29 October, let us pause to remember these young men from our Generation who answered the Sunset call.
29 Oct 1962: Three members from Central Flying School Dunnottar were killed when an AT-6 Harvard, Serial No 7717 that was executing a spin recovery in the General Flying area, was involved in a mid-air collision with another AT-6 Harvard, Serial No 7677 that was flying as part of a three-ship formation in the same area. Both aircraft crashed out of control near Dunnottar. The casualties were:
Harvard 7717: T/6122961 Air Mechanic (Pilot Under Training) Hendrik Jacobus Burger was killed instantly in the initial collision. He was 18.
(His Instructor, Lieutenant M.C.H. Copeland managed to successfully bale out of the stricken aircraft and landed safely by parachute)
Harvard 7677: M/9367 Air Mechanic (Pilot Under Training) Jakobus Schabort Bischoff. He was 22.
P/20960 Lieutenant (Instructor) Jan Jacob Christiaan van Zyl. He was 24.
29 Oct 1968: 05572722PE 2/Lieutenant Charles Frederick Du Toit from 1 Squadron was killed when his Canadair C13L Sabre, Serial No 366 flew into rising ground near Bandelierkop while on a routine low level navigation training flight from Air Force Base Pietersburg. He was 21.
29 Oct 1975: Four members from the SADF, one pilot and three passengers, were killed when their UNITA supplied Beechcraft Baron known as "Dinky Toy", crashed 6 km north of Norton de Matos in Central Angola while carrying out aerial observations for Battle Group Foxbat in the Silva Porta area during Operation Savannah. The aircraft had been checked out by SAAF Technical Ground Personnel at Rundu prior to the flight and found to be fully serviceable. The SADF investigation team was unable to determine the exact cause of the crash. The four casualties were:
01488550PE Major Pieter Benjamin Uys (Pilot) (17 Squadron). He was 34.
01217066PE Colonel Desmond Brian Harmse (101 Task Force). He was 46.
01211440PE Major Nicholas Jacobus Visser (1 Reconnaissance Regiment). He was 37.
72324213N Corporal Neville Roland Beechey (1 Special Service Battalion). He was 19.
(NOTE: Colonel Harmse and Corporal Beechey were being utilised as liaison officers because they could both speak fluent Portuguese. The son of Colonel Harmse, Captain Louis Harmse from 1 SAI was later Killed in Action on 25 August 1981 in Southern Angola during Ops Protea.
29 Oct 1977: 73428252BF Lance Corporal Pieter Linde Geldenhuys from the School of Armour was killed in a private motorcycle accident in Somerset West while travelling as a passenger when the motorcycle collided with a civilian motor vehicle. He was 20.
29 Oct 1977: 70398011KT Rifleman Johannes Ferdinand Baum from the East Park Commando accidentally drowned while swimming in the Chobe River near Mpalela Island, Eastern Caprivi Strip. On 31 October 1977, his body was later found on the Botswana side of the river and recovered. He was 23.
29 Oct 1977: 75528117BG Trooper Ruben van Niekerk from 1 Special Service Battalion was killed in a military vehicle accident while serving in Northern Owamboland. He was 18.
29 Oct 1984: Rifleman J. Paulus from 101 Battalion SWATF was Killed in Action during a contact with SWAPO/PLAN insurgents near the Cut-Line. He was 23.
29 Oct 1987: 82470287BG Private Erwin Benade from the Headquarters Unit Logistics Base in Grootfontein was found dead with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head using a 9mm pistol. He was 21.
29 Oct 1991: 85961217BW Rifleman Cilliam Colin Pietersen from the Cape Regiment was killed in a military vehicle accident near Ndwebwe. He was 27.
29 Oct 1992: 71152338HW Pioneer Jacob Johannes Smit was employed at the South African Women's Army College in George. He fell ill fell ill at work after suffering a brain haemorrhage and was rushed to the Lampbrecht Clinic in George where he underwent an emergency operation but unfortunately died during surgery. He was 65.
29 Oct 1998: 94714342 Lieutenant A M Mababo from 15 SAI died of disease in the Unit sickbay. He was 27.
29 Oct 1998: 94993576 Private C S Mabuza from the SA Army died of disease. He was 25.
29 Oct 1998: 73334138PE Warrant Officer Class I Johannes Jacobus Smit from the Army Gymnasium suffered a fatal heart attack in Heidelberg. He was 48.
29 Oct 2008: Corporal Ben Benjamin Titus from 10 SAI was part of the United Nations/African Union Mission in Darfur in the Sudan. He was Killed in Action while on duty together with other members from the Unit at a water point approximately 3 km from the Kutum Base when at approximately 18h00 (local time), two unknown men approached the soldiers and immediately opened fire on them. Corporal Titus was killed instantly and another soldier was wounded but survived. He was 34.
Their names and sacrifices have not been forgotten.