04 January, let us pause to remember these young men from our Generation who answered the Sunset call.
04 Jan 1964: Private Basil Dean Rathbone from the Army Ordnance Corps died in 1 military Hospital as a result of bone cancer. He was 18.
04 Jan 1975: W48209R Constable Christian Cornelius Meyer from the South African Police Counter Insurgency Unit (COIN) Died of Wounds received in a landmine explosion on 03 January 1975 while serving in Rhodesia. He was 23.
04 Jan 1976: During Ops Savannah, a 19 Squadron Aérospatiale SA 330C Puma Helicopter, Serial 122 was flying two Staff Officers on a scheduled visit to Battle Group Orange that was located between Mussende & Carriango in Central Angola. Unfortunately the Puma was painted green, similar to the colour of the Angolan helicopters and the 20mm Anti-Aircraft Gun Crew that was protecting Battle Group Orange had not been informed of the flight. When the Helicopter was spotted approaching the Anti-Aircraft Gun position directly from their 12 o'clock, the Helicopter was misidentified as “hostile” and due to the fact that no "gun's safe" or "gun's tight" order had been issued, the Gunner, Bombardier Dawie van Vuuren, immediately opened fire, raking the entire length of the Helicopter and scoring 21 hits. The Helicopter crashed in flames, killing all but one person on board. The Aircraft Commander was not killed in the initial crash but rescuers were unable to free him from the wreckage before the Helicopter burnt out. The badly burnt and wounded passenger, Commandant Martin Verster who had been thrown clear of the wreck, was the only survivor and was immediately casevaced out of the area. The casualties were:
CREW:
05547609PE Captain Ferdinand Immelman (Pilot and Aircraft Commander). He was 30.
65654006PE Captain Constant Daniel de Wit (Co-Pilot). He was 26.
65749400PE Sergeant George William Kellet (Flight Engineer). He was 26.
PASSENGER:
01169895PE Brigadier Johan Diederik Potgieter SM, Officer Commanding of 2 Military Area. He was 40.
04 Jan 1976: 73503294BA Rifleman Pieter Willem Marais Snyman from 5 SAI Died of Wounds during Ops Savannah. Battle Group Orange had sent out two Battle teams, Battle Team Chicken that headed off to Ponte Salazar and Battle Team Turkey under the Command of Major Dan Lampbrecht that headed off towards Huco and soon clashed with a combined MPLA/Cuban Infantry Force near Dondo in Central Angola and came under a barrage of Soviet 122mm BM-21 Katyusha Rockets. The enemy Force surrounded the ENTAC Anti-Tank Missile vehicle and captured Rifleman A.H. Potgieter, Rifleman L J Kitshoff and the vehicle driver Rifleman P.J. Groenewald who mistook them for UNITA soldiers. Four Infantrymen including Rifleman Snyman were wounded during this action and were evacuated back to Silva Porto but he unfortunately succumbed to his wounds en-route. He was 18.
04 Jan 1978: Two members from 1 and 5 Reconnaissance Commando were Killed in Action during counter-insurgency operations in Mocambique as part of Operation Melon (SADF Name (Operation Acrobat). They were attached to "D" Squadron Rhodesian Special Air Service when their patrol walked into 30-man strong Frelimo ambush in Gaza Province of Mozambique. The casualties were:
71348213PE Lance Corporal Cecil Ian Mennigke from 1 Reconnaissance Commando. He was 24.
73508434PR Lance Corporal Christiaan Louis De Wilzem from 5 Reconnaissance Commando. He was 20.
04 Jan 1978: 74327511BG Private Burt Thomas Bouwer from 11 Supply & Transport Depot was killed in a military motor vehicle accident near Retreat when his vehicle was involved in a collision with a civilian vehicle. He was 19.
04 Jan 1981: 77014645PE Sergeant Johannes Jacobus de Beer Williams, an Aircraft Fitter from Fitter from Air force Base Waterkloof died of kidney failure in 1 Military Hospital. He was 34.
04 Jan 1981: 69530152PE Corporal Gerald Christian Gildenhuys from the Technical Service Corps attached to the Western Province Command Workshops was found gassed in his private motor vehicle in Bellville. No foul play was suspected. He was 27.
04 Jan 1981: W82650E Constable André Schreuder PCF (P), a member of the South African Police Special Task Force serving with the SWA Police Counter-Insurgency Wing: Ops K Division (Koevoet), was Killed in Action during a contact with SWAPO/PLAN insurgents North East of Ongandjera. He was Posthumously awarded the South African Police Cross for Bravery. He was 22.
04 Jan 1982: 79312039BG Rifleman Floris Jacobus Coetzee from Dog Training Centre was killed in a private motor vehicle accident near Vryburg while traveling home on a weekend pass. He was 18.
04 Jan 1984: Five Members from 4 SAI were Killed in Action and one member Reported Missing when their Ratel 20, Callsign 13B was immobilized after detonating a Soviet Anti-Tank Mine and was subsequently knocked out a short-while later by a 100mm High Explosive projectile fired by a Soviet T-54 tank, Callsign 514 (later neutralised and captured) while moving towards enemy positions South of the River at Cuvelai during Ops Askari. The 100mm projectile penetrated the right hand door of the Ratel and exploded inside the vehicle, causing all the Ratel ammunition to explode simultaneously. The Ratel immediately erupted into a fireball and burnt out, incinerating all those who were unable to escape. The casualties were:
80264575BG Lance Corporal Wouter Theron Steenkamp. He was 19.
80238660BG Rifleman George Alexander Lennox. He was 19.
81251506BG Rifleman Brian Geen. He was 18.
82585233BG Rifleman Hendrik Andre Heyns. He was 22.
80211634BG Rifleman Daniel Abraham Louw. He was 19.
81285504BG Rifleman Johannes Lodewicus Pretorius was Reported Missing and has no known grave. He remains unaccounted for. He was 18.
NOTE: A Commemorative Grave Headstone in memory Rifleman Johannes Lodewicus Pretorius was erected in the Elsburg Cemetery.
The survivors of Ratel 20, Callsign 13B were:
Corporal C.A .Smit
Rifleman N.C. Barnard (Wounded)
Rifleman D.J. Barry (Wounded)
Rifleman M.J. Koekemoer
Rifleman L van der Merwe
04 Jan 1984: Two Members from 4 SAI, Ratel 12A (Platoon Two) were Killed in Action during fierce close-quarter fighting while clearing enemy trenches near Cuvelai during Ops Askari. The members had debussed from Ratel 12A and moved forward to the trenches when a Soviet RPG-7 Anti-Tank Rocket was fired at them. The rocket hit a tree where they were standing and exploded. They were both killed instantly by rocket shrapnel. This was the same action where Ratel 13B was knocked out by a 100mm High Explosive Soviet T-54 tank projectile. The casualties were:
79551099BG Rifleman Pieter Daniel Pretorius. He was 20.
80490592BG Rifleman Leon Frederick Pearson. He was 19.
04 Jan 1986: Two civilians from the town of Ellisras were killed and two severely injured when their pickup truck detonated a Pt-Mi-Ba-III Czechoslovakian Anti-Tank Mine laid by MK operatives on a farm road near Stockpoort, approximately 2km from the Limpopo River dividing Botswana and South Africa. The mining of farm roads in the Border areas was part of the MK campaign aimed at SADF and Commando Patrols operating in these Rural Areas. The casualties in this incident were:
Mr Hurbert Du Plessis. He was 63.
Mrs Elise Du Plessis. She was 32.
Severely Injured in this incident were:
Mr Deon Du Plessis
Mr Daniel Jacobus Venter
04 Jan 1989: Airman Johan Nel from the Test Flight Development Centre was killed in a private motor vehicle accident. He was 18.
04 Jan 1998: 97705438 Rifleman S.E. Mchunu from 121 Battalion was shot dead at Hammarsdale by persons unknown while Absent Without Leave AWOL from his Unit. He was 22.
04 Jan 1998: 88748769 Lance Corporal Pieter van Wyk from Witwatersrand Command Headquarters died of disease in Eldorado Park. He was 19.
04 Jan 2002: 94715364PE Sergeant Azwifarwi Elvis Makhado from 1 SAI was found murdered while deployed on peacekeeping duties in Burundi after being strangled to death by persons unknown. He was 25.
Their names and sacrifices will not be forgotten.