Wat ons van daardie tyd aan mekaar koppel het begin toe die eenheid opgedeel in twee en ons sou ‘n “opvoering/konsert” wat deur die “dankie tannies” gereel is op Tsumeb bywoon. Almal het mooi gesit en wag vir die tweede helfte van die vertoning om te begin toe die RSM Killer Smit ons uitjaag en beveel om buite aan te tree. Ons almal het gedink hy maak ‘n grap, maar kon sien aan sy tweede opdrag daar is moeilikheid. Dis hoe die operasie vir ons begin het. Ons is in groepe opgedeel en met ratels, kwe-voels op plase afgelaai, 3 of 4 op ‘n keer vir paasbeskerming. ander het eenheid toe gegaan. Op die plaas waar ons afglaai was het die boer net 2 koedoes geskiet, ons moes toe die aand help slag….
Daarvandaan is ek Tsinsebis toe waar my bev my nodig gehad het. Iemand anders is toe in my plek afgelaai.
Ek het nie jou swaer en pa geken nie, maar kan die Ratel wat deur Rpg’s uitgeskiet is en dae lank gebrand het met net twee oorlewendes, die boesman wat voor by die drywer gesit het en die een wat op die spaarwiel agter op die ratel gesit het en landmyn insedente baie goed onthou aangesien ek die dag in Tsinsabis was. Hulle het die kaplyne vir spore gaan vee en ek het die ratel sien wegry uit die basis. Die skok en ongeloof daarvan, die operasie en intensiewe soektog na die sowat 80 Swapo's, die kontakte wat Koevoet en ons magte hulle splintergroepe toegedien het, die Tsumeb vliegveld wat as tydelikke basis ingerig is. Die ratels met groot luidsprekers wat gevangenes se boodskappe uitgebulder het en 120mm mortiere wat die hele nag lank verligting mortiere geskied het om hulle uit te put en aan die beweeg te hou. Die Dakotas wat thunderflashes op lae hoogte uitgegooi het om spore wat net weggeraak het op te spoor. Die allohette gunships wat boom hoogte gevlieg het. Pumas wat vooraad soos ammo,diesel, ratpacks en water ingevlieg het.
Jou verlies was, soos dit deel was van jou, was dit deel van ons almal wat daar was, ons het dit almal aan ons gevoel, maar het dit destyds weggepraat deur weg te kruip agter die frase, “dit was nog nie my beurt nie”
Behalwe die operasies Angola toe kan ek die in die driehoek van die dood goed onthou, paasbeskerming gedoen en in daardie donker Suidwes nag allen waggestaan op die plase, die wonder of jy ooit weer jou familie gaan sien. Dit laat diep merke wat nie uitgevee kan word nie, woede wat nie gemeet kan word nie, wraak wat nie tot uiting kom nie, maar dit verstaan jy beter as ek.
Ook die sihestas van 11 tot 2 in die somer. Die donderweer en reen in die laat middag om alles af te koel. Die vuurwarm stort wat met donkies warm gemaak is. Die eetplek(daardie lekker Suid Wes steaks en koue Windhoek biere en fliek, sokker / rugby veld aan die noorde kant, hek aan die suidekant, wagtorings wat ons self gesweis het en opgerig het……..snaaks hoe jy die swaar dele uitwis en die lekker dinge onthou…
Baie jare nadat ek van Grootfontein terug gevlieg het republiek toe, het ek en my familie in die mooie Namibia gaan vakansie hou. Ons het in Windhoek die museum besoek en vir enigiemand wat daar was en my ervaring op die grens deel sal ek dit nie aanraai nie. Swapo stal dit daar uit asof hulle die oorlog teen ons gewen het. Die woede kan ek nie hier beskryf nie, net dat my vrou 'n week later, toe ons in Etosha vakansie gehou het, skaars 70km van die 61Meg Basis, vir my gese het sy ken nie die mens wat ek op daardie tydstip was nie. Al die emosies, beelde van die oorlog, en die belediging van 'n museum in Windhoek wat se ons het die oorlog verloor.....
Ek kon myself nie sover kry om die basis te gaan besoek nie, ek dink nie ek wou die verval van die eens trotse en effektiewe veggroep ervaar nie.
Een ding sal altyd by my bly en dis ons leier van daardie tyd, Col. De Vries - beste man om voor te loop in 'n oorlog, vra my ek weet. Generaal De Vries is ‘n legende in my oe.
Ek het die vooreg gehad om ‘n paar jaar na die tyd met Visi Admiraal Dries Putter(In my tyd Hoof van die Vloot) te gesels en vrae oor strategie tydens operasies waarby ons betrokke was te vra, oor dinge wat destyds nie sin gemaak het nie. Hy het my 61Meg bevelvoerder persoonlik geken en hom gereken as een van die heel bestes en dit het my met nog meer trtots laat swel diep hierbinne my.
Ek moet net die volgende ook noem van daardie tyd, 61Meg se Infanterie, Pantser en Artillerie , Tiffies, Shefs en Admin se mense en amal wat aan ons kant was, soos jou pa en ma hulle die boere van die driehoek van die dood, was en is van die beste wat daar was en het diep spore in my hart getrap en dit sal vir altyd spesiaal vir my bly.
Een ding is seker, ons het “Generaal De La Rey’s” in eie tyd gehad en ervaar, almal wat daar was en help seker maak die meeste van ons kom terug en vir die wat dit nie gemaak het nie sal ek vir ewig dankbaar wees dat ek en my makkers wel hier is om die storie te vertel en helde soos jou pa en swaer te eer vir hulle opoffering. Lank lewe hulle legende! ! !
Dit bring my terug by die hede: Ek het die voorreg gehad om saam met my seun van 14jaar verlede Sondag na die Ysterplaat lugskou te neem en vir die eerste keer kon ek hom in ‘n ratel laat inklim(drywers sitplek, Bevelvoerder sitplek, Gunner sitplek) en presies verduidelik waarvoor al die 1000 knoppies was, snaaks hoe vinnig als weer terugkom al is 30jaar al weer verby. Vir die omanne, net die wapentuig het verander, die res is nog dieselfde, behalwe die nuwe ratels sal flikkerligte, sirens en spiels stukkend ry die eerste keer as hulle moet visgraad of bundu bash…….
Ek kon hom ook die lidtekens op my vingers wys waar die 61 Meg ratel se drywers hatch wat teen die 20mm kanon geleun het en toe, toe geval het toe ek die turret draai om in te klim om die radio’s aan te skakel een oggend in Angola en dit alles oor opofferings wat mense soos jou pa en swaer en ander helde selfs die wat nie gesneuwel het nie vir ons gemaak het.
Riana, dankie vir jou en jou familie en die opoffering wat julle moes maak ek en die ander troepe wat daar was waardeer dit elke dag.
Aan al my 61 Meg makkers wil ek net se, manne dit was 'n voorreg, dankie.
Jacques Nel
Sersant
Kaapveld Artillerie
14 Veld Regement
Monday, September 29, 2008
Monday, December 17, 2007
Blog is 1 yr old
Good evening friends
Its a year today that the blog is online. Once agian I want to thank Neville for his help and I want to thank every single one of you that have been here and a very big thanks to all the guys who have mailed me.
Ive had so many responces and Im glad to say I know much more now about the day we had our big loss than I did a year ago. It came at the right time, I was ready to learn the full story. Im glad to have made contact with Oom Roland de Vries again. Im glad to have made contact with every single person who have mailed me.
I hope to get more input in the year to come and that we could get the blog to be a place where old friends meet and exchange stories.
Mech greetings and a wonderfull festive season for all of you.
Riana
Its a year today that the blog is online. Once agian I want to thank Neville for his help and I want to thank every single one of you that have been here and a very big thanks to all the guys who have mailed me.
Ive had so many responces and Im glad to say I know much more now about the day we had our big loss than I did a year ago. It came at the right time, I was ready to learn the full story. Im glad to have made contact with Oom Roland de Vries again. Im glad to have made contact with every single person who have mailed me.
I hope to get more input in the year to come and that we could get the blog to be a place where old friends meet and exchange stories.
Mech greetings and a wonderfull festive season for all of you.
Riana
happy birthday blog
Good evening friends
Its a year today that the blog is online. Once agian I want to thank Neville for his help and I want to thank every single one of you that have been here and a very big thanks to all the guys who have mailed me.
Ive had so many responces and Im glad to say I know much more now about the day we had our big loss than I did a year ago. It came at the right time, I was ready to learn the full story. Im glad to have made contact with Oom Roland de Vries again. Im glad to have made contact with every single person who have mailed me.
I hope to get more input in the year to come and that we could get the blog to be a place where old friends meet and exchange stories.
Mech greetings and a wonderfull festive season for all of you.
Riana
Monday, December 18, 2006
The Men of 61 Mechanised Battalion
A couple of weeks ago I came across Riana on the internet and we exchanged the usual questions starting with ASL (age, sex, location). She told me she is from Namibia and I suspect because of my age (44), she asked, whether I had been to Namibia before, whereby I replied that I had been there, courtesy of the South African Defense Force during 1982 to 1984.
She went on to ask me whether, I had been on or known of, operation Yahoo and I replied, no. In fact I had never heard of it or could not remember ever hearing of it and was sure that she was either mistaken or having me on. I all too often come across people who claim to have been amidst the goings on of the brutal terrorist war that was being fought, in the northern regions of what is now Namibia, thinking that they can somehow convince people into believing their stories of glory. The fool some of the people some of the time but they cant fool all of the people all of the time, especially those who have actually been there.
Riana began telling me a story and I soon came to the somewhat shocking realization that she was real and the story she was telling was the real. I sat on the edge of my chair till 3 in the morning taken back to a world that I had almost forgotten and in a way, so desperately wanted to forget.
After eventually going to bed, I could not sleep and could not stop thinking of that period of my life and what it was like to be there but, I could not help having doubts about the finer details of what she had told me.
Even though the sincerity in which she had conveyed the story, had me convinced that there surely must be some truth in it and I was convinced that an event of such magnitude must surely, be documented somewhere on the internet.
It was!! However, what I find so extremely saddening is that the details of our heroes are so sparsely documented that they are forgotten by the vast majority and the fading memories of those who still do remember will soon dissappear under the sands of time.This is the exact purpose of this Blog. To remind you, NEVER to forget!
In Remenberence of 2nd Lt D.R. van der Westhuizen and Rfn. J.H Potgieter who were attached to 61 Mechanised Battalion Group, Omuthiya in the Tsumeb district. “Etoshagebiedsmag”. Veni Vidi Vici!! Lest we forget.
In short, this is the story Riana van der Westhuizen’s conveyed to me. The details of which may be blurred by myself. She is the daughter of late 2nd Lt D.R van der Westhuizen and sister in law of late Rifleman J.H Potgieter. This is her Blog and I merely set it up for her together with this prologue, for her to continue with. The details are up to Riana and the men of 61 Mech, who hopefully come across this page, to keep it alive together with the memories of our heroes and our past. Go for it guys!
As mentioned above 2nd was attached to 61 Mech who was an accomplished tracker, between 6 and 18 April 1981 there were numerous infiltrations, which led to four events where fire was exchanged with Swapo infiltrators and which lead to the death or capture of eight of the enemy. Lt D.R. van der Westhuizen was involved in all four events.
On the 14th April 1981 two of his comrades, without substantial cover, were pinned down by Swapo insurgents, whereby 2nd Lt van der Westhuizen, “without hesitation”, as quoted by military documentation regarding the incident, stood upright in a military vehicle known a “Buffel” while ordering the driver to position the vehicle in which he was standing upright in, between the Swapo and the solders pinned down, thereby redirecting the fire to himself giving the soldiers opportunity to take cover. The Swapo were subsequently killed. For this act 2nd Lt van der Westhuizen received the Honoris Crux.
For those who don’t know the enormity of being bestowed the Honoris Crux. It is awarded only to those who "without thought of own safety and through personal courage and determination performed a gallant act or deed against the enemy in the field". It has only been awarded 187 times since its inception in 1952 to 1991.
One year and one day later on 15th April 1982, while on patrol in a Ratel, Lt van der Westhuizen was following a couple of a tracks that one of his trackers had picked up. The Ratel was hit by no less than five RPG-7 rockets in an ambush just after 10am. By the time backup went to their aid the majority of the occupants of the Ratel had been killed including Lt van der Westhuizen’s son in law Rfn. J.H Potgieter. Riana was only 11 years old at the time.
Lest we forget.
Rfn B.J Wolfaardt
Rfn. M Peterson
Rfn. JH Potgieter.
Rfn. Hough
Rfn. JDC du Toit
Rfn. GPC Hattingh
2nd DR van der Westhuizen
L/Cpl JJ van der Berg
Kpl MJ van Jaarsveld
Riana would like to hear from anybody who was involved with 61 Mech Battalion. Her address is at the top of this page.
Neville van Jaarsveld.
She went on to ask me whether, I had been on or known of, operation Yahoo and I replied, no. In fact I had never heard of it or could not remember ever hearing of it and was sure that she was either mistaken or having me on. I all too often come across people who claim to have been amidst the goings on of the brutal terrorist war that was being fought, in the northern regions of what is now Namibia, thinking that they can somehow convince people into believing their stories of glory. The fool some of the people some of the time but they cant fool all of the people all of the time, especially those who have actually been there.
Riana began telling me a story and I soon came to the somewhat shocking realization that she was real and the story she was telling was the real. I sat on the edge of my chair till 3 in the morning taken back to a world that I had almost forgotten and in a way, so desperately wanted to forget.
After eventually going to bed, I could not sleep and could not stop thinking of that period of my life and what it was like to be there but, I could not help having doubts about the finer details of what she had told me.
Even though the sincerity in which she had conveyed the story, had me convinced that there surely must be some truth in it and I was convinced that an event of such magnitude must surely, be documented somewhere on the internet.
It was!! However, what I find so extremely saddening is that the details of our heroes are so sparsely documented that they are forgotten by the vast majority and the fading memories of those who still do remember will soon dissappear under the sands of time.This is the exact purpose of this Blog. To remind you, NEVER to forget!
In Remenberence of 2nd Lt D.R. van der Westhuizen and Rfn. J.H Potgieter who were attached to 61 Mechanised Battalion Group, Omuthiya in the Tsumeb district. “Etoshagebiedsmag”. Veni Vidi Vici!! Lest we forget.
In short, this is the story Riana van der Westhuizen’s conveyed to me. The details of which may be blurred by myself. She is the daughter of late 2nd Lt D.R van der Westhuizen and sister in law of late Rifleman J.H Potgieter. This is her Blog and I merely set it up for her together with this prologue, for her to continue with. The details are up to Riana and the men of 61 Mech, who hopefully come across this page, to keep it alive together with the memories of our heroes and our past. Go for it guys!
As mentioned above 2nd was attached to 61 Mech who was an accomplished tracker, between 6 and 18 April 1981 there were numerous infiltrations, which led to four events where fire was exchanged with Swapo infiltrators and which lead to the death or capture of eight of the enemy. Lt D.R. van der Westhuizen was involved in all four events.
On the 14th April 1981 two of his comrades, without substantial cover, were pinned down by Swapo insurgents, whereby 2nd Lt van der Westhuizen, “without hesitation”, as quoted by military documentation regarding the incident, stood upright in a military vehicle known a “Buffel” while ordering the driver to position the vehicle in which he was standing upright in, between the Swapo and the solders pinned down, thereby redirecting the fire to himself giving the soldiers opportunity to take cover. The Swapo were subsequently killed. For this act 2nd Lt van der Westhuizen received the Honoris Crux.
For those who don’t know the enormity of being bestowed the Honoris Crux. It is awarded only to those who "without thought of own safety and through personal courage and determination performed a gallant act or deed against the enemy in the field". It has only been awarded 187 times since its inception in 1952 to 1991.
One year and one day later on 15th April 1982, while on patrol in a Ratel, Lt van der Westhuizen was following a couple of a tracks that one of his trackers had picked up. The Ratel was hit by no less than five RPG-7 rockets in an ambush just after 10am. By the time backup went to their aid the majority of the occupants of the Ratel had been killed including Lt van der Westhuizen’s son in law Rfn. J.H Potgieter. Riana was only 11 years old at the time.
Lest we forget.
Rfn B.J Wolfaardt
Rfn. M Peterson
Rfn. JH Potgieter.
Rfn. Hough
Rfn. JDC du Toit
Rfn. GPC Hattingh
2nd DR van der Westhuizen
L/Cpl JJ van der Berg
Kpl MJ van Jaarsveld
Riana would like to hear from anybody who was involved with 61 Mech Battalion. Her address is at the top of this page.
Neville van Jaarsveld.
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