Why `Bad Guys'? Author's Note About Sentinel Projects
OF SERVICE IN THE SADF
The following chapters are arranged in rough chronological order. I prefer to keep each contributor's material together as an integrated whole of their experiences, and where a contributor's material covers a substantial time period, I will use my discretion to decide where to place it.
5 SAI (1969) and Camps with 2nd Transvaal Scottish
Permanent Force Major, 1 Special Service Battalion (1973 - 1985)
SADF SCHOOL OF ENGINEERS, KROONSTAD and CAMPS (1976 - 1986)
Operation Savannah: X-Ray Combat Group (1975-76)
DETENTION BARRACKS 1976 (A Somewhat Different SADF Experience)
Services School & 5 SA Infantry Ladysmith, Etale & Oshikango (1976 - 1977)
[draft!] 5 SAI (July 1976) - Mapalela Island. SADF Mortarist 72 Mechanised Brigade
ARMOUR (1978-1979) 1 SSB, Owambo (Ondangwa, Etale, Oshivello) Zeerust & early 61 Mech.
`A Cook’s Tour Of Duty': South African Army Service Corps (1978-80).
11 Commando,(1978-1979)Keikanachab and 1 Reconnaissance Commando)SAAF (1978-1980) Waterkloof (Military Transport Workshop) - Rhodesia - Camps
11 Commando (1979-80) Etali, Okatope, Nkurunkuru and Grootfontein
Air Force Guard Commander (1979-80) Published in `Pro Patria'
Sappers: Delta Troop: School of Engineers, Kroonstad (1979)
3 SA Infantry - Section Leader "Jakes" (1981 - 1982)
28 Squadron `loadie'- (1981 - 1985) (Photos only - so far!)
5 SAI 83 – Nurse Training at 1 Mil – Walvis Bay Sick Bay 87-88
South African Army Corps of Engineers (1983-84)
1 Maintenance Unit - Driver - Sector 20 (1983-84)
National Service via the South African Police (1983-87)
Walvis Bay (2 SAI), SADF Equestrian Centre (Potch), Okatope Sector 10 (1984-85)
7 SAI Ops Medic & Operational Planning Officer (1985-1996) Mark Davies
21 Field Squadron + Sector 10 + Ops Packer (1985-86)
7 SAI Ops Medic (1985-1987) Simon Lewis
7 SAI - Section Leader - Eastern Cape - Barberton Nelspruit Swaziland Mozambique Border (1985-87)
SAMS BASICS - PA to the BRIG - SAMS College - Personnel Services School (1985-1986)
Revved at Eenhana (14 March 1987) - 2 SAI (1986-87)
Photos: SAMS TC & 1 Military Hospital (1985-1987)
Clinical Psychologist (1985-86) Published in `Pro Patria'
Doctor: 1 Mil Psychiatry & Border (1986-87) Published in `Pro Patria'
Health Inspector (Eenhana)(1986-87) Published in `Pro Patria'
Clinical Psychologist at 1 Military Hospital (1986-87) Published as `1 Mil'
5 SAI Assault Pioneer (1986-87)
Clinical Psychologist's Border Duty (1987) Published as `Grensvegter?'
Mounted Infantry - (1987 - 1988)
[Draft!] 1SAI (SADF), 4 SAI (1987/88)
2 SAI Field Engineers (Photos Only) operating out of Ruacana (1987-88)
SADF Military Intelligence - (1987 - 1994)
Clinical Psychologist - Op. Modular (1987-89) Published in `Pro Patria'
911 Battalion SWATF - Border Duty 1988
Psychologist at Natal Command (1988)
School of Armour - 4 SAI - Operation Hooper (1987-1988)
Ratels at Operation Hooper (1987-88)
2 SAI - School of Infantry - 4 SAI Ratels in Op. Hooper. (1987-1988)
Psychology PTSD Debriefing Team - Op. Hooper (1988) Published in `Pro Patria'
Photos: Calueque Dam Bomb Damage - 27th June 1988
61 Mechanised Infantry (1988-1989) - Photos Only
South African Ops Medic (1988-1989) Including `The Nine Days of War’
South African Marines (1988-90)
SADF Military Intelligence in the Comoros - (1981 to the 1990s)
South African Military Intelligence - Zaire (1989-1991)
10 Artillery Brigade, 61 Mechanised Battalion, Walvis Bay (1989-90)
44 Battery, 4 Artillery Brigade at 10 Artillery HQ in Potchefstroom (1990)
I certainly don't feel that I have any monopoly on collecting and presenting personal accounts of service in the South African Defence Force (and related forces). I feel that is something that needs to be done, before such material is forgotten. I would be delighted to draw attention to the work of others in this field, with establishing links, or whatever is appropriate. I would be happy to use my web-space, or that to which I have access to present other people's accounts of their SADF experiences.
If you might be interested in documenting your SADF experiences, but are uncertain of how to begin, I have provided a general interview format, which might help you to get started, and would be happy to provide you with whatever help I can, or to put you in touch with others who might be able to help when I cannot. Again, technology advances, and cost reduction open up new possibilities. I have started to interview people by telephone, and with their permission tape record the interview/conversation which can then be typed out and published. This is a fairly efficient way of getting the job done, but sadly isn't quite as pleasant as gradually working our way through a six pack or two during an interview, as will have been observed to have occurred during some of the interviews published.
If you were a child who grew up in the military environment of the SADF, and especially if you spent time in the operational area, I would also be very interested in documenting and publishing your account. I am developing the equivalent R-Kid interview format which you might find useful, or get in touch if you would like to discuss possibly contributing your personal account?
HOMAGE PAGES
In Memory of three Special Forces and 32 Battalion Soldiers
Lt. Keith Low B Squadron, 2nd Light Horse (Armoured Car) Regiment 1976 Etale Owamboland
Driver Anthony 'Amigo' @ M'Patcha in 1983
SADF & Rhodesian anti-mine vehicles
Video Captures relating to Operation Hooper (1987-88)
Photos donated by a former Sector 20 tracker
`Friendly Fire' - Okalongo (1986)
SADF Military Intelligence Directorate
8 SA Mechanised Infantry Battalion (External to Sentinel Projects)
The following are a rather mixed bag of notes and anecdotes, from various sources, and of varying degrees of credibility. Unfortunately, much is unverifiable. Readers are asked to proceed with caution.
If any readers have their own material that they might be willing to submit for inclusion into the `Thematic Chapters', I would be delighted to hear from you.
A Childhood at Katima Mulilo (1972-76)
Colonel Piet Letley (Once OC AFS Langebaanweg)
"Official" sketchmap of locations of SADF bases in 1987
Opuwa Base: The 102 BN (Koakaland) Video Tour (1986)
Ondorrorundu Training Base (102 Bn) 1986 (From the Koakaland Video Tour)
Okongwati Base (102 BN) 1986 (From the Koakaland Video Tour)
Ehomba Base (102 Bn) 1986 (From the Koakaland Video Tour)
Part of Rundu Base, Sector 20, 1980's
53 Battalion HQ Base (Ondangwa) 1982
Okankolo Base, Oct 1982Plan of SWAPO attack on Alpha Tower, Oshikango, 4 March '83
Plan of SWAPO attack on Alpha Tower, Oshikango, 4 March '83
Okatope Base At Stan Le Roux's excellent Ops Medics Home Page!
SADF SCRAP BOOK
Sentinel Projects is a small publishing house specialising in publishing personal accounts of ordinary people who were involved in major historical events. At present our main project is the publication of `Sentinel SADF Monographs', dealing with mainly personal accounts of South African conscripts involved in the South African Defence Force between 1975 and 1994. Sentinel Projects is a non-profit publisher.
Official recognition of Sentinel Projects. Here is a list of New Additions to the Sentinel Projects's SADF Scrap Book.
OFFICIAL SADF DOCUMENTS
South African Medal Certificate Suffix should be `PE' for Permanent Force.
Our Defence Force in South West Africa - Why?
SEMI-OFFICIAL SADF DOCUMENTS
Sector 10 Christmas Card (circa 1987)
`Pappie Was Daar / Daddy Was There'.SPOOF SADF DOCUMENTS
Caring for the returning SADF Troepie
SADF CULTURE
Mainly comprising material harvested from Army-Talk discussion
SADF Troepie Songs ... enjoyed by ...
SADF Gippo'd Tikkie Phone Calls
Living in the NEW South Africa
OTHER SADF RELATED MATERIAL
South Africa's Nuclear Deterrent by Marcus Duvenhage
Psychological Experiences of Military Conscription in South Africa during the 1970’s and 1980’s by Catherine Draper
A South African Peace Keeper In East Timor (1999)
SADF PHOTOS
Apparently in Sector 10 (Owamboland)
Kim Rolstone's non-Operational Photos
Kim Rolstone's photos from Potchefstroom `Army-Day'? 1989
The SADF School of Armour Museum
South African National Museum of Military History
SADF UNITS
Training Units within South Africa
South African Parabat (External Link)
Combat Units in South West Africa (Now Namibia)
32 (Buffalo) Battalion Home Page (External Link)
FORMER SADF INSTALLATIONS & BASES AS THEY ARE NOW
Walvis Bay 2001 (Manuel Ferreira)
Sector 10, Owamboland revisited in 2006
Anyone interested in the South African Defence Force, either in the time period covered by Sentinel Projects, or the South African National Defence Force as it is now known, is likely to be interested in the lively - occasionally outrageous! - discussion. South African Army Talk.
I have been aware of the diverse number of publications that are around relating to the SADF, and the lack of a comprehensive reference list. I tried initially to maintain such a list, but there was no way that I could keep up, so can I direct people to a SADF related bibliography developed on Wikipaedia by Dave Kenny and Peter Chapman - maybe with others. One has to sign up to access Wikipaedia, as I understand it, but this is the reference list that I would endorse.
I try to keep an eye open for references relating to Namibia whether or not it is relevant to the involvement of the SADF or related forces. These include government publications, travel guides and road maps.
These are links to other Researchers and Resources.
(EXTERNAL TO SENTINEL PROJECTS)
The following might also be of interest:
OTHER SOUTH AFRICAN MILITARY RELATED MATERIAL
(Not related to the `Border War')
Peace, War and Afterwards (1914-1919) by Frederick Brian Wade
WWII SAAF Pilot's photos of Egypt by Jack Fowler
Robert Crouch: 1 SAI 1972 - Camps until 1984
South African Air Force Pilot at Cassinga (1978)
South African Infantry: 3SAI, 11 Commando, 1 SAI, 61 Mech. (1980/81)
Diary from an infantry camp to Sector 10 (July 1982)
National Serviceman at 1 Recconnaissence Regiment, The Bluff (1984-85)
Recovery Tiffie - Operational Area 1984-86
South African Bush War Collection
As an experiment, I am making accessible from this site various items of information and Rushes etc. which I am prevented from actually publishing at the Sentinel Projects site. This can be for one or more of several reasons; some are drastically incomplete, need substantial editing, or else I am waiting clarification on some aspects or details. In view of the slow rate at which I have been able to post material up to the site of late, I present this material but do not take responsibility for it, though I expect that in the passage of time, some of the material will migrate up to a more respectable position in the Sentinel Projects site!
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