South West African/Namibian Border War, this destroyed homestead reminds us again of the sheer sacrifice asked of young men in a war and the devastating loss of it all. Liberty as they say is not “cheap”.

03 Jul 1987: Two members from the South African Defence Force 1 Special Service Battalion, attached to the 10th Armoured Car Regiment were…Read More

This SADF “MASH” unit was a familier memory to many of the veterans of the South West Afrrica/Namibia and Angola border Bush War.

Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH), Air Force Base #Ondangwa. Many, many SADF personnel owe their lives to the surgeons and medical staff that served in this Hospital and to the SAAF Chopper Crews that casevaced…Read More

Bush War – South West Africa/Namibia operational area on the Angolan border – here a South African Air Force 2 Squadron Mirage IIICZ is seen landing at Air Force Base (AFB) #Ondangwa after returning from a bombing mission in Southern Angola.

Image and caption courtesy and thanks to Graham Du Toit #2Sq #MirageIII

A sight of a shot out SADF #Ratel Infantry Fighting Vehicle none of us likes to see. This weekend we pause to remember the four members from B Company, 1 SAI including two Cousins acting as the MAG Gunner team, who were Killed in Action in South Eastern Angola on 14 Feb 1988 during a contact with elements of the 59th FAPLA Brigade (Angola’s armed…Read More

“As another beautiful comes to an end at AFB #Ondangwa and the night vigil begins, we see the #Puma helicopter as it stands ready for Fire-Force duties at first light, the Air Traffic Controller in the Control Tower in the background prepares for the graveyard shift 23h00 to 05h00 and there is a hive of activity at the light aircraft flight line…Read More

A little bit of “cheeky” military humour for the weekend – please excuse the brashness but we are after all a bunch of military veterans.

Here a South African Air Force #Alouette III helicopter’s Flight Engineer/Gunner gives a typical response to fellow crew members flying alongside.

Not found in the Public Relations photographs in the SADF but…Read More

1980, Operation #Sceptic. Captain Tinus van Rensburg lying on a stretcher after being brought back to South West Africa/Namibia.

His Alouette III Helicopter, Serial No. 24 was shot down by an RPG-7 anti-tank rocket during the later stages of Operation Sceptic. His Flight Engineer Koos Cilliers was Killed. Tinus successfully evaded capture until…Read More

Just because it’s just such an iconic photograph – taken by the late and much loved Herman “the German” Potgieter and it adorned the room of many a small boy as a poster in the 80’s.

SAAF Mirage IIIEZ 831 firing a ripple of 68mm SNEB High Explosive Unguided Rockets.

Taken in 1978 at Roodewal. Derek Kirkland flying the Mirage and Herman Potgieter…Read More

Operation #Savannah 1975, this rare photograph taken deep into Angola of a SADF #Eland-90 Armoured Car of Combat Group Foxbat at the Re-Supply point at the abandoned Clinic at Santa Comba. Note the 25 pounder field gun in the background, also note the strikingAngolan landscape south of the country’s capital Luanda.

On 14 October, the South…Read More

Uncommon to see aerial operational photographs like this one of The Border War in South West Africa/Namibia. Here a South African Air Force #Impala MK II is on bush patrol – and demonstrating exactly what it entailed – low and fast flight – seen here performing a low level, high speed tight turn over the flat terrain of Ovamboland.

Picture and…Read More

Operation #Modular October 5 1987. When the SADF captured this Soviet #SA-8 missile launcher it caused an international stir with the “Western Powers” and the USA in particular taking a very keen interest to know its capability and secrets.

At the height of the cold war nobody in the “west” had been close to one of these, it was a Soviet “Top…Read More