Lest We Forget... 9 August
09 August, let us pause to remember these young men from our Generation who answered the Final Roll Call.
09 Aug 1960: Major Arthur Cecil Miller from Army Headquarters died in 1 Military Hospital from arteriosclerosis that caused him to suffer a fatal stroke. He was 85.
09 Aug 1969: 7876 Patrol Officer Graham Savillle Lankshear, a South African National serving in the Rhodesian British South Africa Police Anti-Terrorist Unit (PATU), was critically injured in a motor cycle accident on 07 August 1969 and admitted to the Salisbury Central Hospital where he sadly succumbed to his injuries on 09 August 1969. He was 21.
09 Aug 1973: Private Alan Revel Westerdale from Air Force Base Ysterplaat was killed in a private motor vehicle accident in Cape Town. He was 22.
09 Aug 1975: 67541466PE Captain Cornelius Harry Giisbers from Army Headquarters died on Leukemia in 1 Military Hospital in Pretoria. He was 27.
09 Aug 1981: 78520228BG Gunner Leon Philip Levin from 14 Field Regiment was accidentally shot dead at Potchefstroom when he crept up on a sentry during the night in order to surprise him. Mistaken for an intruder, the sentry challenged him and when he failed to identify himself, the sentry opened fire and Levin was fatally wounded. He was 19.
09 Aug 1982: Three members from 31 & 19 Squadron and twelve members from 1 Parachute Battalion were Killed in Action during Ops Meebos when their Aerospatiale SA330C Puma, Serial Number 132 was shot down by enemy 14,5mm ZPU-1 anti-aircraft guns south-east of Cuvelai in Southern Angola. The bodies and the wreck of the Puma were recovered from Angola and later returned to South Africa. A touching memorial to the helicopter crew and the Paratroopers was fashioned from scrap metal in a field workshop and erected at the site of the original crash. This memorial was later removed by SADF Forces to Ongiva before being eventually taken back to AFB Ondangwa. When the war in South West Africa (Namibia) came to an end in 1989 and AFB Ondangwa was eventually closed, the South African Air Force brought the memorial back to South Africa and deposited in the SAAF Museum where it is currently in safe custody. The remains of the 12 Paratroopers were cremated and later interred in the Paratroopers Memorial at Tempe in Bloemfontein. The casualties were:
31 Squadron Helicopter Crew:
73275349PK Captain John Guy Twaddle (Pilot & Aircraft Commander). He was 25. (31 Sqn)
76354612PE Lieutenant Christian Wilhelm Pietersen (Co-Pilot). He was 22. (31 Sqn)
67428813PE Flight Sergeant Coert Nicolaas Grobler (Flight Engineer). He was 31. (19 Sqn)
1 Parachute Battalion Passengers:
78345949BG Corporal Esuas Philluppus Lombard. He was 19.
78366077BG Lance Corporal Stephen Richard Hoare. He was 19.
77419422BG Rifleman Russell Hilton Barrett. He was 20.
79232518BG Rifleman Alan De Klerk. He was 19.
76275536BG Rifleman Anton Kruger. He was 21.
78457256BG Rifleman Grant William Krull. He was 20.
76336700BG Rifleman Martin le Roux. He was 21.
77255379BG Rifleman Shane Patrick Mallon. He was 20.
78456035BG Rifleman James Thomas Marshall. He was 19.
78473790BG Rifleman Craig Andrew Moody. He was 20.
78412871BG Rifleman Andries Hermias van Niekerk. He was 19.
78567005BG Rifleman Andre Wolmarans. He was 20.
09 Aug 1982: 81565392SP Rifleman G. Wamanda from 32 Battalion accidentally drowned while stationed at Buffalo Base. He was 24.
09 Aug 1982: 80390529BG Rifleman Carel Dawid van der Vyver from 7 SAI Died in the Phalaborwa Hospital after being diagnosed with a viral form of hepatitis. He was 17.
09 Aug 1982: 80217755BG Lance Corporal David John Nel from 1 Construction Regiment was killed in a military motor vehicle accident on the Nigel to Heidelberg Road. He was 19.
09 Aug 1985: 80208879BG Rifleman William Raymond Luiters from 4 SAI attached to 61 Mechanised Battalion was accidentally shot dead by a Koevoet Combat Team during an ambush after being mistakenly assigned the same patrol area during anti-insurgent operations near Oshikuku. He was 21.
09 Aug 1987: 84408871BG Private Ignatius Du Toit from The Technical Service Corps Training Centre died in the Witbank Hospital after being critically injured in a private motor vehicle accident, while on weekend pass. He was 19.
09 Aug 1998: 93771608 Rifleman C S Ratshikana from 3 SAI died of disease in the Zeerust Hospital. He was 37.
09 Aug 1998: 94800976 Staff Sergeant H Sindelo from 21 Battalion died of disease at Ngangelizwe. He was 43.
Their names and sacrifices will not be forgotten
