'Operation Savannah

 

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War is a poor chisel to carve out tomorrow.”  Martin Luther King, Jr

 Were you part  of B Sqn SSB during Savannah and  implicated in the Battle of Massaba River Bridge or the Battle of Ebo? Do you know anything about Battle Team Alpha led by Captain Johan Holm on the morning of November 23 1975?

Do you know anything about:

Note: Reference to rank was a 1975 rank. All of these men were 175 NSM Intake and most were on the 1975 junior leaders course wit Major Wouter Lombard as the course leader.

  1. 71259428BG Tpr Neil Lombaard dob: 27 July 1955 Killed 23 November 1975
  2. 72473226BG Cpl Robert Sheppard Gibbon SAAC 1 SAA Regt dob 13 Oct 56 and died 19 July 1976 Killed in a military vehicle accident. Was driving an echelon vehicle near Oshakati to rebunker the squadron when it overturned.  Nok Mother “Mrs Gibbon.” Still trying to find his family
  3. Tpr G Volgraaff as he ran from his disabled car. He was wounded by enemy fire in the stomach. Taljaard & Adams ran forward and pulled him to cover and then carried him to where a vehicle could take him to the medics. I believe he lived in Kanoneiland (Upington.)
  4. Maj WCA Rigaardt
  5. Capt A Fourie Squadron Commander Reserve Squadron was there to relieve Maj WCA Rigaardt. Capt Fourie was also Commander of Battle Team Bravo. I believe he has passed away.
  6. Capt (Willie) Strydom SAIC
  7. Lt JC du Raan.
  8. Lt JW Swanepoel
  9. 2nd Lt Johan du Toit
  10. 2Lt AJ Kriel, in the neck, back, legs and arms. Helped out at the mortars with Taljaard.  Herman van Niekerk wounded in the back arms and legs. Holm,  & Taljaard were killed.
  11. 2Lt Jan Alberts    
  12. S Sgt OM van Linden, (Possibly Permanent Force?)
  13. Cpl GC Hugo,
  14. Cpl JN (Jakkals) van der Merwe ( I think he was also called Jaco.)
  15. Cpl G Botha,
  16. Cpl JC Wahl
  17. Cpl Adams Also helped at the mortars
  18. L/Cpl PC (Piet) van Ellewee.
  19. Trp WAC Swart,
  20. L/Cpl GE Visser,
  21.  L/Cpl J Kotzé
  22. Tpr RH Ludwig. Came forward to rescue Cpl Botha’s crew.
  23. Trooper NG Obbes who was killed.

 We are searching for the stories, the families and those who wish to be heard. Let us tell the stories and let those who fought in this war be heard. You can remain anonymous.