Identity
Person No.
29971
Old ROH no.
304
Service No.
83472712BG
Last Name
First Name
Frederick
Initials
F
Date of Birth
Unknown
Est. Birth Year
Age at Death
19
Death Record
Date of Death
Cause code
Unknown
Cause of Death
The South African armoured column had penetrated deep into Angola and had just formed a laager to take bearings on their position and objectives. Two Angolan Mig 23 fighter jets had spotted the column, making a low pass initially they turned and came in for the attack. The Migs each dropped 500lbs parachute retarded bombs, one bomb landing just behind the Ratel IFV, literally driving the back axle into the ground and igniting the Ratel's 90mm ammunition. The second 500lb bomb landing just next to the Ratel. The Ratel's driver Frikkie de Jager was taking a break and resting in the back of the Ratel when the bombs hit and he died a little later of his injuries caused when the ratel's ammunition detonated
Military Service
Branch
Army
Rank
Trooper
Regiment
Unknown
Secondary Unit
Army
Defence Force
SADF 3,817
South African Defence Force
Location
Country
Locality
Cemetery
Grave Reference
Unit History
Role at time of death
Mechanised Infantry (combined-arms battalion group)
Status
Regular Force
Part of
Formed 1978 as Battle Group Juliet (SWAPO counter-insurgency, Ovamboland); formally named 61 Mechanised Battalion (Group) January 1979; disbanded 2005 at Lohatla. "Battalion Group" reflects its integral combined-arms structure: two Ratel-20-mounted infantry companies, an armoured car/tank squadron (Eland/Ratel-90, later Olifant), an integral G5 howitzer artillery battery, an 81mm mortar platoon, an anti-tank platoon, and an anti-aircraft troop -- not merely units attached for one operation. Fought at the Battle of the Lomba River, 1987. No evidence found that it was ever subordinated to or redesignated as a "61 Mechanised Brigade" -- see the note on that separate OrgEntity record.
Notes
Son of Mr. and Mrs. L. T. de Jager
Research notes
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.
14 Sep 2026: Pro Patria Medal added earlier today REVERTED -- John obtained the actual Government Gazette (GG 5171/5575); the "died before completing the qualifying period" provision relied on does not exist in the primary text (it was a secondary-source claim). Actual Rule 5 requires (a) combat/enemy-caused incident, (b) a Ministerially-acknowledged operation (clasp), or (c) 55+ continuous/90+ non-continuous days in an operational area -- none of which this record's cause of death clearly demonstrates.
Citations
Unknown
External References
- South African War Graves Project open source ↗
-
The War in Angola
open source ↗
War In Angola Roll of Honour (warinangola.com, tabid=1175), pages 66-76 of 143: confirmed, no changes.
Stories 1
We went through basics at 2 special services,shared a tent with Frikki ,endured 2 weeks of rain and mud at rooisloot spanbevs course and we attended a radio comms exercise at zeerust partook in bondel sport at 2ssb and more Frikki was a short medium built guy with straight brown hair and rounded face ,he had an infectious smile and was always so calm spoken and polite with a good sense of humor, what a brother, always got along with everyone. Frikki was asleep in the back of his ratel 90 . We had just travelled through the night in convoy , moving further into Angola and closer to cuito. Im not sure which element we we engaging next, there were so many.i was in the command ratel 3 zero ahead at the edge of a shona taking cover in the trees just before daybreak, as there were inevitably going to be bogies flying another sortie, looking for us, we had to deploy camo nets and fox holes before the sun broke the skyline.We had not received any signals to warn us that morning,but from experince the bogies didnt usually fly before 7 am. we were in this state, i was on top of the ratel dropping the camo net when i heard the high whinning of those mig engines getting clearer and louder .i guess they flew undetected by flying under the radar. knowing instantly that it was not friendlies i screamed at the top of my lungs "bogies" and jumped on the radio to warn the entire column behind us ,about 3 or four clicks. It was then that i saw them, tree top height side by side comming up the shona directly at us,,my heart sank when i realized this may be it. Not moving that fast, less that 100 meters away, their helmets so white with the red star so clear. The star on the forward cockpit and that sandy color, no mistaking the mig 21. so close, that if i had my R4 in my hand , i swear i could have put a round right in his head. i could not believe they did not open fire or drop the bomb,,but they had other intentions. It was not us they saw it was the dust trail they tracked. It was too late,,some were still digging fox holes ,some were still pulling down the camo nets,but Frikki had been driving all night and so lay down on the bench in the back . The bogies climbed and released their single 500 pounders. As they descended on parachute, everyone saw and scrambled . Pierman-White was running when shrapnel from one explosion severed his leg above the top of the boot, and he fell to the ground. Unfortunately the other landed right behind
Dedications 1
Frikki, my friend may you rest in peace , as you were in peace when you left.