FOR THEM THE LAST POST HAS SOUNDED

Let us pause to remember these young men from our Generation who answered the Final Roll Call.
May they rest in eternal peace.

30 Aug 1954:
P16610 Sergeant Paul Joh

Let us pause to remember these young men from our Generation who answered the Final Roll Call.
May they rest in eternal peace.

30 Aug 1954:
P16610 Sergeant Paul Johannes Els from Defence Headquarters, attached to 5 Technical Stores Depot, was found dead with an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. He was 25.

30 Aug 1977:
73482630BA Corporal Johannes Jacobus Basson from B Squadron 1 Special Service Battalion, Died of Wounds after being grievously burned in a mortar bomb explosion during a training exercise North of Etale Base. He was 19.

30 Aug 1978:
74462342BG Rifleman Howard D’Arcy Remmington from Infantry School was killed when his Buffel Troop Carrier overturned during a night pursuit of SWAPO/PLAN insurgents in the Tsumeb area. He was 20.

30 Aug 1978:
75545939BG Rifleman Jacobus Paulus Jansen from Infantry School was killed in a private motor vehicle accident in Oudtshoorn when his vehicle was involved in a head-on collision with a delivery truck in Victoria Street. He was 18.

30 Aug 1980:
76320795BG Lance Corporal Willem Hendrik Smit from 2 SAI was Killed in Action while searching a Kraal in Northern Owamboland. The patrol entered a Kraal during a search for suspected insurgents while he remained on the Buffel Troop Carrier acting as the Gunner. A SWAPO/PLAN insurgent who was hiding in one of the huts, fired an RPG-7 Anti-Tank rocket at the vehicle and the rocket projectile struck the gun position where he was standing, killing him instantly. He was 19.

30 Aug 1980:
76928605SP Rifleman Jose Cabinda from 32 Battalion was Killed in Action after suffering multiple shrapnel wounds during a contact with SWAPO/PLAN insurgents in South Eastern Angola, just north of Rundu. He was 23.

30 Aug 1980:
76411545BG Private Herman Nico Booysen from 1 Maintenance Unit was killed in a private motorcycle accident between Stilfontein and Klerksdorp while on leave pass. He lost control of his motor cycle and hit a lamp post. He was thrown clear of his motorcycle but was struck by another motorcycle that killed him instantly. He was 19.

30 Aug 1982:
Two members from 1 Maintenance Unit were killed in a private motorcycle accident at Christiana after both members suffered severe head injuries. The casualties were:
78219086BG Corporal Josef Johannes de Beer. He was 19.
Corporal Andre van Rhede van Oudtshoorn. He was 19.

30 Aug 1982:
80024458PP Rifleman Reginald Chivovo from 5 Reconnaissance Regiment was killed when his parachute failed during a training practice jump at Phalaborwa. He was 23.

30 Aug 1985:
78266616PE Lieutenant Heinrich William Brauckman from 4 Reconnaissance Regiment was killed in a private motor vehicle accident at Langebaan. He was 23.

30 Aug 1986:
83268292BG Private Andrew Morris Byrd from the South African Medical Corps was based at the M’pacha Sickbay as a Ward Medic. On completion of Basic and 2nd phase training, he volunteered to go out with a mobile infantry patrol along the cut-line between Zambia, and South West Africa. He was to do a patrol with the infantry who, on completion of their patrol, would hand him over to continue on another 3-day patrol with an armoured car patrol before returning back to base. The infantry patrol returned as planned, and 3 days later when the armoured car patrol returned, the Patrol Officer came to the sickbay to register a complaint that he’d had to do his patrol without a medic. Only then was it realised that Andrew Byrd had been missing for 3 days. The Lieutenant who had commanded the Infantry patrol was called in and he indicated the location of the waterhole where Andrew Byrd had been dropped off. A patrol was immediately sent out to collect him but he was found dead at the water hole with 2 bullet wounds in his chest. The San tracker reported that Andrew had formed a simple boma around himself as there were Hyena and other wild animal paw prints in the immediate vicinity. It also appeared that Andrew had remained at the waterhole for 3 days waiting to be collected and had refrained from lighting a fire or shooting at the wild animals in case he attracted unwanted attention from SWAPO/PLAN insurgents that were also known to be in the area. He was found sitting with his back against a tree and had apparently fallen asleep at some point. His rifle was set on automatic and while sleeping, he had slipped to one side and caught his finger on the trigger, firing 2 rounds into his chest. The position of the entry wounds indicated that it was definitely not suicide and the fact that his rifle and medical supplies were untouched indicated that there had been no enemy action. He was 20. (Both Commanders were seriously taken to task about this most unfortunate incident but the final outcome of the Board of Inquiry is not known).

30 Aug 1987:
81032195BG Corporal Kirk Hendriksen from 5 SAI was killed at Pieters Station near Ladysmith when he accidentally fell off a moving train while attempting to prevent a Prisoner from escaping. He was 22.

30 Aug 1989:
Three members from the Air Force School of Logistics Training were killed in a private motor vehicle accident on the N3 highway near Modderfontein when their vehicle drove into the back of a stationary truck. The casualties were:
88743539PE Lance Corporal Dorian Lee Cramp. He was 19.
86577657PE Airman Christopher James Gommersall. He was 20.
86336997PE Airman Gary Walter Pringle. He was 19.

30 Aug 1990:
88732193PB Rifleman Tears Mashile from 1 Reconnaissance Regiment was killed while carrying out helicopter insertion training near Madimbo. He accidentally became entangled in the rappelling ropes when the helicopter got airborne and fell to his death. He was 25.

30 Aug 1998:
97070296PV Rifleman Langa David Nyofane from 5 SAI was Killed in Action after being shot dead by persons unknown while escorting a civilian bus at Jozini. He was 19.

† Their names and sacrifices have not been forgotten †

All posts Credit Lt Col (rt) Graham du Toit

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