09 June, let us pause to remember these young men from our Generation who answered the Sunset call.
09 Jun 1960: Flight Sergeant Johannes Matthys Van Niekerk from Air Force Base Swartkop suffered a heart attack and died in 1 Military Hospital at Voortrekkerhoogte. He was 42.
09 Jun 1963: 50402 Captain William James Bartman from 40 Squadron collapsed and died at his home after suffering a fatal heart attack. He was 44.
09 Jun 1976: 70388129PE 2/Lieutenant Kevin Roy Winterbottom HC (P) from 4 Squadron. Immediately after take-off from Air Force base Waterkloof in his Atlas MB326KM Impala Mk II, Serial No. 1022, the aircraft suffered a bird strike that resulted in catastrophic engine failure. The Pilot was immediately faced with the situation that the runway was beyond gliding distance, there was a busy road ahead of him and the aircraft was losing height rapidly. At that stage he could have ejected safely but chose to remain with the aircraft and turn to the left and away from the road, a manoeuvre which set him up on a heading directly for the built-up area of Monument Park. Realising this and although extremely low, he persisted with his left turn in a final effort to avoid damage to property and injury or death to persons on the ground. The aircraft was by this time so low as to exclude the possibility of ejection and it hit the ground just as it cleared the built-up area, disintegrating on impact and killing him instantly.
There can be no doubt that he sacrificed his own life in his courageous effort to ensure that the crippled aircraft would cause no harm to persons or damage to property on the ground. This display of personal bravery by putting the interests of others above his own at the cost of his own life, not only distinguished this deceased young officer, but made him a worthy recipient of the Honoris Crux. He was 21.
09 Jun 1976: Three members from 32 Battalion were Killed in Action during a contact with enemy forces in Southern Angola. The casualties were:
Rifleman J.D. Cardoso. He was 24
Rifleman B. Domingos. He was 22.
Rifleman M Mavuato. He was 25
09 Jun 1978: 73547861BA Private Ernst Harry Henry Barnard from 32 Field Workshop was critically injured in a private motor vehicle accident approximately 36 km from Prince Albert. He was admitted to the Prince Albert State Hospital where he died not long after admission. He was 21.
09 Jun 1979: 67504571PE Corporal Danny Patrick Goosen from Technical Service Corps was killed in a private motorcycle accident while on course at the Technical Service Corps Training Centre in Pretoria. He was 27.
09 Jun 1983: 77522175PE Corporal Andre Johannes Vermaak from 44 Squadron was found gassed to death in Pretoria. No foul play was suspected. He was 21.
09 Jun 1993: 81536526PE Lieutenant Hubert Martin Kleinhans from Northern Cape Command Headquarters died in the Kimberley Hospital as a result of stomach cancer. He was 30.
09 Jun 1998: 93726412 Rifleman T P Motsokobi from 118 Battalion was found dead at Thaba N’chu as a result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. He was 36.
09 Jun 2000: Three members from Gauteng Command were killed near Kroonstad while travelling as passengers when their military vehicle burst a tyre and overturned. The casualties were:
94999067PF Sergeant Douglas Mphiyakhe Mdluli. He was 32.
94976743PF Corporal M. Mogale. He was 31
94975943PF Corporal Johannes Bhengu Tsie. He was 40.
Their names and sacrifices will not be forgotten.