05 October, let us pause to remember these young men from our Generation who answered the Sunset call.
05 Oct 1938: Two Crew Members from the South African Corps of Officers based at Zwartkop Air Station in Pretoria, were Killed when their Avro 621 Tutor, Serial No.728 was involved in a mid-air collision with Tiger Moth ZS-AKS during a general flying training sortie near Voortrekkerhoogte, Pretoria. The casualties were:
Air cadet Claude Elias Tahan. He was 19.
Pupil Pilot Gerhardus Albertus van Ry. He was 19.
05 Oct 1973: 71417653N Trooper Daniel Petrus Boshoff from 1 Special Service Battalion was accidentally killed at the General De Wet Training Area while on guard duty. He and another soldier were fooling around on an Eland 90 Armoured Car with Boshoff was sitting on the front mudguard. He jumped off to try and catch a wild rabbit and was run over by the vehicle. He was 18.
05 Oct 1976: 66522707BT Corporal Marius Pieter De Swardt from the 1st Battalion Regiment De La Rey was accidentally killed after being struck by a bullet during a shooting incident at Grootfontein. He was 26.
05 Oct 1977: 72480858BT Rifleman Brian Alan Ross from the Rand Light Infantry was Killed in Action in a landmine explosion at a waterhole near Etale Base in Northern Owamboland. He was 21.
05 Oct 1986: Seaman Marine Gerald Pillay from the South African Marine Corps died after suffering critical head injuries when he was knocked down by a civilian motor vehicle in Salt River, Cape Town while on a weekend pass. He was 18.
05 Oct 1990: 88273758BG Lance Corporal Brett Leckie from 5 SAI was killed after being struck down and run over by a civilian vehicle while carrying out township duty . He was 18.
05 Oct 1998: 94669785 Lance Corporal P. P. Moyaha from Army Logistics Command Headquarters went Absent Without Leave (AWOL) but was later found dead at the Headquarters with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. He was 28.
Their names and sacrifices have not been forgotten.