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Barnard , Eddie James (E J)

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No photograph available — remembrance poppy
Identity
Person No.
29350
Old ROH no.
45
Service No.
78310109BG
Last Name
Barnard 69
First Name
Eddie James
Initials
E J
Date of Birth
Unknown
Est. Birth Year
1963 (±1 yr) 330
Age at Death
19
Death Record
Date of Death
30 April 1982 118
Cause code
AA 1,737
Aircraft accident
Cause of Death
Died in Shooting Incident 291
Died in Shooting Incident, was critically wounded by a fellow soldier while on duty in Northern Owamboland. A soldier was in the process of making his R4 rifle safe while standing next to a Buffel Troop carrier and Eddie Barnard, who was in the rear of the Buffel, was leaning over the side watching him when the shot went off, critically wounding him in the head. Although evacuated by helicopter, he succumbed to his wounds later in the day in the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital at AFB Ondangwa
Military Service
Branch
Army
Rank
Rifleman
Regiment
4 South African Infantry Battalion 97
Corps
South African Infantry Corps 10,342
Unit
Unknown
Defence Force
SADF 3,817
South African Defence Force
Location
Country
South Africa 23,850
Locality
Gauteng 9,374
Cemetery
SADF WALL OF REMEMBRANCE, VOORTREKKER MONUMENT, PRETORIA 1,926
Grave Reference
Alternative Commemoration until grave found 1,612
Memorial
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
Not listed against a numbered panel
On the panel
Position on the panel will be added with photographs
Unit History
Part of
Infantry Formation (SAAIF) — Motorised Infantry — Regular
Notes

Son of Mrs. M. du Preez, of Germiston.

Research notes

Col (rt) Graham du Toit Last Post 30 Apr 2026: 78310109BG Rifleman Eddie James Barnard, 4 SAI, critically wounded in the head by a fellow soldier making an R4 safe beside a Buffel in Northern Owamboland; evacuated by helicopter; succumbed later that day in the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital at AFB Ondangwa, age 19. ROH CauseDeath already records this account.
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.
Mike Sandham's research log ("List 1"), imported 16 Sep 2026, credited to The South Africa War Graves Project unless his entry says otherwise: dates of death differ -- 1 day(s) apart: Mike 1982-05-01 this record 1982-04-30. A gap of a few days commonly separates wounding from death, or a burial date from a death date. Flagged, not changed.

Citations
Unknown
External References
Stories 4
on 15 June 2011 · via source
I remember: he was a friendly mortarist named barries, I was the barman, we were all innocent 18 year old kids not knowing we could die, his death was sudden and unreal paul
on 28 June 2012 · via source
I remember buddies well ,we trained together in H company 4 sai ,after mortar training we where moved over to delta on 3 platoon company together .Our mortar troop split in half,the other half going over to c company,having completed training in September 1981 our company deployed to SWA .We as motars had a relatively easy going time when compared to our infantry brothers being base camp 81mm mortar home guards. In 1982 our 14 day pass came up and us mortars where sent in groups with the platoons heading state side buddies went along with one of the first groups and on his return came passed eco water tower where a group of 4 sai ,and myself where deployed, he was in good spirit having just arrived from the airport,having left eco tower the group buddies found himself with where routed to a potential contact site ,on arrival ,from what news came back via radio and the personal that where with buddies, contact was made with a group of swapo having a beer at a mud hut come beer hall ,having arrived at the scene in buffels the group gave chase on foot later returning to the vehicles buddies was apparently leaning over the side of the buffle (vehicle) he had being in on arrival,a member on the ground ,making his weapon safe let a round off ,this hit buddies ,choppers arrived to take buddies to ondungwa but it was already to late,he passed away later that night.I never got to say goodbye that day to Eddie.so young so fucking wrong REST IN PEACE my old friend E hardman
by John on 10 July 2012 · via source
Stumbled onto this site by accident. I was next to him on that buffel when it happened. We were the guys on foot chasing and when we got back the buffels arrived with some guys on board. I was put up there with the MAG to cover the area and some guy on the ground (from base camp, not a member of the group chasing), was given an instruction by some corporal (also from base camp) to make his rifle safe. We could not believe it, in a contact zone and this guy was told to make safe by some corporal from base! I was actually staring at this guy when he let the round off, and Barnard was hit. The rest is history. Dont know what else to say, what a waste. So sorry.
by Harry on 29 January 2015 · via source
I remember in 1980 we were ambushed and I was wounded. I wil never forget the coward that did not fire a single shot! A real rambo in base but a real coward when we were in the ambush! The tracker told me afterwards we should have shot him. Anyway it is in the past! Never trust a rambo! The driver saved our lives that day- 30 clicks from Oshigambo!
Dedications 1
by Gerald Alberts on 12 July 2012 · via source
Will always remember Edds. The last time I saw him was when he handed over my post at Odwanga after coming back from 14 days pass, he went to visit my family while on pass, he told my parents not to worry but then he died a few weeks later due to shooting accident. He base was at Oshigambo at that stage. What a sad loss. So young.