Craemer , Carel Leopold Albert (C L A)

O/Kpl. Carl Creamer was verbonde aan 8 SAI. Bn. Alpha kompanie.Op daardie stadium het ons diens gedoen vanaf Oshigambo, in 53 Bn. Die presiese datum ontgaan my, maar dit was op 'n Donderdag oggend in Febr. 1983. toe hy en sy makkers in 'n landmyn voorval betrokke was. O/Kpl. Creamer was die enigste oorledene. Van die ander lede het baie ernstige beserings opgedoen. WAS DIT DIE MOEITE WERD GEWEES !!!!!!!!!!!

Carel Leopold Albert Craemer was born 27-5-62 Date of death is 3/2/83 His unit was 8 SAI A Comp Force No 80536899BG I add the info on behalf of his mother.

I remember the day is if it was yesterday ... not the date ... just the day ... We were doing a stint at Oshigambo ( Google earth ). Craemer was in our platoon, and yes, as the previous writer witnessed, just made L/CPL due to his fantastic organisational skills and leadership abilities. It was a day of deep sorrow indeed. Here's a man with so much in his favour, and he was removed from us in an eyewink! If I'm not mistaken, he was either busy with varsity, or would just have started ... As the previous writer asked ... WAS DIT ALLES DIE MOEITE WERD !!! L/Cpl Craemer had to leave Oshigambo (Latitude: 17° 47'19.45"S Longitude: 16° 4'45.07"E) early that morning to go and get provisions in Ondangwa (Latitude: 17° 52'30.10"S Longitude: 15° 57'7.53"E). A team of sappers swept the road between Ondando (Latitude: 17° 54'16.49"S Longitude: 16° 2'45.48"E), and Oshigambo every day to check for mines. Due to the early departure of L/CPL's Craemer's convoy (7 am), they bundu-bashed all the way next to the gravel road, in a southerly direction as they knew that the sappers were not done yet. This is the worst bit ... they emerged from the bush just in front of Ondando and upon doing so, the Sappers busy sweeping, saw them. They all waved and Craemer's convoy continued to Ondangwa. What we heard after the incident was that the Sappers thus assumed that the 2-Buffel convoy travelled all the way from Oshigambo on the gravel road, and they subsequently ceased their sweeping activities for the day, as they thought 'the road was clear'. When Craemer's convoy returned from Ondangwa, they assumed that the sappers completed the sweeping, and continued north on the gravel road back towards Oshigambo. A light drizzle broke out, whereafter Craemer stopped and told the troops to take out their ground-sheets for covering. Apparently this was +/- on a horizontal line between Oneputa and Lyakahani. (Latitude: 17° 51'2.54"S Longitude: 16° 5'0.19"E). Craemer was the the driver of the 1st Buffel. According to eye-witnesses in the 2nd Buffel, as he pulled away, still busy fastening his belts, the Buffel apparently detonated 3 cheese mines on each front wheel, with horrible consequences. Craemer was casavaced in a chopper, and we heard later that mornin

I KNEW CPL CRAEMER FROM THE TIME WE WERE IN TRAINING IN UPINGTON. FROM AN EARLY STAGE HE SHOWED LEADERSHIP SKILLS AND IT WAS NO WONDER THAT HE GOT RANK ONLY A SHORT WHILE AFTER WE ARRIVED ON THE BORDER. AT THE TIME OF HIS DEATH I WAS ON DETACHED DUTY TO 31 BN AND WE HEARD ABOUT HIS DEATH . THE BUFFEL HE WAS DRIVING HIT A LANDMINE, BUT MUCH MORE WAS NOT TOLD TO US AT THE TIME. THERE WERE MANY RUMOURS ABOUT THE EXACT CIRCUMSTANCES BUT RIGHT TO THE END HE MOTIVATED AND LED THE MEN UNDER HIM IN AN EXEMPLARY MANNER. HAD HE LIVED HE WOULD PROBABLY HAVE BEEN AN OUTSTANDING LEADER IN MILITARY OR PRIVATE LIFE. G.

From Adriaan Els on Facebook: I saw that and have photos of the incident. They were supposed to sweep the road and saw locals driving toward them, packed up and carried on driving when they hit the mines. We heard that it was a double. We then swept the rest of the 24 kilos in one go.

From Adriaan Els on Facebook: Notice the distance from the site of the explosion. The Buffel was moving at a fair clip. The driver unfortunately died because of head injuries, having hit the sides of his compartment. A rifleman told me that he cocked his R4 while airborne.

From Adriaan Els on Facebook: Puddles of water can be seen on the road. They denied that they were speeding and said that they had stopped to put on their raincoats and had just moved off when they hit the mines.