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Els , Ferdinand Ben (F B)

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No photograph available — remembrance poppy
Identity
Person No.
30227
Old ROH no.
422
Service No.
83398040BG
Last Name
Els 39
First Name
Ferdinand Ben
Initials
F B
Date of Birth
Unknown
Est. Birth Year
1967 (±1 yr) 289
Age at Death
18
Death Record
Date of Death
20 November 1985 126
Cause code
MVA 2,631
Motor vehicle accident
Cause of Death
Died in motor vehicle accident 1,764
Died in Military Vehicle Accident, at Katima Mulilo
Military Service
Branch
Navy
Rank
Seaman
Regiment
Unknown
Corps
South African Navy 439
Unit
South African Marines 12
Secondary Unit
111 Harbor Protection Unit
Defence Force
SADF 3,828
South African Defence Force
Location
Country
South Africa 23,872
Locality
Gauteng 9,374
Cemetery
SADF WALL OF REMEMBRANCE, VOORTREKKER MONUMENT, PRETORIA 1,926
Grave Reference
Alternative Commemoration until grave found 1,612
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
Notes

Son of Mr. & Mrs. B. J. Els

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
Stories 1
on 05 August 2007 · via source
Pletoon 18, Viking Company, Marines
Dedications

No dedications have been added yet.