26 November, let us pause to remember these young men from our Generation who answered the Sunset call.
26 Nov 1969: 01238361E Major Johannes Petrus Britz LWD (P) from 1 Squadron SAAF was killed instantly near Pietersburg, when his Canadair CL13B Sabre Mk VI, Serial Number 368 suffered catastrophic engine failure and caught fire while he was carrying out bombing practice exercises at the Roodewal Bombing Range. He remained with the aircraft, guiding it away from dwellings but ejected too late and struck the ground before his parachute had properly deployed. He was 29.
26 Nov 1973: 70299235N Rifleman Leon Holscher from 2 SAI was Reported Missing after being attacked by a crocodile while he was swimming in the Cunene River. He has no known grave and remains unaccounted for. He was 19. He was the eighth SADF soldier to Die on Service in the Bush War.
26 Nov 1975: Two members from 2 Parachute Battalion were accidentally killed as a result of being dragged under canopy by high winds after landing during a parachute training exercise at the General de Wet Training Area. The casualties were:
65361446BT Sergeant Dirk Johannes Human. He was 28.
68276666BT Rifleman Alan Taylor Bate. He was 23.
26 Nov 1977: Two members from 11 Commando Regiment “A” Company, 1st Platoon, Section 3, Died of Wounds when their Buffel Troop Carrier detonated a boosted Yugoslavian TMA-3 Cheese Mine on Oom Willie se Pad. The vehicle was flipped over by the explosion and the two members, who were not strapped in, were thrown out of the vehicle and then crushed when the vehicle landed on top of them. They both succumbed to their injuries shortly after the incident. The casualties were:
74764077BA Corporal Mark Anthony Wilcox. He was 20.
74232281BG Rifleman Daniel Louis Buys. He was 19.
26 Nov 1978: 76277847BG Signaler Hendrik Lambertus Johann Brown from the Army Gymnasium was killed in a private motor vehicle accident between Trichardt and Bethal while on a weekend pass. He was 22.
26 Nov 1979: 76434091BG Trooper Louis Petrus Badenhorst from 1 Special Service Battalion was killed in a private motor vehicle accident near Warden while on weekend pass. He was 19.
26 Nov 1980: 07251804PE Sergeant Andrew Hutchinson Jacobus MacDonald from the Technical Service Corps attached to 72 Motorised Brigade was on convoy duties, transporting equipment from South Africa to South West Africa when he suffered a fatal heart attack in the Walter Hotel at De Aar during an overnight stop. He was 42.
26 Nov 1982: 76306315BG Private Jannie Louw from 61 Base Workshops was accidentally killed when he was crushed between a military vehicle and a guard tower in Centurion, Pretoria. He was 22.
26 Nov 1985: A civilian farm worker, Edward Meluba, was killed near Messina when he detonated a landmine laid by MK Operatives as part of Ops Cetswayo on one of the farm roads. He was 35. The SADF vehicle that went to investigate the scene also detonated a landmine, injuring four SADF soldiers.
Their names and sacrifices will not be forgotten.