On 25 July, let us pause to remember these young men from our Generation who answered the Final Roll Call.
25 Jul 1949: 643529 Private Noah Sentle from the Essential Services Protection Corps died of pneumonia while en-route to 1 Military Hospital in Pretoria. He was 45.
25 Jul 1950: P/11355 Lance Corporal Edward Grubb from Administrative Services Corps attached to 4 Vehicle Reserve Park died of toxaemia while in a diabetic coma in 1 Military Hospital in Pretoria. He was 28.
25 Jul 1977: 75343210BA Signaler Gerhardus Cornelius van Rooyen from the Army Gymnasium was killed in a private motor vehicle accident while on a 7-day pass. He was 17.
25 Jul 1982: 82722992D Rifleman M.J.J. Mahlio from 113 Battalion died from a gunshot wound accidentally sustained while stationed at Phalaborwa. He was 26.
25 Jul 1983: Special Sergeant Leonard Mattheus from the South West Africa Police Counter-Insurgency Wing: Ops-K Division (Koevoet) was the Driver of Koevoet Casspir Zulu Foxtrot 2. He was Killed in Action when the vehicle drivers compartment was hit by a Soviet RPG-7 Anti-Tank Rocket after the vehicle ran into a SWAPO/PLAN ambush just North of Okatope. He was 26.
25 Jul 1983: Eleven Civilian members of the St. James Church Parish, a congregation of the Church of England in the Cape Town suburb of Kenilworth were killed when the Church was attacked during the Sunday evening church service by four APLA Operatives, Sichumiso Nonxuba, Basie Mkhumbuzi, Gcinikhaya Makoma and Tobela Mlambisa. They arrived at the church in a vehicle that had been stolen by Mlambisa and Makoma and together with Nonxuba, who commanded the unit and Makoma and Mkhumbuzi, they entered the church armed with hand grenades and assault rifles.
They threw the grenades and then opened fire on the congregation, killing 11 and wounding 58. One member of the congregation, Charl van Wyk, returned fire with a .38 Special Revolver and wounded one of the attackers. At this point the APLA Operatives fled the church. Mkhumbuzi had been ordered to throw four petrol bombs into the church following the shooting but had abandoned this intention as all four fled in the vehicle.
Approximately 1000 congregants were inside the church at the time. Four of the dead were Russian Merchant Seamen attending the service as part of a church outreach programme. Another Merchant Seaman lost both legs and an arm in the attack.
The one of the APLA attackers, Gcinikhaya Makoma was arrested ten days later and was convicted of 11 murders and sentenced to 23 years in prison. The other three APLA attackers, Sichumiso Nonxuba, Thobela Mlambisa and Basie Mkhumbuzi were later arrested and charged in 1996. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission granted amnesty to all four APLA Operatives. Sichumiso Nonxuba was later killed in a motor vehicle accident while still on bail before the TRC process was concluded.
The Eleven Casualties were:
Guy Cooper Javens
Richard Oliver O’Kill
Gerhard Dennis Harker
Wesley Alfonso Harker
Denise Gordon
Mirtle Joan Smith
Marita Ackermann
Andrey Katyl
Oleg Karamjin
Valentin Varaksa
Pavel Valuet
25 Jul 1986: 67412759PE Flight Sergeant Hendrik Andries Prinsloo Engelbrecht from Air Force Base Rooikop was critically injured on 22 July 1986 when he accidentally fell off the backing of a moving Landrover while returning to AFB Rooikop from Swakopmund. He succumbed to his injuries in Walvis Bay on 25 July 1986. He was 35.
25 Jul 1987: 83366047BG Private Cornelius Johannes Kriel from 93 Ammunition Depot was killed in a Military Vehicle Accident at Jan Kempdorp. He was 21
25 Jul 1988: 85572196BG Rifleman Roelof van Aswegen from Infantry School was killed in a private motor vehicle accident near Curries Post while on leave pass. He was 18.
25 Jul 1994: 87246371PE Rifleman Domingos José from the Army Battle School Headquarters Company was killed in a military vehicle accident when the mini-bus in which he was travelling as a passenger, overturned near Kimberley. He was 34.
25 Jul 1995: 94656428PE Captain Kabelo Clement Mokhoele from 15 Squadron was killed when a BK-117 Helicopter crashed into a Dam in Zimbabwe. He was 24.
Their names and sacrifices will not be forgotten