Military veterans in Pretoria have commemorated the paratroopers who lost their lives in around seven decades in service of South Africa. In a fitting tribute, the service began with a parachute jump.
Speaking at a memorial at the Voortrekker Monument, veteran Fanie Vosloo said it was a time of great sadness remembering those who paid the ultimate price in carrying out their duties to their country, family, and friends, and that they deserved respect and to be remembered.
One of the decorated veterans, 84-year-old Ronnie Claassen, paid tribute not only to his fallen colleagues, but also to other paratroopers who have since lost their lives.
He said: “We are all brothers; we all underwent the same training. I take my hat off to you, to those guys who are still participating today.”
Classen was also one of the founders of 1 Parachute Battalion which was established in April 1961. 1 Parachute Battalion is the only full-time paratroop unit of the South African Army.
Claassen is one of two surviving members of the original 15 South Africans who were selected in 1960 to be trained in the UK as paratroopers and to also attend an instructors course run by the Royal Air Force at Abingdon.
He says between 1961 and 1994, South Africa trained between 12 000 and 15 000 paratroopers. During that time, the country had a very good record with very few accidents.
He added that members of 1 Para Battalion and 44 Parachute Brigade had participated in around 80 operations from 1975 to 1988 and only lost 44 parabats in action. 44 Parachute Regiment was created in 2000 from elements of 44 Parachute Brigade.
He highlighted some of the dark times for 1 Parachute Battalion. This included in August 1982, during Operation Meebos, when a helicopter was shot down claiming the lives of the pilot, co-pilot, engineer and 12 parabats.
And more recently, in 2013 during the civil war in the Central African Republic, 13 lost their lives in Bangui fighting against the Seleka rebels.
As part of the memorial service, veteran Chris Pohl, read the full roll of honour. Among the fallen were not only those who saw service outside South Africa’s borders in Angola and CAR.
Six others died in the Southern African Development Community intervention in Lesotho in 1999.
Adding emphasis to the acts of remembrance, Willoughby Brits, President of the Pretoria Canopy (as branches are called) of the Parabat Veterans Organisation, announced plans to finally repatriate the remains of one of their own – Andries (‘Skillie’) Human – over 40 years after he went missing in Angola.
Human went missing in operations in Cassinga in 1978. Brits said they would be going to Angola after the rainy season around April to recover his remains and bring them back to South Africa.
He said they had received co-operation from both the South African and Angolan governments. The intention is to have a memorial service at the Monument and inter his remains there as well.
Several years ago, veterans managed to locate Human’s grave on the banks of the Culonga River.
This was after an old man in the area told a tourist that he’d buried a South African soldier with a parachute.
In a touching tribute to his colleagues, Claassen cited the Battalion’s motto Ex Alto Vincimus – we conquer from above – saying this was an indication, not only for the past but also for the future, that they did not only win from above, but also with strength from within and above.
