07 March, let us pause to remember these young men from our Generation who answered the Sunset call.
07 Mar 1953: Two members from 7 Squadron were killed when their AT-6 Harvard 7671 was involved in a mid-air collision with Harvard 7669 during formation practice and crashed near Bloubergstrand, approximately 5 miles North of Air Force Station Ysterplaat. Harvard 7669 flown by 2/Lieutenant Griffon and 2/Lieutenant Sansom managed to return safely to Base. The casualties were:
P1/417831 2/Lieutenant Matthys Johannes Crous. He was 23.
P1/426391 2/Lieutenant Peter Kay Theron. He was 23.
07 Mar 1975: Two members from 2 Special Service Battalion were killed in a private motor vehicle accident while on weekend pass when their Volkswagen Variant with 6 persons on board, collided with a donkey at night near Vereeniging. The casualties in this accident were:
Corporal Johannes Andries Le Roux Lindeque. He was 21.
Trooper Jurgens Edmond Muller. He was 19.
07 Mar 1978: 76927623SP Sergeant Antonio Fernando was accidentally killed at Buffalo Base when he was driven over by a Unimog in an apparent hit and run incident. He was 34.
07 Mar 1980: Three members from 13 Field Engineer Squadron were Killed in Action at the Chandelier near Elundu when a booby-trapped landmine coupled to other improvised explosive devices exploded while they were in the process of defusing it. The casualties were:
74404443BT Sergeant Deon van der Vyver. He was 21.
73261117BT Corporal Antonie Oberholzer. He was 22.
74474008BT Sapper Willem Johannes Steenkamp Prinsloo. He was 22
07 Mar 1983: Two members from 5 SAI were accidentally killed in a Rifle Grenade explosion inside the Ops Room at Etangua near Opuwa. The Platoon Commander and Signaler were both injured in the explosion and were evacuated to 1 Military Hospital in Pretoria. The casualties in this incident were:
78482717BG Corporal Frederick Coenraad Greyling. He was 20.
77626497BG Lance Corporal Owen Christopher Williams. He was 21.
07 Mar 1984: Rifleman Carel Frederik Godliep Gnade from the Iscor Commando killed after suffering multiple injuries after he lost control of his private motor vehicle while driving in Vanderbijlpark, causing the vehicle to overturn. He was identified immediately because he was wearing his military uniform at the time. He was 23.
07 Mar 1985: 80318199BG Corporal Deon van Niekerk from the Northern Transvaal Command Provost Unit was initially Reported Missing in Clubview, Pretoria while on official traffic control duty during a military training exercise. A large truck filled with tons of builders gravel had jack-knifed on the Old Johannesburg Road and overturned in the area where he was last seen doing duty. His body was only discovered and recovered two days later from under the builders gravel while it was being removed. He was 20.
07 Mar 1991: 87387502BG 2/Lieutenant Steven van Rooyen from the Dog Training Centre accidentally drowned in the Blyde River at Belvedere. He was 19.
Their names and sacrifices will not be forgotten.