26 October, let us pause to remember these young men from our Generation who answered the Sunset call.
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 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 1983: 81300436BG Airman Wernich Haupt from 250 Air Defence Artillery Group, South African Air Force suffered critical head injuries when he accidentally fell off the back of a moving Land Rover. He died from his injuries in 1 Military Hospital later the same day. He was 18.
26 Oct 1985: 85072270CK Rifleman David Bowers from the South African Cape Corps was killed when he was struck by a bullet resulting from an accidental discharge of a fellow soldier’s rifle at the Touwsrivier Training Area. He was 20.
26 Oct 1987: 83069799BW Private Charles Matthew Dirkse from 5 Maintenance Unit died in Oshakati Hospital from heart failure resulting from a blood clot on the lung. He was 29.
26 Oct 1990: 81324592BT Private Dirk Cornelius Pieterse from 31 Field Workshop Squadron died in 1 Military Hospital after being critically injured in a military vehicle accident 35 km from Vryburg. He was 25.
Their names and Sacrifice have not been forgotten.