Angolans receiving artillery training in Kühlungsborn, East Germany 1984. The guys the SADF found themselves fighting during the Border War were no pushovers, and seldom seen pictures like these prove it. Unlike the communist guerillas of Portuguese Africa and Rhodesia, the Angolans were trained in conventional tactics. On top of that, they were…Read More

Border War. Iconic photograph taken by the late great Herman Potgieter of a South African Air Force #C47 Dakota from 44 Squadron, taking off opposite a defence bunker near the runway threshold at #Eenhana, South West Africa/Namibia.

Copyright: Herman Potgieter

#61Mech – Charlie Squadron – sitting on a destroyed Russian #T-55 tank – this is the image that is on the dust cover of Dave Mannall’s new book ‘Battle on the #Lomba 1987″ which will be launched tomorrow, and we thought it would be nice to share the foreword of the book written by General de Vries

“Let us go in to action with Charlie S…Read More

Vlamgat – the term the South African Air Force personnel affectionally called their Mirage fighter jets. Vlamgat means ‘flaming arse’ in direct translation – and for good reason.

Here two Mirage III D2Zs, numbers 843 and 849 at the weapons camp in #Langebaanweg in 1985 – one of which is having a ‘wet start’ – where excess fuel in the combustion…Read More

South West Africa/Namibia border 1987, #61Mech Infantry Battalion Group and Charlie Squadron is joyriding in a SADF #Ratel IFV .. picture says a thousand words. Some say, the driver is still getting an oppie .. all we know is he’s called the Stig!

32 Battalion – controversial to this day – yes, but the fact still remains – it is considered to be one of the best fighting battalions the South African Army has ever fielded in battle and of that there is no doubt. This powerful and iconic image of Peter Williams from 32 Battalion is testament to it’s fighting nature.

32 Battalion was pivotal…Read More

Stunning picture of a low flying South African Air Force #Puma helicopter somewhere over Ovamboland during the Bush War. A common and very welcome sight to any SADF veteran who served on the South West Africa/Namibia and Angola border. Copyright and big thank you to Etienne Terblanche for sharing this photo

Natural hazards faced by South African armour during the Border War. Crew of an #Eland-90 armoured car at work freeing their vehicle, after it bogged down in a flooded shona (flood plain) during the annual rainy season in Owamboland – South West Africa/Namiba.

Photo acknowledgement : Chris van der Walt, caption thanks to David Benedict Kiley

Tragic day during the Border War, this is the bombed out SADF #Buffel Armoured Personnel Carrier that signifies one of the heaviest days for the SADF.

On the 27th June 1988, a combined Angolan FAPLA-Cuban force launched an unexpected ground attack against the Calueque Water Scheme SADF positions, close to the South West Africa/Namibia and Angola…Read More

Looking every bit as deadly, South African Defence Force troops kept a very careful lookout for these iconic Soviet era attack helicopters. This rather surreal and dark image of a enemy Angolan Hind Helicopter operated by FAPLA taking off in Angola during the Border War in the late 1980’s.

The Mil #Mi-24 (???? ??-24, NATO reporting name: Hind)…Read More

South West Africa /Namibia cira 1982. A convoy of South African Defence Force #Buffel anti-mine armoured personnel carriers about to go out on patrol near the Angolan border. Clearly seen is the vehicle hull which is in a ‘V ‘shape designed to deflect blasts from land mines away and upward, also clearly seen is the basic configuration of wheels…Read More

Looking every bit the SADF Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) – and epitomising a very special and unique breed of men, feared and loved by the troops and NCO’s (and some junior commissioned officers) all at the same time. Easily identified by the South African crest worn behind a red patch on the sleeve. This is Seargent Major H.G. Smit – the…Read More