04 August, let us pause to remember these young men from our generation who answered the Sunset call.
04 Aug 1951: Two members from Central Flying School Dunnottar were killed during a practice instrument flying sortie when their Harvard Mk IIA 7465 dived into the ground near the Delmas Road with tail trim fully forward - nose heavy. The casualties were:
Pupil Pilot Anthony Hall Meintjies. He was 20.
Pupil Pilot John Phillip Ferreira Siebert. He was 20.
04 Aug 1972: 70225503N Signaler Victor Donald Devenish from 23 Squadron, 2 Signals Regiment, South African Corps of Signals was accidentally killed in a Military Vehicle Accident at Binga in Rhodesia on 04 August 1972 while on deployment there during Ops Falcon (Clandestine Electronic Warfare Deployment). He was 18.
04 Aug 1974: W60899P Constable Christiaan Lodewikus van der Merwe from the South African Police Counter Insurgency Unit (COIN) was critically wounded at 22h20 on the evening of 27 July 1974 while serving in Rhodesia when the South African Police COIN Base at Kandaya was attacked by insurgents. He was airlifted to hospital where he sadly Died of Wounds on 04 August 1974. He was 23.
04 August 1978: 74510215BG Corporal Barend Phillippus Hendrikis Du Plessis from the South African Air Force died in the H.F. Verwoerd Hospital in Pretoria from injuries sustained in a private motor cycle accident. He was 21.
04 Aug 1987: 85633006BG Private Francois du Preez Smit from the Far North Command Provost Unit was accidentally killed in a shooting incident at the Far North Command Headquarters Unit in Pietersburg. He was 18.
04 Aug 1988: 79571923PE Staff Sergeant Marius Horn from 5 SAI was accidentally killed near Eshowe. The SAMIL in which he was travelling in convoy, stopped near Eshowe for a water break. Staff Horn was sitting in passenger seat and while troops were disembarking, the vehicle started sliding down the embankment. A fence post went through the vehicle door and impaled him to his seat, killing him instantly. He was 27.
04 Aug 1990: 89611768BG Lance Corporal Craig Adrian Maguire from the Army Battle School died from a gunshot wound accidentally sustained in the Army Battle School training area. He was 21.
Their names and sacrifices will not be forgotten