29 December, let us pause to remember these young men from our Generation who answered the Sunset call.
29 Dec 1981: 74290719BT Rifleman James Clark Cromhout from 2 Parachute Battalion and Veteran of the Battle of Cassinga during Ops Reindeer in 1978, Died of Wounds received during a protracted attack on the town of Evale in Southern Angola during Operation Vlinder. Evale had been reinforced by a large contingent of FAPLA and Cuban troops together with their Soviet and East German Advisors. The small group of Parabats (5 sticks / 48 men) were heavily outnumbered and also outgunned by a numerically superior, dug-in enemy force with heavy weapons (82mm mortars, 14.5mm and Soviet 23mm ZU-23 Anti-Aircraft guns that were being used in the ground role. It was during this attack that James Cromhout was wounded by 82mm mortar bomb shrapnel and was subsequently evacuated by an Alouette III Helicopter Gunship flown by Lieutenant Serge Bovey. Unfortunately, the Helicopter was hit by enemy small-arms fire and was forced to crash-land. The Helicopter Crew were uninjured but they saw that the casualty showed no signs of life and due to heavy concentrated enemy fire, they were forced to abandon the casualty and escape and evade. Cromhout’s body, still trapped in the wreckage, was later extracted from the wrecked helicopter by Sergeant Martin McPhail from 3 Para with the assistance of some members of 2 Para. While waiting for assistance, his position at the crash site was attacked by five FAPLA soldiers but he successfully took out all five. After the body was recovered, Sergeant McPhail removed the working parts from the Alouette 20mm Cannon and then burnt out the helicopter wreck with a white phosphorus hand grenade. Cromhout's body was then carried out of the battle area by his comrades. He was 23.
A second Alouette III Helicopter Gunship flown by Captain Arthur Walker then landed nearby to search for the Helicopter crew despite intense enemy fire but he was warned to take-off by Sergeant McPhail who told him that the other crew had already vacated the area. Both crew members of the stricken Helicopter were able to successfully evade capture and were later, spotted by Captain Arthur Walker who landed despite heavy enemy fire, picked both of them up and returned safely to base. This was the action where Captain (Later Major) Arthur Walker received a Bar to his Honoris Crux Gold (HCG) making him the only South African Serviceman to ever receive the HCG twice. Radio Communication intercepts later confirmed that the enemy had lost 66 men killed in action in the town itself but did not include all the SWAPO/PLAN insurgents who had been engaged and killed by the Parabat Force while on their way into the town. Although Sergeant Martin McPhail was cited for bravery for his actions, his Citation was not approved by Higher Authority.
29 Dec 1983: 80621758CK Rifleman Jacobus Johannes Adonis from the South African Cape Corps was Killed in Action in Northern Owamboland during a contact with SWAPO/PLAN insurgents. He was 20.
29 Dec 1983: 78339426PE Corporal Sarel Johannes Reynders from 3 Squadron was killed in a private motorcycle accident in Pretoria. He was 21.
29 Dec 1983: 79400768BG Private Johan Coghill from the South African Medical Corps was killed in a military motorcycle accident at De Doorns. He was 20.
29 Dec 1991: 86475423BT Rifleman Adrian Edwin Cooper from Regiment Springs was found hanged with a rope weighted by a sandbag at Pinksterhoek Base while doing a 2-month compulsory camp. No foul pay was suspected. He was 21.
29 Dec 1992: 91659672AR Rifleman Abraham Mohlolo Khoathela from 44 Parachute Regiment was killed in a military vehicle accident at the Soweto off-ramp while traveling on the Potchefstroom Road. He was 24.
Their names and sacrifices will not be forgotten.