09 March, let us pause to remember these young men from our Generation who answered the Sunset call.
09 Mar 1965: Corporal Willem Anton Botha from the South African Army was suffering from cirrhosis of the liver and died in 1 Military Hospital in Pretoria. He was 46.
09 Mar 1965: P/50044 Leading Air Mechanic Leslie Andrew Veer from the Northern Air Defence Sector at Devon was critically injured in a private motor vehicle accident when his vehicle collided with a train on the Devon to Springs Road on 07 March 1965. He was admitted to 1 Military Hospital in Pretoria where he sadly succumbed to his injuries on 09 March 1965. He was 21.
09 Mar 1973: Seaman Jan Jonathan Du Rand Botha from SAS Saldanha was killed in a private motor vehicle accident in Moorreesburg while on a weekend pass. He was 17.
09 Mar 1977: 71412837PE 2/Lieutenant Gerrit Keulder from 32 Battalion was Killed in Action whilst on patrol in the Henombe area of Southern Angola. At Henombe, approximately 200 cattle were found and driven towards the SWA border, the idea being, to take these cattle to the cattle farm at Omauni. A small SWAPO/PLAN force led by Denga Ndaitwah (recently retired Chief of the Namibian Defence Force) spotted the 32 Battalion patrol and hastily laid an ambush to the South. In the short fire-fight that followed, Lieutenant Keulder was mortally wounded and the SWAPO/PLAN force immediately withdrew. His body was carried out of the contact area by members of the Patrol and was airlifted back to South West Africa. The Patrol then abandoned the cattle and returned to South West Africa on foot. He was 21.
09 Mar 1978: Recruit Rifleman Antonio Francisco from 32 Battalion was accidentally killed in a training accident due to the negligence of his Platoon Sergeant. He was 20.
09 Mar 1981: 81951193HK Rifleman P. Katanga from 202 Battalion SWATF was Killed in Action during a Contact with enemy forces in Southern Angola. He was 19.
09 Mar 1982: 77246502BT Lance Corporal Errol Carl Moolman from Rand Light Infantry was accidentally drowned at Calueque Dam while rowing in a dugout canoe. He tried to go over the weir but was caught in a rushing current and the canoe overturned. His body was never found and he remains unaccounted for. He was 20.
09 Mar 1982: 80589773CK Rifleman John Verrooy from the South African Cape Corps attached to Wenela Base accidentally drowned after falling off a pont into the River near Wenela Base in Eastern Caprivi. He was 21.
09 Mar 1983: 68247261PR Captain Francois de Villiers from 102 Battalion SWATF died at Opuwa from an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound using his R4 Assault Rifle. He was 31.
09 Mar 1984: 74241936 Lieutenant Gys Albertus Marthinus van den Heever from 101 Battalion SWATF was fatally wounded in a shooting incident near Oshakati. He was 25.
09 Mar 1984: 82911710SWK Rifleman W.K. Matende from 202 Battalion SWATF was Killed in Action during a contact with SWAPO/PLAN insurgents. He was 20.
09 Mar 1985: Two members from 6 SAI were killed when their Buffel Troop Carrier overturned in Grahamstown. The casualties were:
79350401BG Rifleman Shaun Patrick Atkins. He was 21.
82532581BG Rifleman Orlando de Portugal Goncalves. He was 19.
09 Mar 1985: Rifleman Eduardo Jonas from 101 Battalion SWATF was Killed in Action during a contact with SWAPO/PLAN Insurgents. He was 23.
09 Mar 1987: 83412064BG Corporal Matthew William Wallace McGregor from 2 Field Engineer Regiment attached to 25 Field Squadron Died of Wounds sustained in Action during operations in South Western Angola. Shortly after leaving their TB to sweep for mines, his five-man sweeping team walked into a perfectly laid out FAPLA killing acre that was marked with rocks in the trees. Two soldiers were out ahead walking reconnaissance while two soldiers were walking protection on the left and two soldiers walking protection on the right. They were just setting off when there was a loud explosion from the right hand side of the road and the team came under concentrated fire from machine guns, HEAP STRIM rifle grenades, RPG-7 anti-tank rockets and mortar fire. He was critically wounded during this contact and sadly succumbed to his wounds before he could be evacuated. He was 20.
09 Mar 1987: 84598176 Signaler Francois Christoffel van der Walt from the Army Gymnasium in Heidelberg died in 1 Military Hospital after being diagnosed with meningitis. He was 20.
09 Mar 1988: Special Constable Fransiskus Lukas from the South West Africa Police Counter-Insurgency Wing: Ops K Division (Koevoet) was Killed in Action during a contact with SWAPO/PLAN Insurgents in Northern Owamboland. He was 25.
09 Mar 1991: 05549910PE Warrant Officer Class I Frederik Johannes Kotze from 97 Ammunition Depot collapsed after suffering a heart attack and later died in the Central Karoo Hospital. He was 45.
Their names and sacrifices will not be forgotten.