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Du Randt , Johann Christiaan (J C)

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Identity
Person No.
30155
Old ROH no.
389
Service No.
70517313PE
Last Name
First Name
Johann Christiaan
Initials
J C
Date of Birth
Unknown
Est. Birth Year
Age at Death
32
Death Record
Cause code
KIA 14,781
Killed in action
Cause of Death
Killed in action, Atlas AM3C Bosbok #934, shot down by SA-8 South of Lomba river, Angola. During Ops Modular, was giving battery targeting information on the enemy when the Angolan brigades started shooting at the plane with SAM missiles guns. The plane was hit and crashed in a nearby field
Military Service
Branch
Army
Rank
Commandant
Unit
Unknown
Secondary Unit
Army
Defence Force
SADF 3,815
South African Defence Force
Memorial
Memorial
Location
Cuito Cuanavale, Cuando Cubango province, Angola
Coordinates
Panel
On the panel
Operation Moduler
Memorial
Memorial
Location
Potchefstroom, North West province, South Africa
Panel
Not listed against a numbered panel
On the panel
Position on the panel will be added with photographs
Operation
Operation
Dates
1987-08-01 to 1987-11-15
About
Operation launched to support UNITA against a major FAPLA offensive aimed at capturing UNITA's stronghold of Mavinga. Culminated in the Battle of the Lomba River (September-October 1987), where SADF mechanised and artillery forces, fighting alongside UNITA, halted and largely destroyed FAPLA's 47 Brigade attempting to cross the river — the action in which several ROH records on this site (Alves, De Klerk, Kuyler, McCallum, Mananza, Tchipango and others) were killed when their Ratel 90 was destroyed at point-blank range by a T-55 tank.
Unit History
Role at time of death
Artillery (Composite Regiment, Potchefstroom)
Status
Permanent Force (Regular)
Part of
"4 Artillery Regiment (Composite Regiment) (Potchefstroom)" listed under the SA Army Artillery Formation's regular units. Exact formation date not given in the source.
Awards
Pro Patria Medal
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

Husband of Mrs. V. H. D. du Randt

Research notes


Col (rt) Graham du Toit Last Post 3 Sep 2026: confirmed, all details already matched exactly.
4 Sep 2026: Unit leftover "4 Artillery Regiment" (a named regiment, not a sub-unit) moved to Regiment. Corps unchanged. | Gunners Association RoH lists them (South African Border War 1987 Commandant J.C. Du Randt) - https://www.gunners.org.za/home-2/roll-of-honour/
National Gunners' Memorial, Potchefstroom (photograph supplied by John, 16 Sep 2026): inscribed as "CMDT J.C. DU RANDT" -- rank, initials and surname all match this record exactly.

Citations
Unknown
External References
Stories 1
on 06 August 2002 · via source
Cmdt Du Randt was the commander of four field regiment in Potch, on Duty in Ops modular in Angola, Early one evening Cmdt Du Randt was flying around in a Bosbok spotter plane giving our battery targeting information on the enemy when the Angolan brigades started shooting at the plane with SAM missiles guns etc. the plane was hit and crashed in a near by Field where the Pilot and Cmdt Du Randt died.
Dedications 2
by Panicco on 05 April 2008 · via source
Cmdt Du Randt was commanding officer of 1 Medium Battery (my battery for basics). He was not an egoscentric disciplinarian as many commanding officers were. I remember we had a day pass to go to Potch dam after basics (1986) and i saw him and his child both with big grins, sliding down a water slide together. Rest in peace Sir.
by Johan Schoeman on 14 June 2015 · via War in Angola
We will remember him! RIP