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Courtenay , William Paul (W P)

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No photograph available — remembrance poppy
Identity
Person No.
29853
Service No.
75890780PE
Last Name
Courtenay 2
First Name
William Paul
Initials
W P
Date of Birth
Unknown
Est. Birth Year
1958 (±1 yr) 437
Age at Death
24
Death Record
Date of Death
12 September 1982 155
Cause code
MVA 2,628
Motor vehicle accident
Cause of Death
Died of injuries 578
Died of injuries, sustained in a private motorcycle accident in Central Durban
Military Service
Branch
Army
Rank
Sergeant
Regiment
4 Reconnaissance Regiment 10
Later renamed 4 Special Forces Regiment (1995)
Corps
South African Infantry Corps 10,346
Unit
Unknown
Defence Force
SADF 3,825
South African Defence Force
Location
Country
South Africa 23,866
Locality
Gauteng 9,374
Cemetery
SADF WALL OF REMEMBRANCE, VOORTREKKER MONUMENT, PRETORIA 1,926
Grave Reference
Cremated in Durban 1
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
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.
Notes

Husband of Mrs. R. Courtenay, of Durban.

Research notes

SASFA In Memoriam (natural / other causes): confirmed operator; SASFA lists Operators deceased through natural / other causes (died while still serving on this roll). SASFA: Courteney Paul 1982. https://www.recce.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4.1.-Memoriam.pdf 26 Aug 2026: Unit was leftover "7 South African Infantry Battalion". SAWGP Regiment 4 Reconnaissance Regiment with no separate unit. 26 Aug 2026: Unit2 leftover formed-unit text cleared (not an arm-of-service or company/squadron qualifier).
Col (rt) Graham du Toit Last Post 12 Sep 2026 / Bushwar Books Lest We Forget 12 September (https://www.warbooks.co.za/posts/lest-we-forget-12-september/ 75890780PE Sgt William Paul Courtenay, 4 Recce, private motorcycle accident Durban City Centre, age 24. Already matched (stored "Central Durban"). Bushwar spells surname Courtnay — ROH/SAWGP Courtenay left.
25 Sep 2026, Unit2 service-branch sweep: the stored Secondary Unit "Army" was CLEARED as a duplicate. It was not a sub-unit, it was a service-branch word repeating what the Branch column already says. Secondary Unit is for sub-units -- a company, a squadron, a commando -- and this record's branch of service is unchanged at "Army".

Citations
Unknown
External References
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