25 March, let us pause to remember these young men and woman from our Generation who answered the Sunset call.
25 Mar 1961: P1/42722 Lieutenant Christopher Patrick Turvey from 40 Squadron was killed when his Harvard 7460 collided with a radio mast while he was carrying out unauthorised low level aerobatics and crashed 1 mile South East of Natalspruit. He was 41.
25 Mar 1966: 01488493R Lieutenant Francois Theron Mentz from Central Flying School Dunnottar was killed when his AT-6 Harvard, Serial No. 7724 crashed after flying into rising ground during a low level navigation exercise near Middelburg. He was 22.
25 Mar 1976: 68278852BT Trooper Reginald Edward Smith from the Natal Mounted Rifles was killed in Northern Owamboland after suffering a gunshot wound due to an accidental discharge of a fellow soldier’s rifle. He was 23.
25 Mar 1976: 70304316BT Lance Corporal Willem Christoffel Swanepoel from 2 Parachute Battalion was Killed in Action, Lieutenant Grant was wounded in the leg and two SWAPO/PLAN insurgents were killed when their 11-man Patrol was ambushed by a large group of SWAPO/PLAN insurgents near Oshikango just before last light. The Patrol had been tracking this insurgent group for two days prior to the ambush. Lance Corporal Swanepoel was the first member of 2 Parachute Battalion to die during the Bush War. He was 21.
25 Mar 1977: 75397075BG Gunner Rholot Roderick Venter from 10 Anti-Aircraft Regiment collapsed at Youngsfield Military Base and died after suffering heart failure while en-route to hospital. He was 18.
25 Mar 1977: Five members from Regiment Westelike Provinsie were killed and 71 injured when a goods train loaded with iron ore, collided with their stationary troop train at the Keetmanshoop Railway Station. The Casualties were:
70310743BT Rifleman Gary Arthur Bricknell. He was 22.
65764292BT Rifleman Petrus Johannes Jacobus Holtzhausen. He was 27,
66338310BT Rifleman Wilhelm Hugo. He was 26.
66338328BT Rifleman Hermanus Johannes Uys. He was 25.
68438340BT Rifleman Paul Kady Donavan van Zyl. He was 24.
25 Mar 1977: 75397075 Gunner Rholot Roderick Venter from 10 Anti-Aircraft Regiment collapsed at the Youngsfield Military Base and died from heart failure while en-route to hospital. He was 18.
25 Mar 1978: Rifleman R. Desenga from 201 Battalion SWATF was accidentally shot dead by a fellow soldier in Northern Owamboland. He was 20.
25 Mar 1980: Two members from 42 Squadron were killed when their AM-3C Bosbok, Serial No. 923 crashed near Potchefstroom while flying at very low level. The casualties were:
75452961PE Lieutenant Edwin Johannes le Roux. He was 20.
73387391PK Lieutenant Pieter Frederick Smit. He was 22.
25 Mar 1980: Two crew members from 44 Squadron including a SAAF female Personnel Officer (passenger) were killed when their C-47 Dakota, Serial No. 6851, based at Air Force Base Grootfontein, crashed between Tsumeb and Grootfontein while carrying out unauthorised low level flight manoeuvres. It appears that during the flight, the aircraft executed a steep turn causing the aircraft to stall from which the Pilot was unable to recover due to insufficient height. The casualties were:
74369828PM Lieutenant Johan Heinrich Leeuw. He was 22.
74307778PE Lieutenant Cornelis Johannes Wessels. He was 21.
76011261PE Candidate Officer (Miss) Elna Susan Swart, the Personnel Officer detached for duty to Air Force Base Grootfontein. She was 23.
25 Mar 1982: Two members from Witwatersrand Command Headquarters were killed in a Military Vehicle Accident in Houghton, Johannesburg. They were:
78358314BG Rifleman Johannes Theodorus Lombard. He was 21.
78261146BG Rifleman Ivan John van Heerden. He was 20.
25 Mar 1983: W82315K Sergeant James André Nell from the South West Africa Police Counter-Insurgency Wing: Ops K Division (Koevoet) was Killed in Action during a contact with SWAPO/PLAN insurgents in Northern Owamboland. He was 24.
25 Mar 1985: 79448395BG Rifleman Colin Graham Dockerill from 6 SAI, detached to the Equestrian Centre, was accidentally killed in Northern Owamboland while returning from a waterhole when he fell off his galloping horse and hit a tree trunk, breaking his neck. He was 21.
25 Mar 1988: 83067686BW Rifleman Nicolaas Jacobus Vermeulen from 54 Battalion was Killed in Action during a contact with enemy forces in Southern Angola. He was 23.
25 Mar 1988: Rifleman Simon Haindula from 101 Battalion SWATF was Killed in Action during a contact with enemy forces in Southern Angola. He was 22.
25 March 1988: Three members from 911 Battalion SWATF were killed in a private motor vehicle accident 16 km south of Windhoek while on official leave. The casualties were:
80550056PE Lieutenant Jacob Daniel De Bruin. He was 23.
81232662PE Lieutenant Anton Du Plooy. He was 23.
85568848PE Lieutenant Pierre Andre Janse Van Rensburg. He was 23
25 Mar 1994: 91570218BG Rifleman Johannes Fredrik Janse Van Rensburg from Far North Command Headquarters was on an official evening pass when he was killed when his private motor vehicle was involved in a collision with an oncoming vehicle at an intersection in Pietersburg. He was 19.
25 Mar 1994: 87727293PE Lance Corporal Phiti Joel Mokgolo from 7 SAI was killed in a motor vehicle accident near Rustenburg. He was 27.
25 Mar 1997: 94678810PV Private Mduduzi Simon Vilakazi from Infantry School was killed when the military vehicle in which he was traveling as a passenger, overturned on the Brandwag to Oudtshoorn Road. He was 24.
25 Mar 1998: 96068333 Private T R Mchunu from the 21 Battalion died of disease in the King George Hospital. He was 27.
Their names and sacrifices will not be forgotten.