Identity
Person No.
29712
Service No.
Unknown
Last Name
First Name
Bheki Petros
Initials
B P
Date of Birth
Unknown
Est. Birth Year
Age at Death
23
Death Record
Date of Death
Cause code
AA 1,737
Aircraft accident
Cause of Death
Died in a helicopter accident. Augusta A109 crashed after takeoff in the Kruger Park during anti-poaching operations (Op Rhino)
Military Service
Branch
Army
Rank
Corporal
Regiment
5 Special Forces Regiment 20
Formerly
5 Reconnaissance Regiment
(1995)
Unit
Unknown
Secondary Unit
Army
Defence Force
SANDF 1,021
South African National Defence Force
Location
Country
Locality
Grave Reference
Memorial
Memorial
Location
On a koppie at the Voortrekker Monument, overlooking Pretoria
Address
Coordinates
Panel
Not listed against a numbered panel
On the panel
Position on the panel will be added with photographs
Unit History
Role at time of death
Special Forces (Reconnaissance)
Status
Permanent Force (Regular)
Part of
5 Special Forces Regiment operates as one of the standing/permanent operational regiments of South African Special Forces, established from the same 1972 lineage as 1 Reconnaissance Commando. Special Forces are their own branch within the SANDF, not part of the Army.
Notes
No additional information known at this time
Research notes
SN CORRECTION 25 Aug 2026 (year-prefix method): ServiceNo 76905249SP cleared -- per the documented SA force-number convention (data/SA_SERVICE_NUMBER_NOTES.md), the prefix '76' implies registration circa 1976 (usually age 16), i.e. birth circa 1960. This record's own Age/DateDeath implies birth circa 1990, a mismatch; PersonNumber 29711 (Catumbele, implied birth circa 1959) fits instead. Original value: "76905249SP". 26 Aug 2026: Unit was leftover "201 Battalion". SAWGP Regiment 5 Special Forces Regiment with no separate unit.
Citations
Unknown
External References
Stories
No stories have been added yet.
Dedications
No dedications have been added yet.