25 August, let us pause for a minute to remember these young men from our Generation who answered the Sunset call.
25 Aug 1966: Candidate Officer G.A.K. Howson from 41 Squadron was killed when his Cessna 185D, Serial No. 744 crashed near Krugersdorp while on a low level reconnaissance flight. He was 23.
25 Aug 1978: 75375980BG Rifleman Johannes Hendrik De Jager from 5 SAI was killed in a private motor vehicle accident 5km outside Ladysmith on the Colenso Road. He was 19.
25 Aug 1981: One member from 17 Squadron and one member from 87 Helicopter Flying School were Killed in Action when their Alouette III Helicopter Gunship, Serial No. 48 was shot down by enemy 14,5mm anti-aircraft fire about 500m from the target area while providing close-air support operations over Mongua in Southern Angola just prior to the launch of Ops Protea in Angola. The crew were:
73348260PM Lieutenant Johannes Gysbertus Roos (17 Squadron). He was 24.
75540740PE Sergeant Clifton Stacey (87 Helicopter Flying School). He was 21.
25 Aug 1981: 69333946PE Captain Louis Harmse from 1 SAI was Killed in Action during Ops Protea in Southern Angola while clearing enemy underground bunkers. He jumped down into an enemy trench, pulled the pin from a hand grenade and as he was about to toss the grenade into the bunker, a SWAPO/PLAN insurgent hiding inside bunker shot him in the chest. He dropped the grenade into the bunker and fell mortally wounded in the trench. He was 27.
25 Aug 1981: 77411569BG Lance Bombardier Hendrik Abraham Johannes Grobler from 4 Artillery Regiment was Killed in Action in Southern Angola during Ops Protea. During mopping up operations in the town of Xangongo, he and a few other troops were ordered to search and clear the houses around Fort Roçadas of any FAPLA troops. While in one of the rooms, he pulled a suitcase out from under a bed which was booby trapped and it exploded. Lionel Fleming was in the room with him and carried him into the passage where he died. Two others were wounded in the blast. He was 20.
25 Aug 1988: 84535194BG Trooper Owen Leon Wolfaardt from 1 Special Service Battalion was killed when his Eland armoured car overturned during an exercise at the General de Wet Training Area. He was 20.
25 Aug 1988: Special Constable Tsaanda Mbunguha from the South West Africa Police Counter-Insurgency Wing: Ops-K (Koevoet) was Killed in Action during a contact with SWAPO/PLAN insurgents in Northern Owamboland. He was 27.
25 Aug 1989: 85337756BG Signaler Andre’ Rousseau from 2 Signals Regiment died in the Klerksdorp Hospital from injuries received in a motor vehicle accident at Sannieshof. He was 20.
25 Aug 1991: 90704834HJ Rifleman Ambros Nijanyana Sekonjela from 21 Battalion was Killed in Action after being shot dead by persons unknown at Mandelaview while he was on foot patrol in Katlehong. He was 21.
Their names and sacrifice have not been forgotten.