30 March, let us pause to remember these young men from our Generation who answered the Sunset call.
30 Mar 1950: P/9103 Corporal Jacobus Adriaan Labuschagne from the South African Armoured Corps was killed in a private motor vehicle accident in Bloemfontein. He was 25.
30 Mar 1954: P/12363 Petty Officer Duncan McLennan from SAS Simon van der Stel was Reported Missing after falling overboard in heavy seas while the vessel was sailing from Durban to Cape Town. He has no known grave and remains unaccounted for. He was 47.
30 Mar 1962: Pioneer Wynand Willem Smith from the South African Infantry Corps and stationed at Tempe in Bloemfontein died in 1 Military Hospital as a result of jaundice and bleeding on the brain. He was 64.
30 Mar 1972: 68468248N Private Sydney Eric Wienand from the Air Force Gymnasium was killed in a military vehicle accident in Pretoria. He was 19.
30 Mar 1973: 70296843N Private Andrew James MacPherson from Natal Command Headquarters was killed in a military vehicle accident in Durban. He was 18.
30 Mar 1977: 58241415PE Sergeant Daniel Petrus Theron from the Military Headquarters in Grootfontein died from injuries sustained in a military vehicle accident that occurred on 29 March at the Otavi-Tsumeb crossroads near Grootfontein. He was travelling as a passenger in the vehicle that was on its way to the airport. He was 35.
30 Mar 1977: 74219056PE Lance Corporal Andre Johan Van Niekerk from the School of Technical Training died shortly after admission to the HF Verwoerd Hospital in Pretoria as a result of multiple injuries sustained in a private motorcycle accident in Pretoria. He was 18.
30 Mar 1978: 72241797BG Rifleman Jacob Jacobus Greeff from 8 SAI was killed in a private motor vehicle accident in Upington while on a special leave pass permitting him to go home to fetch his rugby boots. He was 22.
30 Mar 1978: 70251531PE Sergeant Jacobus Hendrik Putter Horn from 1 Military Printing Unit died of cancer in 1 Military Hospital in Pretoria. He was 39.
30 Mar 1979: 05514153PE Sergeant Robert Daniel Burt from Sector 70 Headquarters died of liver failure at Katima Mulilo. He was 32.
30 Mar 1979: 76245075BG Private Douw Teuns Gerbrand De Beer from Western Province Command Headquarters was killed in a military motorcycle accident at Groote Schuur. He was 19.
30 Mar 1979: 77897046SN Rifleman Christiaan Fredericks from 41 Battalion was Killed in Action during a contact with SWAPO/PLAN insurgents in Northern Owamboland. He was 18.
30 Mar 1980: 74346776PF Sergeant Barend Zacharias Gericke from 32 Battalion was Killed in Action after suffering multiple shrapnel wounds when a Soviet 82mm High Explosive Mortar Bomb exploded near him during a contact with SWAPO/PLAN insurgents in Southern Angola. He was 21.
30 Mar 1980: 79876835SN Rifleman Johannes Oarum from 41 Battalion (Later 911 Battalion SWATF) was killed in Northern Owamboland after being struck by a bullet resulting from an accidental discharge of a fellow soldier’s rifle. He was 18.
30 Mar 1982: 79367561 Gunner Bartholomias Deon van Straaten from School of Artillery sustained critical head injuries in a private motor vehicle accident on 20 March 1982 and was admitted to 1 Military Hospital where he sadly he succumbed to his injuries on 30 March 1982. He was 18.
30 Mar 1982: Two members from the South African Corps of Military Police stationed at Wynberg were killed in a private motorcycle accident just outside Cape Town. They were:
Lance Corporal Albert Feuth. He was 20.
Private Kevin Darryl Bridger. He was 20.
30 Mar 1984: Four members from the Congella Regiment and one attached member from Group 10 were killed and one critically injured when their Military Landrover Vehicle was struck and completely crushed by an articulated vehicle loaded with logs that jack-knifed across the road approximately 9km outside Richmond. The casualties were:
63031272PE Staff Sergeant Kevin Ernest Parker from Group 10 Headquarters. He was 37
71318059BT Lance Corporal Roderick William Bekker from Congella Regiment. He was 28
75327007BT Rifleman Winston Churchill from Congella Regiment. He was 25.
72531551BT Rifleman Stefan Henry Conrad from Congella Regiment. He was 27
72436942BT Rifleman Grant Edward Brierley from Congella Regiment succumbed to his injuries on 31 March 1984. He was 27.
30 Mar 1984: Corporal Daniel Matsetse from 201 Battalion SWATF was Killed in Action during a contact with SWAPO/PLAN insurgents in Northern Owamboland. He was 24.
30 Mar 1987: 77330108PE Sergeant (Flight Engineer) Daniel Lan from 16 Squadron was Killed in Action after suffering fatal gunshot wounds sustained from enemy small arms fire while acting as the door gunner in Alouette III Helicopter Gunship 624 while providing close-air support to Koevoet Combat Teams during operations against SWAPO/PLAN insurgents in the area close to the Etosha Gate. He was 27. Five SWAPO/PLAN insurgents were killed by Koevoet in this contact.
30 Mar 1992: 91704510HN Rifleman Daniel Keodkale Segang from 3 SAI accidentally drowned in the Shiyalongubo Dam while on foot patrol. He had gone down to the water’s edge in order to wash when he slipped and fell in. He unfortunately drowned before he could be rescued. He was 23.
30 Mar 1997: 94832953PY Lance Corporal Lohonolo Emmanual Mathe from Group 17 Headquarters died from injuries sustained after he was thrown out of a moving vehicle. He was off duty at the time of the incident. He was 26.
30 Mar 1998: 94091071 Rifleman M W Molokomme from the South African Army died in Pietersburg from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. No foul play was suspected. He was 26.
30 Mar 1998: 97092134 Corporal K P Motshegare from the South African Army died of disease in Klerksdorp Hospital. He was off duty at the time. He was 22.
30 Mar 2013: Two Helicopter Crewmen from 15 Squadron, two members from 5 Special Forces Regiment and one Ops Medic from 7 Medical Battalion Group were Killed when their Augusta A109 LUH (Light Utility Helicopter) 4018 crashed, exploded and burnt out just after 19h00, a few kilometers from Elephant Camp, North of Satara in the Kruger National Park. They had just completed an aerial patrol in the Kruger National Park as part of Operation RHINO, the anti-rhino poaching operation in the Kruger National Park and were returning to their Base Camp for the night. The Casualties were:
CREW:
Captain M.P. Chabalala (Pilot)
Sergeant G.P. Ruiters (Flight Engineer)
PASSENGERS:
Captain Jacobus Andries van Rensburg (5 SF)
Sergeant Paulus Shongela Madume Ndishishi (5 SF)
Lance-Corporal Bheki Petros Cele. (7 Med Bn Grp Attached 5 SF)
Their names and sacrifices will not be forgotten.