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Fourie , Johan Carel (J C)

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Identity
Person No.
30362
Old ROH no.
470
Service No.
78487702BT
Last Name
First Name
Johan Carel
Initials
J C
Date of Birth
Unknown
Est. Birth Year
Age at Death
21
Death Record
Cause code
KIA 14,780
Killed in action
Cause of Death
Killed in Action during Ops Askari in Southern Angola while attached to 61 Mechanised Battalion Group when a Soviet 82mm High Explosive Mortar Bomb landed and exploded on the Roll-bar of their Buffel Troop Carrier, spraying the inside of the vehicle with lethal shrapnel, killing them instantly
Military Service
Branch
Army
Rank
Rifleman
Unit
Unknown
Defence Force
SADF 3,825
South African Defence Force
Operation
Operation
Dates
1983-12-09 to 1984-01-19
About
Major SADF operation into southern Angola against SWAPO and, for the first time on this scale, directly-engaged FAPLA forces around Cuvelai and Cahama; unexpectedly heavy FAPLA/Cuban resistance and losses on both sides contributed to the diplomatic track that produced the February 1984 Lusaka Accord.
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

Son of Mr. and Mrs. L. W. G. Fourie

Research notes

War in Angola forum, email from Matthew Joseph Fisher HC (posted by Johan Schoeman, 22 Mar 2018): Fisher was the medic who attended Rfn J.C. Fourie on 31 Dec 1983 during Operation Askari, retrieved him (and his weapon) against orders. Fisher recalls the round penetrating the neck and passing through, and wondered whether Fourie was in a firing position rather than behind a tree. Record cause is an 82 mm HE mortar bomb on the Buffel roll-bar, killing the occupants instantly — Fisher's recollection of a through-neck wound is noted, not used to overwrite. Possible duplicate PersonNumber 48945 (same name/date, SN 78487782BT vs 78487702BT, pantser.cmvo.org.za 'Ratel shot by RPG7') left unmerged.
4 Sep 2026: Unit leftover "Regiment Groot Karoo" (a named regiment, not a sub-unit) moved to Regiment. Corps unchanged.

Citations
Unknown
External References
Stories 3
by Peter on 29 October 2008 · via source
Rfn J.C. Fourie was a member of Regiment Groot Karoo, and was killed in action on 31 December 1983 at Cuvelai in Angola, during Operation Askari.
on 10 September 2009 · via source
More info here Regiment Mooirivier and South African Transborder Operations into Angola during 1975/76 and 1983/84 Jakes Louw
by Johan Schoeman on 22 March 2018 · via War in Angola
Email received from Matthew Fisher:
Hi, I am a non-Facebook using military veteran now living in Australia getting in touch with my time served in the SADF during operation Askari. The internet makes it so easy these days to find information, as time passes and history gets recorded. I wanted to let you know that I was the medic who attended JC Fourie on that day - 31/12/1983, ignoring an order from my superior officer and rallying the support of a fellow medic, we retrieved Rfn Fourie and displaying a serious amount of stupidity, I even went back for his weapon. I was awarded the Honoris Crux for my role, but have never fully known the circumstances of his de-bussing the vehicle that day. Thank you for enlightening me. He was a brave rifleman who should not have died that day. As you record correctly it penetrated his neck and passed right through him. Though I imagined that he was perhaps engaging the enemy in a firing position, rather than taking cover behind a tree, as this was a well prepared killing field, and trees were cut down to provide the enemy with maximum advantage. But it was a long time ago, and my memory of the day is not necessarily accurate. Thanks for the website.
Veteran Matthew Joseph Fisher, HC
Dedications

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