SA Weermagvereniging / SA Defence Force Association

11/01/2025

51 years ago, on 11 January 1974, the name "Ratel" was officially recognised as the name for the SA Army's new Infantry Combat Vehicle when Armscor requested the SADF (CSI) to officially register the name.

11/01/2025

STIGTERSDAG:

Vandag in 11 Januarie 1979 word die berugte, beroemde, kontroversieele, maar magtige Koevoet gestig onder bevel van die destydse Kolonel Sterk Hans Dreyer en van sy uitgesoekte manne.

Die Stigterslede se name word vereer by die Koevoet MUUR en hul bydrae sal saam met ons bly die toekoms in. Daar is ook sommiges wat nie genoem word nie, maar self die bomenslike bydra gemaak het in die begindae van Koevoet. Ons betoon steeds vandag die nodige respek vir wat hulle almal gedoen het.

Stigtersdag herinner ons ook aan hoekom ons mekaar ken en vriende is en in die Koevoet Veterane Bond verenig is.

Dankie aan al ons stigterslede wie die moed gehad het om die pad Noord aan te vat na wie weet wat .... die onbekende in.

Dankie ook aan elkeen wat hierdie boodskap lees wat toe hy/sy dieselfde roepstem gehoor het, ook nie geskroom het om Noord te "trek" nie.

Gelukkige Stigtersdag aan almal.

Njata komesho n'tati na m'meme nkulu!

11/01/2025

Nuus vanaf die SALVKOL groep.

11/01/2025

SA NAVAL HERITAGE: DAY BY DAY

11 January:

1922 HM Ships Crozier (Cdr D.E. St M. Delius OBE), Foyle (Lt Cdr A.E. Buckland DSO, DSC and Eden (Lt L.E. Scott-Napier DSO) arrive in Simon’s Town to form the nucleus of South Africa’s own Navy. In due course the names are changed to Protea (the first of four ships to carry the name), Sonneblom and Immortelle respectively and use the prefix HMSAS (His Majesty’s South African Ship). In 1929 they became the first SA warships to show the flag in a foreign port, Lourenco Marques (now Maputo). (Photo)

1942 Lt A.S. Bowyer hands command of HMSAS Southern Maid (T27) to Lt L. Bangley.

1983 In a combined commissioning ceremony Cdr J.A.J.B. Vorster assumes command of SAS Hendrik Mentz and Lt Cdr L.O. Reeders assumes command of SAS Kobie Coetsee.

PHOTO.

The Crozier (later named the HMSAS Protea)

11/01/2025

Cst FJ Nel. 11 January 1974.
"KIA" (Killed in action) – Landmine explosion during COIN (Counter Insurgency) Duty in Rhodesia – T King "

11/01/2025

FOR THEM THE LAST POST HAS SOUNDED

On 11 January 2025, let us pause for a minute to remember the following young men from our Generation who answered the Final Roll Call. May they rest in eternal peace.

11 Jan 1980: 77411411BG Lance Corporal Derick James Evans from 61 Mechanised Battalion Group was killed when the Buffel Troop Carrier overturned while on patrol in the Etosha Pan Reserve. He was 18.

11 Jan 1984: Two members from 32 Battalion were Killed in Action during a contact with enemy forces in Southern Angola during Ops Askari. They were:

81553596SP Rifleman Joao. Dala. He was 31.
80830409SP Rifleman Isaac Malonga. He was 35

† Their names and sacrifices have not been forgotten †

All posts Credit Lt Col (rt) Graham du Toit

11/01/2025

11/01/2025

Morning.
Môre.

11/01/2025

1 Konings 19:4-5: “Elia het toe onder ’n besembos gaan sit en gewens dat hy liewer maar moet sterf. Maar ’n engel het hom wakker geskud en vir hom gesê: “Staan op en eet!”

Vir ’n vegter is die geveg nie verby voordat die laaste klok nie gelui het nie. ’n Wedstryd is nie verby voordat die eindfluitjie nie geblaas het nie. Jou lewe is nie oor voordat jy nie jou laaste asem uitgeblaas het nie. Jy is nog hier. Daar is dinge wat jy nog moet doen. Al is dit net om mense te bemoedig. Laste te verlig, mooi woorde te spreek, visie te gee, hande vas te hou, kinders en jongmense te inspireer, ’n drukkie te gee of selfs trane te help afdroog. Jy kan help om wonde te genees, wysheid te deel en nuwe ervarings te ervaar.

Richard Bach sê: “Die toets om te bepaal of jou werk op aarde klaar is, is as jy nog lewe is dit nie klaar nie.”

Komaan, die beste lê nog voor. Vandag gaan beter wees as gister. Terwyl ons moedeloos is en nie herwaarts of derwaarts weet nie, is God hard aan die werk om die volgende deur oop te maak. Onthou Hy het vir jou ‘n droom. Hy het vir jou ’n toekoms. (Jer 29:11)

Gebed:

Vader, dankie dat U in elkeen van ons glo. Dankie dat U vir elkeen van ons ’n toekoms en ’n verwagting het. Help ons om aan te hou lewe, met vertroue in U. In Jesus Naam. Amen

10/01/2025

With Wondermil – I just got recognized as one of their top fans! 🎉

10/01/2025

Big shout out to my new rising fans! Hannes Kriek

10/01/2025

𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐜𝐞-𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐦𝐞𝐭 𝐝𝐫. 𝐖𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧 – 𝐃𝐢𝐞 𝐖𝐕𝐊 💬🎤🏅

ℹ️ 1 Februarie 2025 | 19:00 | R160
🎫 https://afriforumteater.co.za/event-details?event=recce-stories-met-dr-wouter-basson-die-wvk

𝗗𝗶𝗲 𝗪𝗩𝗞 was bekend vir sy eensydige agenda in die laat 90’s. Die paneel het derhalwe besluit om 𝗱𝗿. 𝗕𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻 te dagvaar aangesien hy geweier het om vir amnestie by die instelling aansoek te doen. Amnestie was voorspelbaar toegestaan of weerhou.

𝗞𝗼𝗺 𝗹𝘂𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 na dr. Wouter Basson en hoor hoe die berg ’n muis gebaar het.

10/01/2025

SA NAVAL HERITAGE: DAY BY DAY

10 January:

1806 The Battle of Blaauwberg was fought and lasted just under two hours, about 6,000 men at the battle with just over 500 dead, wounded and missing. When it was over, it was still to be another 10 days before a formal capitulation was signed, but for all practical purposes the Cape of Good Hope was now a British colony. The treaty was signed under the tree on the corner of Treaty and Spring Streets Woodstock Cape Town. (Photo)

1934 A century old association is to be broken in Simon's Town by the abolition of the 9 o'clock gun. For nearly 100 years it has been the practice, every night during the C-in-C presence in Port, for the guard ship of the day to fire a gun at 9 pm. This had grown to be accepted as a standard time signal for regulating the time of the district. When the gun signal was first introduced, in the days when the Africa Squadron consisted of three-deckers, it was fired at 8 pm and warned all and sundry that all communication with the shore was suspended until sunrise the following morning. About 40 years previously the gun was the official signal for closing all the public houses in Simon's Town. As its echoes rumbled around the hills, the bluejackets hurriedly swallowed their last bottle and raced for the Town Pier where duty boats were waiting to take them back aboard. Any bar found open after the gun had fired was put out of bounds.

1939 The submarine HMS Thames arrived in Simon’s Town for a period of duty with the Africa Squadron. She is the first submarine to ever visit South Africa and had called in to Table Bay before reaching Simon’s Town.

1951 HMSAS Transvaal (Lt Cdr J. Johnson DSC) arrives in Fremantle en-route to Sydney to participate in the Commonwealth of Australia’s Jubilee celebrations. (Photo)
There were 152 South Africans on board, including Cdre F.J. Dean OBE, Naval Chief of Staff, Cdr H.E. Fougstedt VRD, OC Naval Base at Salisbury Island, 12 Officers including Rev W.A.F. Celliers, Chaplain, and Lt J.B. Porteous, Medical Officer. The night before arriving in Sydney the ship was buffeted by a severe storm which dented two of her bow plates.

1957 The anti-submarine frigate SAS Vrystaat (F157 - Capt M.R. Terry-Lloyd), formerly HMS Wrangler, is ceremonially transferred to the South African Navy at Devonport in the UK.

PHOTOS.

The Treaty Tree in Woodstock.

HMSAS Transvaal ship’s company.

10/01/2025

The Fallen: 10 January
On this day, we remember with honour and pride members of the Rhodesian forces who paid the ultimate sacrifice. May they rest in eternal peace.
1977 – District Assistant CHANOWA (CHANGWA?), Regular Intaf, KIA. ​Killed at Sipolilo, Op Hurricane.
1977 – Agricultural Demonstrator Petros CHITIMA, ADF, Intaf, murdered. Killed by CTs at Melsetter, Op Thrasher.

1978 – District Security Assistant Meta Richard NCUBE, Keep Protection, Intaf, murdered. Killed by CTs in the Plumtree area, Op Tangent.

“So for those who fell in battle, let us stand,
Remember just for what they died,
Of those shall be our boast and pride”.

Gerry van Tonder

(Images: Dudley Wall)

10/01/2025

FOR THEM THE LAST POST HAS SOUNDED

On 10 January 2025, let us pause for a minute to remember the following young men from our Generation who answered the Final Roll Call. May they rest in eternal peace.

10 Jan 1972: 65430373 2/Lieutenant Johannes Daniel Burger from 6 Squadron was killed when his AT-6 Harvard, Serial No. 7034 crashed near George during a routine cross-country and tactical navigation flight. He was 22.

10 Jan 1976: 73437568BA Rifleman Andries Jacobus Rautenbach from 8 SAI was killed when struck by a bullet as a result of an accidental discharge of a fellow soldier’s rifle while he was stationed at Rundu. He was 18.

10 Jan 1982: 78561545BG Rifleman Abel Albertus van Wyk from 1 Parachute Battalion was killed instantly after being struck in the head by a bullet that resulted from an accidental discharge of a MAG light machine-gun during a training exercise outside Oshivello. Fellow members saw him stagger and slowly collapse to the ground. He was immediately airlifted to the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital at AFB Ondangwa but was declared dead on arrival. He was described as an extremely likeable character who had showed incredible determination and vasbyt throughout his training. He was 19.

† Their names and sacrifices have not been forgotten †

All posts Credit Lt Col (rt) Graham du Toit