26 October, let us pause to remember these young men from our Generation who answered the Sunset call.
26 Oct 1968: 65720187N Able Seaman Johannes George Christiaan Small from SAS Kimberley was accidentally killed while on board the ship when a battery case exploded, killing him instantly. He was 18.
26 Oct 1973: 70409073N Signaler Petrus Johannes Pienaar from 2 Signal Regiment collapsed and died from heat exhaustion while undergoing Basic Training. He was 18.
26 Oct 1977: Two members of Regiment De Wet were killed instantly when they accidentally detonated a South African manufactured Claymore Directional Fragmentation Anti-Personnel Mine near Elundu. The casualties were:
66381237BT Rifleman Antonie Michael Jacobz. He was 27.
71442438BT Rifleman Lodewicus Johannes Oberholzer. He was 22.
26 Oct 1985: 85072270CK Rifleman David Bowers from the 1st Battalion South African Cape Corps was accidentally killed after being was struck in the head by a bullet resulting from an accidental discharge of a fellow soldier’s rifle during musketry training at the Touwsrivier Training Area. He was 20.
26 Oct 1985: 78910742SP Lance Corporal Paulo Muido from 32 Battalion accidentally drowned while swimming at Buffalo Base. He was 34.
26 Oct 1987: 83069799BW Private Charles Matthew Dirkse from 5 Maintenance Unit died of heart failure in Oshakati Hospital as a result of a blood clot on the lung. He was 29.
26 Oct 1990: 81324592BT Private Dirk Cornelius Pieterse from 31 Field Workshop Squadron sustained severe neck injuries in a military vehicle accident on 17 October 1990 when one of the vehicle tyres suffered a blowout, causing the vehicle to overturn 35 km from Vryburg. He was airlifted to 1 Military Hospital in Pretoria where he sadly succumbed to his injuries in 26 October 1990. He was 25.
26 Oct 1997: Sergeant Colin James Dodd from 7 Medical Battalion Group was accidentally killed by a Hippo while busy with high-altitude parachute training at Hells Gate near St Lucia. When he was driving back to base after an exercise, the vehicle broke down so he ran back to the Base to get assistance. Unfortunately, he accidentally encountered a Hippo with her calf and was immediately attacked by the animal and killed. He was 24.
26 Oct 2000: 92690403PF Rifleman Ephraim Conright Mabaso from 7 SAI was killed while travelling as a passenger in a military vehicle that overturned at Lydenburg. He was 32.
Their names and sacrifices have not been forgotten.