Identity
Person No.
29578
Old ROH no.
145
Service No.
72416571BC
Last Name
First Name
Daryl Quintin
Initials
D Q
Date of Birth
Unknown
Est. Birth Year
Age at Death
19
Death Record
Date of Death
Cause code
DOW 2,732
Died of wounds
Cause of Death
Died of wounds, during Ops Savannah while leading a patrol in a contact against a numerically superior enemy force in Central Angola approximately 30km North of Cela. On 2 January 1976 during the SADF's mop up and withdrawal from Angola, he was in command of a 5 SAI platoon approaching Cela from the north. He was advised that Cuban troops occupied the hillocks ahead of them so he led his patrol on foot in the direction of these hillocks, camping overnight in rainy weather. Early the following morning on 3 January 1976, he led a section on a reconnaissance patrol leaving Corporal Vincent Rawlings and the remainder of the platoon in their temporary base at the foot of the hill. After leading his section up a footpath to the crest of the hill, he went forward to observe the enemy positions but was immediately shot and severely wounded by enemy machine gun fire when the patrol was ambushed. At great personal risk, Corporal Rawlings moved forward and retrieved the severely wounded Officer under heavy enemy machine-gun fire, an act that earned him the Honoris Crux Silver. Unfortunately this brave young officer succumbed to his wounds and was pronounced dead on arrival at the Forward Army Surgical Hospital at Cela
Military Service
Branch
Army
Rank
Second Lieutenant
Unit
Unknown
Secondary Unit
"B" Coy.
Defence Force
SADF 3,817
South African Defence Force
Location
Country
Locality
Cemetery
Grave Reference
Coordinates
Operation
Operation
Dates
1975-10-14 to 1976-03-27
About
SADF intervention in the Angolan Civil War following Portugal's withdrawal, in support of UNITA and the FNLA against the Soviet/Cuban-backed MPLA. South African armoured columns (Task Force Zulu and others) advanced deep into Angola, reaching within striking distance of Luanda, before withdrawing by late March 1976 amid international and domestic political fallout. South Africa's first large post-WWII conventional deployment and the opening chapter of the Border War's Angola phase.
Unit History
Awards
South Africa · awarded 1976-01-03
Pro Patria Medal (original 1974 warrant, Government Gazette No. 4490, 8 Nov 1974, as amended by GG No. 4932, 19 Dec 1975) -- confirmed as one of the first 48 posthumous Pro Patria recipients on the official 1976 Roll of Honour, reproduced in P.F. Roos, "Pro Patria Medal: Types, Variants, Ribbon Accoutrements and Selected Recipients of Interest" (Section II, Part One). Gazette extracts: https://rohsa.co.za/award.php?id=24
Notes
Son of Mr. A. C. Brandon
Research notes
Col (rt) Graham du Toit Last Post 03 Jan 2026: 72416571BC 2/Lieutenant Daryl Quinton Brandon, 5 SAI, Died of Wounds during Ops Savannah while leading a patrol against a numerically superior enemy force in Central Angola approximately 30km north of Cela; ambushed on a reconnaissance; retrieved under fire by Cpl Vincent Rawlings (Honoris Crux Silver); pronounced dead on arrival at the Forward Army Surgical Hospital at Cela, age 19. ROH second name is Quintin. ROH CauseDeath already records this account.
Citations
Unknown
External References
-
Col (rt) Graham du Toit Last Post
Col (rt) Graham du Toit Last Post 03 Jan 2026: 72416571BC 2/Lieutenant Daryl Quinton Brandon, 5 SAI, Died of Wounds during Ops Savannah while leading a patrol against a numerically superior enemy force in Central Angola approximately 30km north of Cela; ambushed on a reconnaissance; retrieved under fire by Cpl Vincent Rawlings (Honoris Crux Silver); pronounced dead on arrival at the Forward Army Surgical Hospital at Cela, age 19. ROH second name is Quintin. ROH CauseDeath already records this account.
- South African War Graves Project open source ↗
-
The War in Angola
open source ↗
War In Angola Roll of Honour (warinangola.com, tabid=1175), page 78 of 143: confirmed, no changes.
Stories 2
On 2 January 1976 2Lt Brandon was in command of a Platoon of men approaching Cela from the North, during the South African withdrawal from Angola. He was advised that Cuban troops occupied the hillocks, or dimples as they were known, ahead of them so he led his patrol on foot towards these, camping overnight in rainy weather once they had reached the latter. Early the following morning Brandon led a section on a reconnaissance, leaving Corporal Vincent Rawlings and the remainder of the Platoon in the bivouac they had established. After leading his section up a footpath to the crest of the hill, 2Lt Brandon climbed onto a large flat rock but was immediately shot and killed by enemy machine gun fire, which broke out. They had walked into an ambush. At great personal risk, Corporal Rawlings moved forward and retrieved 2Lt Brandon's body under enemy fire, an act that earned him the Honoris Crux in Silver.
Ek het Daryl goed geken. Ons het hom Brandy genoem. Ons kompanie het bestaan uit 3 peletons en ek , Herman vd Westhuizen (Wessie), en Etienne van Tonder was die ander 2 peletonbevelvoerders.Ons bevelvoerder was maj Charlie Hochapfel en 2e in bevel was kapt Junior Botha. Brandy het 'n wonderlike geaardheid gehad en het met sy motorfiets huistoe gery vanaf 5SAI in Ladysmith as ons afgehad het. Ons 3 peletonbevelvoerders was avontuurlik, maar Brandy se dood het ons hard aarde toe gebring. As ons 3 gekuier het, het hy altyd voorspel dat hy die een sal wees wat in 'n geveg sal sterf.
Dedications 1
Daryl Quentin Brandon was my cousin. I loved him dearly. He was a beautiful cousin, son, brother and nephew to us. He was born on 14th September 1956, and died on 3rd January 1976. I do not know the circumstances of his death in Angola.