On 25 June, let us pause to remember these young men from our Generation who answered the Sunset call.
25 Jun 1940: P4676 Lance Corporal Martinus Wessel Koekemoer from the “Q” Service Corps, attached to 1 Special Service Battalion died in the Pretoria General Hospital. He was suffering from a cerebral tumor. He was 26.
25 Jun 1960: P/16448 Corporal Petrus Cornelius van der Merwe of the South African Air Force was killed when his Defence Flying Club Piper Cub crashed and burnt out near Pretoria while on a routine general flying training flight. He was 24.
25 Jun 1960: Major Francis Henry Robinson from Central Flying School Dunnottar collapsed and died after suffering a fatal heart attack. He was 39.
25 Jun 1972: 68270164N Rifleman Arno Roesstorff from D-Company 1 SAI was accidentally shot dead by a Guard during the night at M'pacha after he failed to identify himself during the changing of the guard. Arno was the fourth SADF soldier to Die on Service in the Bush War. He was 19.
25 Jun 1979: 75546853BG Gunner Jeffrey James Mitchell from 4 Artillery Regiment died in 1 Military Hospital after suffering extensive burns accidentally sustained on 30 March 1979 in a fuel tank explosion at the Regiment in Potchefstroom. He was 20.
25 Jun 1980: Two Members from Central Flying School Dunnottar were killed when their AT-6 Harvard, Serial No.7357 crashed 1 mile North of Dunnottar shortly after take-off for a simulated instrument flying training sortie. The Board of Enquiry established that the prop bearing had seized while the aircraft was still only 150m off the ground and the engine torque had flicked the aircraft over causing it to crash into the ground in an inverted position. The crew were:
74292442PK Lieutenant Donald Gordon Stanbury. He was 22.
77566007PE Candidate Officer Lloyd Douglas Liebenberg. He was 19.
25 Jun 1981: 72300676BT Corporal Johan Cornelius Du Toit from Regiment Langenhoven, attached to 52 Battalion was Killed in Action when he triggered a Soviet POMZ-2 Anti-Personnel Picket Mine 20 km north of Mahanene in Southern Angola while following the spoor of a group of SWAPO/PLAN insurgents. He was 24.
25 Jun 1981: 71010005PE Staff Sergeant Willem Marthinus Roothman from the South African Corps of Military Police was killed in a military vehicle accident in Oudtshoorn while on a call-out to investigate an incident. He was 41.
25 Jun 1981: 75563106BT Signaler Dirk Jacobus Venter from 84 Signals Unit was accidentally killed in the Oshivello Training Wing sleeping quarters as a result of an accidental discharge of a fellow soldiers rifle. He was 22.
25 Jun 1982: Two members from 32 Battalion were accidentally shot dead by own forces in a friendly fire incident with a 1 Parachute Battalion patrol near Evale in Southern Angola during Operation Groenslang. They were:
77529360PF Sergeant James Conroy. He was 20.
78910668SP Rifleman Antonio Pedro Manuel. He was 32.
25 Jun 1983: 78470515PE Able Seaman (Marine) George Edward Wellington Ford from the South African Marine Corps was killed when his Samil truck overturned just outside Katima Mulilo. He was 20.
25 Jun 1983: 73562142BT Rfn Marthinus Heymans Geldenhuys from 3 Parachute Battalion was killed in a Private Motor Vehicle Accident at Bronkhorstspruit. He had just completed a 3-month Operational Tour of Duty on the Border and was returning home. He was 26.
25 Jun 1993: 90242405BG Rifleman Corné Pick from 44 Parachute Brigade was accidentally killed after being struck by a private vehicle near the Grasmere Toll Plaza while hitch-hiking home on a weekend pass. He was 18.
25 Jun 1998: 90716705 Rifleman V E Mncwabe from the 21 Battalion was killed in a military motor vehicle accident at Underberg. He was 23.
Their names and sacrifices will not be forgotten.