Identity
Person No.
29958
Old ROH no.
1777
Service No.
77507853BG
Last Name
First Name
Pieter Jacobus
Initials
P J
Date of Birth
Unknown
Est. Birth Year
Age at Death
19
Death Record
Date of Death
Cause code
Unknown
Cause of Death
Fatally wounded in an ambush between Eenhana and Oshigambo whilst sweeping the road for mines. He was in the 81mm mortar platoon and was on convoy protection duties between Oshakati and Eenhana
Military Service
Branch
Army
Rank
Rifleman
Unit
Unknown
Secondary Unit
Army
Defence Force
SADF 3,823
South African Defence Force
Location
Country
Locality
Grave Reference
Memorial
Memorial
Location
On a koppie at the Voortrekker Monument, overlooking Pretoria
Address
Coordinates
Panel
On the panel
1980 Army. Left column. 29th name from the top (De Beer P.J.)
Unit History
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. P. J. De Beer
Research notes
SADF Wall of Remembrance (Voortrekker Monument): named on photograph "1980 Army (Abel–Ralikwatha). Photograph: South African War Graves Project.". 1980 Army. Left column. 29th name from the top (De Beer P.J.).
14 Sep 2026: Pro Patria Medal added -- database-wide sweep for SADF Border War operational-area deaths within the medal's gazetted window (25 Jun 1976 - 27 Apr 2003), per the warrant's died-before-qualifying-period provision. See PersonAward.Citation for the gazette references.
Citations
Unknown
External References
-
Bushwar Books - Lest We Forget
open source ↗
Bushwar Books 22 Aug 2026: confirms De Beer P.J., 4 SAI, Eenhana-Oshigambo mine-sweep ambush.
- South African War Graves Project open source ↗
-
The War in Angola
open source ↗
War In Angola Roll of Honour (warinangola.com, tabid=1175), pages 42-45 of 143: confirmed, no changes.
Stories 3
Pte de Beer was fatally wounded in an ambush between Eenhana and Oshigambo whilst sweeping the road for landmines. He was in the 81mm mortar platoon and was on convoy protection duties between Oshikati and Eenhana at the time. He was in the group coming from Eenhana towards Oshigambo. Our group, coming from Oshikati was supposed to meet them at the halfway mark. Pte de Beer was well liked in his section. He was in the same section as Pte Wiese who also died in the ambush. W.J.Smit
I knew this person very well, he got killed in a ambush travelling from Eenhana to Oshakati, they were anbushed between Eenhana and Oshigambo, I still remeber this like yesterday, we were travelling from Oshakati to Eenhana, we were supposed to meet half way. De Beer and Wiese both were killed in this ambush. We heard the news of the ambush when we teamed up. CPL Brits if I am correct was the convoy leader. Still today it will always be sad, we will never forget them, they will always be our ' BROTHERS IN ARMS". To both of you I salute you, you will always be part of our lives.
I was in the ambush on the day of PJ de Beer's passing. Our task was to protect the convoys as the roads were swept for mines. Approximatey 20 of us were ambushed by over 50 terrorists (statistics are drawn from notes taken during debriefing, and according to Kmdt van Graan - OC Eenhana, 54 Area) . "PJ" and Andries Wiese tragically perished in the skirmish and 9 others received physical wounds; while we (and later the SAAF gunships) saw to it that the opposing forces did not escape unscathed, with the later despatch of 8 terrorists. Although the passing years fade our memories around the edges - we will not forget you.
Dedications
No dedications have been added yet.