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Atkins , Ronald (R)

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No photograph available — remembrance poppy
Identity
Person No.
29276
Old ROH no.
27
Service No.
76624899PC
Last Name
Atkins 4
First Name
Ronald
Initials
R
Date of Birth
Unknown
Est. Birth Year
1959 (±1 yr) 446
Age at Death
20
Death Record
Date of Death
25 December 1979 144
Cause code
MVA 2,660
Motor vehicle accident
Cause of Death
Died in motor vehicle accident 1,764
Died in Military Vehicle Accident, military motorcycle accident, at Grootfontein
Military Service
Branch
Army
Rank
Private
Regiment
2 Military Base Management 1
Unit
2 Military Base Management 1
Defence Force
SADF 3,874
South African Defence Force
Location
Country
South Africa 23,879
Locality
Western Cape 2,137
Cemetery
RIVERSDALE NG CHURCH CEMETERY 1
Grave Reference
Unknown
Memorial
1978 SAA (Hitchens–Human, Wolmarans) to 1979 SAA (Akaando–Djolomien, Maarman–Saal)
Names on 1978-1979 SAA Hitchens-Saal
Memorial
SADF Wall of Remembrance
Location
On a koppie at the Voortrekker Monument, overlooking Pretoria
Address
Voortrekker Monument, Eeufees Road, Groenkloof, Pretoria, 0181, South Africa
Coordinates
-25.77639, 28.17583 · OpenStreetMap
Panel
1978-1979 SAA Hitchens-Saal
On the panel
1979 Army. Left column. 4th name from the top (Atkins R.)
Notes

Son of Mrs. H. Atkins, of Riversdale, Western Cape.

Research notes

Col (rt) Graham du Toit Last Post 25 Dec 2017: 76624899PC Private Ronald Atkins, 2 Military Base Management, killed in a military vehicle accident at Grootfontein, age 20. ROH already had military motorcycle accident at Grootfontein (not overwritten). Unit was empty with regiment 2 Military Base Management — set Unit to 2 Military Base Management (new UnitID 4189), Unit2 Army, Force SADF.
SADF Wall of Remembrance (Voortrekker Monument): named on photograph "1978 SAA (Hitchens–Human, Wolmarans) to 1979 SAA (Akaando–Djolomien, Maarman–Saal)". 1979 Army. Left column. 4th name from the top (Atkins R.).
14 Sep 2026: Pro Patria Medal added -- database-wide sweep for SADF Border War operational-area deaths within the medal's gazetted window (25 Jun 1976 - 27 Apr 2003), per the warrant's died-before-qualifying-period provision. See PersonAward.Citation for the gazette references.
14 Sep 2026: Pro Patria Medal added earlier today REVERTED -- John obtained the actual Government Gazette (GG 5171/5575); the "died before completing the qualifying period" provision relied on does not exist in the primary text (it was a secondary-source claim). Actual Rule 5 requires (a) combat/enemy-caused incident, (b) a Ministerially-acknowledged operation (clasp), or (c) 55+ continuous/90+ non-continuous days in an operational area -- none of which this record's cause of death clearly demonstrates.
25 Sep 2026, Unit2 service-branch sweep: the stored Secondary Unit "Army" was CLEARED as a duplicate. It was not a sub-unit, it was a service-branch word repeating what the Branch column already says. Secondary Unit is for sub-units -- a company, a squadron, a commando -- and this record's branch of service is unchanged at "Army".

Citations
Unknown
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