31 October, let us pause to remember these young men from our Generation who answered the Sunset call.
31 Oct 1977: 71257216PE Candidate Officer Daniel Johannes De Jager from the South African Medical Corps was critically wounded after sustaining an accidentally self-inflicted gunshot wound to the left lung on 17 October 1977 while he was cleaning his 9mm service pistol. He was admitted to 1 Military Hospital where he Died of Wounds on 31 October 1977. He was 22.
31 Oct 1980: Two members from the Army Gymnasium in Heidelberg were Reported Missing when their Civilian Piper Cherokee PA28-180 aircraft, Registration ZS-VVK, disappeared while on a flight from Wonderboom Airport to Graskop. Both members were on a weekend pass at the time of their disappearance. To date, no aircraft wreckage or bodies have ever been located. They have no known grave and they both remain unaccounted for. They were:
76381698BG Lance Corporal Gunther Jurgen Dreyer (Pilot). He was 19.
77425619BG Lance Corporal Andre’ Coetzee (Passenger). He was 19.
31 Oct 1981: 77429496BG Able Seaman Jurie Hendrik Wynand Burger from Naval Base Durban was killed in a private motorcycle accident at Eshowe. He was 20.
31 Oct 1987: On Saturday 31 October 1987 a 101 Battalion Battle Group, supported by members of 2 and 5 Reconnaissance Regiment together with Charlie and Delta Company, 1 Parachute Battalion took part in an operation that was known as Ops Firewood. When the SWAPO/PLAN Base at Indungo in Southern Angola was attacked, it became clear from the very beginning that SWAPO/PLAN had been expecting such an attack as they were in well prepared defensive positions, supported by a Cuban Tank and Artillery element together with a FAPLA Motorised Infantry Unit in support.
During the extremely heavy fighting that continued throughout the day, two Casspir's were knocked out by a RPG-7 anti-tank rockets and burnt out. The Battle Group suffered 15 casualties with approximately 67 wounded before contact was finally broken off at nightfall. The Battle Group casualties for this engagement were:
“D” COMPANY, 1 PARACHUTE BATTALION
83219139BG Corporal Nico Smith Olivier. He became the first casualty after being struck in the neck area by an enemy bullet when he debussed from his Buffel Troop Carrier. He was 19.
81033292BG Lance Corporal Raymond Mark Light. He became the second casualty when he was struck in the chest by an enemy bullet. He was 21.
82513110BG Rifleman Hugues Norbert De Rose. He was 21.
82437369BG Rifleman Wayne Valentine Ewels. He was 21.
83247502BG Rifleman Dirk Willem van Rooyen. He was 20.
83271031BG Rifleman Jean Marc Schuurman. Was critically wounded and evacuated from the battlefield to AFB Ondangwa where he underwent emergency surgery. After he had stabilised sufficiently, he was evacuated back to the RSA on 1 November 1987 but he unfortunately succumbed to his wounds before the aircraft landed in Pretoria. He was 20.
5 RECONNAISSANCE REGIMENT
83561928BG 2/Lieutenant Dylan Chevalier Cobbold was killed instantly when his Casspir received a direct hit from a Soviet B-10 Anti-Tank Rocket. He was 20.
101 BATTALION ROMEO MIKE
76330893PE Captain Andries Hercules Du Bruyn Rademeyer. His Romeo Mike Casspir was knocked out by a Soviet RPG-7 anti-tank rocket and burst into flames but he successfully managed to exit the burning vehicle. His lifeless body was later found lying under a bush beside a large pile of empty cartridge cases some distance from his burning vehicle. One of his arms had been severed by enemy mortar bomb shrapnel and he had died as a consequence of severe blood loss He was 27.
83587345BG 2/Lieutenant Deon Botes. He successfully abandoned his vehicle just moments before it exploded and burst into flames when hit by a Soviet B-10 Anti-Tank Rocket but his body was engulfed in flames and he died next to his burning vehicle. He was 20.
84533793BG Sapper Erasmus Albertus Steyn. Killed instantly when his 12,7 x 99mm Browning Heavy Machine Gun turret was destroyed by a direct hit from a Soviet RPG-7 Anti-Tank Rocket. He was 19.
86852563SWO Rifleman Wilhelm Abraham. He was 25.
85855245HV Rifleman Petrus Epafu. He was 21.
86852654SWO Rifleman Victor Petrus. The Casspir he was in was knocked out by a Soviet RPG-7 anti-tank rocket and burnt out so his body could not be recovered from the burning vehicle. He has no known grave and remains unaccounted for. He was 21.
86802998HV Rifleman Manuel Uusshona. The Casspir he was in was knocked out by a Soviet RPG-7 anti-tank rocket and burnt out so his body could not be recovered from the burning vehicle. He has no known grave and remains unaccounted for. He was 33.
86854364SWO Rifleman Terence Sheepo. He was 24.
All the dead and wounded were casevaced to AFB Ondangwa during the night of 31 October/01 November 1987 whereas the 101 Battalion casualties were taken directly back to their Unit. The last Puma helicopter departed at about 03h20 the following morning, ferrying the remaining dead and lightly wounded back to AFB Ondangwa.
31 Oct 1996: 78900420PE Lance Corporal Lukas Fombo from 3 SAI was killed at Schmidtsdrift after being accidentally shot with a bow & arrow by a fellow soldier. He was 33.
31 Oct 1998: 94210838 Corporal D S Mashishi from the South African Army accidentally drowned in a swimming pool while off duty. He was 25.
Their names and sacrifices will not be forgotten.