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Carstens , Harry (H)

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Photo of Carstens Photo of Carstens
Identity
Person No.
29700
Old ROH no.
198
Service No.
85212843PE
Last Name
Carstens 13
First Name
Harry
Initials
H
Date of Birth
30 September 1968 102
Age at Death
20
Death Record
Date of Death
04 April 1989 159
Cause code
KIA 14,781
Killed in action
Cause of Death
Killed in action 14,655
Killed in action, 4 Apr 1989, ~3 km south of Eenhana. SWAPOL Security cover (Op Saga). Casspir 21C on voorsny entered a PLAN ambush (~10+ insurgents, AK-74 and RPG-7). RPG-7 hit the Casspir on the left ~800 mm above the gearbox; shrapnel struck him in the back and the back of the head while he was firing the twin .30 Brownings. Died instantly. 12 PLAN killed in the contact; Special Constable Matheus Gabriel wounded.
Military Service
Branch
Army
Rank
Corporal
Regiment
1 Reconnaissance Regiment 14
Corps
South African Infantry Corps 10,341
Unit
1 Reconnaissance Commando 8
Later renamed 1 Reconnaissance Regiment (1996)
Defence Force
SADF 3,815
South African Defence Force
Location
Country
South Africa 23,847
Locality
Limpopo 190
Cemetery
WARMBATHS (BELA BELA) CEMETERY 21
Grave Reference
Grave 1110 1
Unit History
Home Unit
1 Reconnaissance Commando
Attached To
102 Bn
Role at time of death
Special Forces (reconnaissance)
Status
Regular Force
Each numbered Reconnaissance unit was renamed over time: "X Reconnaissance Commando" -> "X Reconnaissance Regiment" (1981) -> briefly a Parachute Battalion designation (1992/93, under "45 Parachute Brigade", a Special-Forces-only designation distinct from the real 44 Parachute Brigade) -> "X Special Forces Regiment" (1995). The parent formation itself changed name several times before 1995 (Special Forces Headquarters, then Directorate Reconnaissance(Forces)) with disputed exact dates between sources -- 1995 is the one date sources agree on. Corps classified as SAIC (South African Infantry Corps) per this site's own records; no independent source found confirms that for Special Forces units specifically -- treat as owner-asserted pending a better citation.
Awards
Pro Patria Medal
Pro Patria Medal
South Africa
Pro Patria Medal warrant, Government Gazette No. 5171 (25 Jun 1976), Rule 5, as amended by GG No. 5575 (3 Jun 1977); discontinued by GG No. 25213 (25 Jul 2003, Schedule corrected by GG No. 26778, 17 Sep 2004) for service on/after 27 Apr 2003. Gazette extracts: https://rohsa.co.za/award.php?id=24
Notes

Son of Mr. J. F. Carstens (SADF officer). Voortrekkerhoogte Hoërskool; Parachute Battalion then 1 Recce (operator before age 20). Op Saga: SWAPOL Security Police cover, Okatope. Fellow operator Constable Pieter du Plessis was ops medic in the other Casspir. Buried with full military honours, Heroes Acre, Warmbad (Bela-Bela). Regarded as the last SADF soldier killed in action in the Border War (Lt Els SSB died of wounds the same day; several policemen also KIA 4 Apr).

Research notes

SASFA In Memoriam (operators): confirmed Special Forces operator. SASFA: Carstens Harry KIA 1989. https://www.recce.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4.1.-Memoriam.pdf
6 Sep 2026: John confirmed, from the SASFA In Memoriam PDF (https://www.recce.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4.1.-Memoriam.pdf that this record's FirstName should be "Harry", not "Hermann" -- the same source was already cited on this record (giving "Carstens Harry") but the correction had not been applied at the time. FirstName corrected Hermann -> Harry.

Citations
Unknown
External References
Stories 2
by Fanie on 30 March 2012 · via source
Middag sal nooit vergeet toe ek en Carstens met ons matrasse moes strand toe gaan op sondag r&r. terwyl almal swem moes ek en hy slaap op ons matrasse omdat ons aan die slaap geval het met n sessie in n klaskamer.dit was nou met opleiding by 1Recce op Bluff in 1987. het gehoor dat hy in kontak gesneuwel het maar nou eers gelees basies waar.ons glo en vertrou hy in Hemel en geniet homself.Al my liefde en gebede aan sy naasbestaandes.
by Christine on 30 June 2013 · via source
RIP Harry. Dink nog steeds aan jou elke dag na soveel jaar. Ek sal kom groet sodra ek eendag in die hemel kom, tot dan, als is nog cool hier onder.
Dedications 2
by Suzie on 19 November 2007 · via source
Herman, dit is soveel jare en ek mis jou verskriklik baie. Jy is in die week van "vrede" wat toe uitgedraai het in 'n week van die grootste bloedvergieting in die geskiedenis, jou lewe vir jou land gegee. Jy was my beste vriend, ek was en sal altyd baie lief bly vir jou.
by Johan Schoeman on 04 April 2017 · via War in Angola
He was the very last South African soldier to be killed in action during the Border War that lasted from 1966.