Identity
Person No.
29745
Old ROH no.
1868
Service No.
73215824PE
Last Name
First Name
Jacobus Daniel (koos)
Initials
J D
Date of Birth
Unknown
Est. Birth Year
Age at Death
23
Death Record
Date of Death
Cause code
KIA 14,780
Killed in action
Cause of Death
Killed in action, shot down by RPG-7 in Alouette III #24. Both he and the pilot, Capt T van Rensburg, were thrown clear when the aircraft hit the ground. Cilliers was killed in the crash but the pilot escaped, and although injured, returned to the South African lines on foot. This was during the latter stages of Operation Sceptic. His body was recovered 2 years later
Military Service
Branch
Air Force
Rank
Sergeant
Regiment
Unit
Unknown
Secondary Unit
Army
Defence Force
SADF 3,823
South African Defence Force
Location
Country
Locality
Cemetery
Grave Reference
Coordinates
Operation
Operation
Dates
1980-06-01 to 1980-06-30
About
Large mechanised operation into southern Angola against SWAPO bases around Chifufia and Mongua, notable as an early large-scale combat use of the Ratel infantry fighting vehicle and Olifant tank.
Awards
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. and Mrs. D. H. S. Cilliers
Research notes
Willem Steenkamp, Borderstrike! South Africa into Angola 1975–1980, 3rd ed. (Just Done Productions, 2006, ISBN 978-1-920169-00-8): Alouette III shot down by an RPG-7 on 23 June 1980 during Operation Sceptic while sweeping ahead of Puma stopper groups near the Xangongo–Mongua road. Pilot Lt Tinus van Rensburg escaped on foot; Cilliers died at the wreck. Body returned to South Africa on 17 November 1982 in a prisoner exchange (with L/Cpl Wynand Swart, who is not on this roll).
5 Sep 2026: Unit "17 Squadron" (a squadron, SAAF's regiment-equivalent) promoted to Regiment, per John's decision. Corps (South African Air Force) unchanged.
Citations
Unknown
External References
-
Borderstrike! (Willem Steenkamp)
open source ↗
Willem Steenkamp, Borderstrike! South Africa into Angola 1975–1980, 3rd ed. (Just Done Productions, 2006, ISBN 978-1-920169-00-8)
-
SADF.info Border Roll of Honour
open source ↗
SADF.info Border RoH
- 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 1
Sgt Koos Cilliers was an Alouette helicopter Flight Engineer. On 23 June 1980, he and his pilot, Tinus van Rensburg, were in one of two helicopters that left Cuamato in the afternoon, to sweep ahead of Battle Group 61's vehicles, who were engaged in the latter stages of Operation Sceptic, in Southern Angola. While flying at very low altitude along the Xangongo road, their helicopter was suddenly struck by an RPG -7 rocket, fired by Angolan FAPLA troops in the vicinity. The impact caused their fuel tank to explode, crippling their controls at the same time, and shortly afterwards they crashed heavily into the road, exploding in a ball of flame. Both Tinus van Rensburg and Koos Cilliers were thrown clear in the crash, and somehow survived, but then came under immediate small arms fire from the nearby FAPLA soldiers. Both men scrambled for cover behind a nearby enemy truck and Tinus van Rensburg, turning around as they did so, saw Sgt Cilliers stumbling after him, but Cilliers was then hit by the intense machine gun fire and collapsed before he could reach cover. Van Rensburg took cover under the truck, screaming for Sgt Cilliers to join him, but when the latter did not move, van Rensburg crawled back out to him, only to discover that he was already dead. Crawling back under the truck, van Rensburg eventually made good his escape and returned to South African lines after a number of hair raising adventures. Sgt Koos Cilliers was returned by the Angolans to South Africa for burial on 17 November 1982, during a prisoner exchange. (Information extracted from "Borderstrike" by Willem Steenkamp; Just Done Productions, 2006) Peter Chapman
Dedications
No dedications have been added yet.