWAPO activity in the area & if possible, locate SWAPO Bases or facilities so that 32 Battalion Companies could launch attacks against them. The Team commenced their Recce late on the afternoon of 22 April 1979 and engaged a small group of SWAPO/PLAN insurgents en-route to infiltrate into South West Africa. Just after sunrise the following morning on 23 April 1979, the Team was engaged by a Detachment Strength Force of SWAPO/PLAN insurgents that had been sent out from the SWAPO Base at Enhombe to search for the 32 Battalion Reconnaissance Team following the engagement the previous evening. In the ensuing firefight that lasted from first light until late afternoon on 23 April 1979, Tchicondo was wounded by small arms fire but remained mobile. Unfortunately, when the Patrol was withdrawing from the area, he was hit in the chest at virtually point-blank range by a Soviet RPG-7 Anti-Tank Rocket that killed him instantly. Due to the intense enemy fire, his fellow Team Members were unable to recover the body. He has no known grave and remains unaccounted for. He was 26.
Radio intercepts of enemy communications later indicated that between 18 and 21 members of the SWAPO/PLAN insurgent force had been killed during the contact.
23 April 1982: 76900182SP Rifleman Noe Vasco from 32 Battalion was killed when he was accidentally knocked down and driven over by a military vehicle at Buffalo Base. He was 32.
23 April 1984: 82902693SWK Rifleman Johannes Kankara from 202 Battalion SWATF was Killed in Action during a contact with SWAPO/PLAN insurgents in Northern Owamboland. He was 22.
23 April 1984: 80413156BG Rifleman Nico Adriaan Lombaard from 1 Parachute Battalion was killed in a private motor vehicle accident in Johannesburg while on a weekend pass. He was 19.
23 April 1987: 87081790CK Rifleman Kobus Christopher Du Preez from the South African Cape Corps was killed in a Military Vehicle Accident on the Ben Rossouw Highway at Kuilsriver. He was 18.
23 April 1988: Four members of 102 Battalion SWATF were Killed in Action in Southern Angola, South West of Techipa when their Romeo Mike Teams were ambushed by a superior force of SWAPO/PLAN and FAPLA troops. The bodies of three of them could not be immediately recovered as the Teams were forced to withdraw when Cuban reinforcements arrived on the scene. The Romeo Mike Teams moved southwards followed by the Cuban Force and were only able to evacuate the wounded team members at 01h00 the following morning. On 1 May 1988, another operation was launched into the initial contact area in an effort to recover the bodies of the three casualties and as expected, contact was again made with the enemy force. In the fierce fire-fight that followed, 22 enemy troops including the Cuban commander were killed and a large quantity of weapons and equipment were captured before the enemy force withdrew. The bodies of the three missing men were located and successfully recovered. The casualties were:
83885749SWH Lance Corporal I. Handura. He was 23
83885574SWH Rifleman K. Kapulke. He was 19.
81955254SWH Rifleman U. Mbinge. He was 20
Rifleman K. Uatakamisa. He was 21
23 April 1988: 78392271BT Corporal Carl Sachse from 13 Field Engineer Regiment was killed when he accidentally detonated a South African R2M2 anti-personnel mine during the laying of the minefield in front of the Tumpo Triangle, south of the Tumpo River, across the Anhara Lipanda. At the time of the incident, he was carrying a satchel containing a small quantity of extra mines and unfortunately, these mines also detonated from the shock wave over-pressure caused by the initial explosion, killing him instantly. He was 26.
23 April 1991: 86727914HS Corporal Motwale George Monareng from 115 Battalion died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head near Shoshanguve Cemetery. He had apparently shot and killed his wife earlier in the day. He was 26.
23 April 2009: 67465401BV Lieutenant Colonel Dudley Vernon Rawstorne SM; MMM; JCD, a member of the Reserve Force and Adjutant at 1 Medical Battalion Group, sadly lost a valiant ill health battle and died from hemorrhaging and multiple organ failure as a result of a brain aneurysm that he had suffered 2 years earlier. He was 57.
Their names and sacrifices will not be forgotten.