27 May, let us pause to remember these young men from our Generation who answered the Sunset call.
27 May 1950: 2/Lieutenant Noel Coswald Brown from 35 Squadron was killed when his AT-6 Harvard 7058 crashed at Umhlali near Durban while he was carrying out low level aerobatics. He was 21.
27 May 1966: 01216233E Major John Duthie from Northern Transvaal Command died as a result of cancer in the bladder. He was 45.
27 May 1969: Two members of 28 Squadron were killed instantly when their private motorcycle crashed on the notorious “Death Bend” in Johannesburg. They were:
05518691 Air Sergeant Terence McKelvin. He was 24. (Driver)
65421315 Air Mechanic Anthony Edward Dwyer. He was 20. (Pillion Passenger)
27 May 1981: 75536508BG Rifleman Terence Rodney le Roux from 5 SAI was Killed in Action while on patrol from Etale base close to the Charlie pipeline. The 7-man patrol was following spoor when they were ambushed by a numerically superior force of approximately 70 SWAPO/PLAN insurgents who opened fire on them with PKM and RPD machine-guns as well as 60mm mortars and RPG-7 Rocket launchers. Le Roux suffered two bullet wounds to the chest and one to the head that killed him instantly. He was 22.
27 May 1988: 80514102BG Lance Corporal Lawrence Saxe from the Army Catering Corps was killed in a private motor vehicle accident while on official duty. He was 24.
27 May 1990: 84247196BG Signaler Alan Vernon Campbell from 2 Signal Regiment was killed in a military vehicle accident on the Pietersburg Highway. He was 21.
27 May 1996: 94766870PE Captain Mbutho MacMillan Ntlakana from 4 Reconnaissance Regiment accidentally drowned while doing swim/landing training at 16 Mile Beach, Langebaan. He was 29.
27 May 1998: 90704347 Corporal T B Moteng from the South African Army died of disease at Ennerdale. He was 36.
Their names and sacrifices will not be forgotten.