25 May, let us pause to remember these young men from our Generation who answered the Sunset call.
25 May 1952: MPO/114607 Major Daniel Petrus Wessels van Zyl from the South African Engineer Corps and Veteran of World War One (1914-1918) was boarded medically unfit in 1946 as a result of heart problems incurred while on active service. He was later admitted to 1 Military Hospital in Voortrekkerhoogte after suffering a heart attack from which he did not recover. He was 63.
25 May 1956: Three members from Central Flying School Dunnottar were killed when Harvard 7657 was involved in a mid-air collision near Dunnottar with Harvard 7645 while the aircraft were approaching the airfield to land. The casualties in this incident were:
Harvard 7657:
P17619 Lieutenant Johann Knapp Rautenbach. He was 21.
Air Mechanic Johann Baptiste Slabbert. He was 18.
Harvard 7645:
Air Mechanic Brian Patrick Kelly. He was 17.
25 May 1959: M15763 Seaman Ismar de Vos from SAS Saldanha was killed in a private motorcycle accident. He was 18.
25 May 1977: 65778532BV Sergeant William Henry Bernard Gildenhuys HC (P) from the Cape Town Highlanders was killed after suffering multiple shrapnel wounds while detached to Alpha Company, 1 Parachute Battalion for special duties. During an anti-insurgent patrol with 1 Parachute Battalion to the rear of the Cape Town Highlander's position north-east of Ondangwa where mining of vehicle tracks had become a common feature, he was killed during an extremely gallant attempt to save others when he saw the safety pin being accidentally extracted from a soldiers rifle-grenade after hooking on a thorn bush. He rushed forward, grabbed the rifle and tried to fire off the grenade to prevent injuries to the other soldiers in the patrol but the rifle grenade exploded before he could do this. Rifleman F.E. Eksteen, W.R. Hamber, R.J. Schonken and A.J. Rohlandt were all injured in the explosion. Sergeant Gildenhuys was posthumously awarded the Honoris Crux for his gallant action that ultimately cost him his life. He was 28.
25 May 1981: Special Warrant Officer Agustianus Chiwale 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 35.
25 May 1982: 78398914BG Rifleman Daniel de Klerk from 4 SAI was Killed in Action during a contact with SWAPO/PLAN insurgents. He was 19.
25 May 1982: 75563882PE Corporal Hennie Vivian Swiegelaar from Air Force Base Ysterplaat died from leukaemia in the Groote Schuur Hospital. He was 22.
25 May 1982: 77489201BG Private Wayne Peter Lourens from 86 Technical Stores Depot went for dental treatment in Bloemfontein. After receiving a dental injection, he had an allergic reaction and suddenly lapsed into a coma. He was rushed to 3 Military Hospital but he never regained consciousness. He was 21.
25 May 1982: Three members from 202 Battalion SWATF were Killed in Action during a contact with enemy Forces in Southern Angola. They were:
82901869SWK Rifleman G. Muronga. He was 24.
82911686SWK Rifleman A.H. Kudumo. He was 25.
78932084HK Rifleman L. Kudumo. He was 26.
25 May 1983: Special Sergeant Alberto Costa 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 25.
25 May 1984: 78571882BT Rifleman Craig Rudolph Olivier from the Durban Light Infantry died in 1 Military Hospital after being critically injured in a military vehicle accident. He was 22.
25 May 1985: 81009565BG Corporal Jan Hendrik Coetzee from the South West Africa Military School SWATF was killed in a private motor vehicle accident 11 km South of Okahanja. He was 20.
25 May 1987: Two members from 111 Battalion were killed in a military vehicle accident on the Carolina Road approximately 30 km from Amsterdam. They were:
86745999HF Rifleman Menzie Albert Moyo. He was 22
86745833HF Rifleman Passport Johannes Zulu. He was 21
25 May 1992: 90705881HL Lance Corporal Matheadiro Samson Mahlako from 21 Battalion was Killed in Action in Sebokeng when his foot patrol came under fire by persons unknown. He was 25.
25 May 1998: 71381222PE Warrant Officer Class II Paul Sydney Hourquebie from Air Force Base Bloemspruit died of disease in the Universitas Hospital. He was 42.
Their names and sacrifices will not be forgotten.