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Gingles , Alan (A)

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Photo of Gingles
Identity
Person No.
30426
Old ROH no.
2103
Service No.
Unknown
Last Name
Gingles 2
First Name
Alan
Initials
A
Date of Birth
Unknown
Est. Birth Year
1953 (±1 yr) 317
Age at Death
28
Death Record
Date of Death
15 October 1981 147
Cause code
KIA 14,778
Killed in action
Cause of Death
Killed in action 14,654
Killed in action, against terrorists in the operational area. Killed whilst leading a small Special Forces team carrying out an operation against the Harare-Beira railway near Doeroi, in Mozambique, some 300 miles from the South African border. It would appear there was a premature detonation whilst they were laying their demolition charges, and Alan and three of his comrades were killed. FRELIMO found their bodies and equipment, but as per SOPs, nothing was being carried which would enable them to identify the men
Military Service
Branch
Army
Rank
Lieutenant
Regiment
5 Reconnaissance Regiment 72
Later renamed 5 Special Forces Regiment (1995)
Corps
South African Infantry Corps 10,347
Unit
Unknown
Defence Force
SADF 3,843
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
Body not recovered 79
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
Unit History
Attached To
Army Battle School
Role at time of death
Special Forces (reconnaissance)
Status
Regular Force
Each numbered Reconnaissance unit was renamed over time: "X Reconnaissance Commando" -> "X Reconnaissance Regiment" (1981) -> briefly a Parachute Battalion designation (1992/93, under "45 Parachute Brigade", a Special-Forces-only designation distinct from the real 44 Parachute Brigade) -> "X Special Forces Regiment" (1995). The parent formation itself changed name several times before 1995 (Special Forces Headquarters, then Directorate Reconnaissance(Forces)) with disputed exact dates between sources -- 1995 is the one date sources agree on. Corps classified as SAIC (South African Infantry Corps) per this site's own records; no independent source found confirms that for Special Forces units specifically -- treat as owner-asserted pending a better citation.
Awards
Pro Patria Medal
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

From Larne, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland. Having graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, he was commissioned into the Royal Irish Rangers, and served with the Second Battalion in Hemer, West Germany. Thirsting for adventure, and an opportunity to fight terrorism, Alan left the British Army and went to Rhodesia, where he passed selection and became a member of the Selous Scouts. Following the demise of Rhodesia, he joined the SADF. At the time of his death, he was serving with the 5th Reconnaissance Regiment at Phalaborwa, in the Eastern Transvaal. Alan was not forgotten by his brother officers of 2 Royal Irish. They commissioned a portrait of him, which was hung in the Officers' Mess

Research notes

Col (rt) Graham du Toit Last Post 15 Oct 2025: Lieutenant Alan Gingles, 5 Reconnaissance Regiment, age 28. Graham: Reported Missing on the Harare-Beira railway near Doeroi, Mozambique; premature detonation while laying charges; bodies later found by FRELIMO; no known grave. ROH already records the Doeroi demolition incident. ROH unit was Cape Town Highlanders Regiment (regiment already 5 Recce). Graham gave no service number; ROH has 65778532BV.
SASFA In Memoriam (operators): confirmed Special Forces operator. SASFA: Gingles Allan KIA 1981. https://www.recce.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4.1.-Memoriam.pdf DATE DISCREPANCY 25 Aug 2026: pantser.cmvo.org.za's SADF deaths PDF gives this person's Sterf (date of death) as "25 05 77" (DD MM YY) against the same ServiceNo (65778532BV) and name -- differs from this record's DateDeath (1981-10-15). Not overwritten, flagged for reference. | Willem Steenkamp, Borderstrike! South Africa into Angola 1975–1980, 3rd ed. (Just Done Productions, 2006, ISBN 978-1-920169-00-8): Appendix B assigns service number 65778532BV to Sgt W. H. B. Gildenhuys (P), Cape Town Highlanders (PersonNumber 30425, died 1977-05-25), not to this 5 Recce 1981 record. Number cleared here 26 Aug 2026. Graham Last Post gave Gingles no service number. The pantser.cmvo.org.za PDF’s “25 05 77” death date against this SN is Gildenhuys’s date.

Citations
Unknown
External References
Stories 1
on 17 August 2026 · via source
Lieutenant A Gingles, 5 RR - Killed In Action, 15 October 1981 DEDICATION In honoured memory of Alan Gingles, late the Royal Irish Rangers and Selous Scouts, killed in action whilst fighting terrorism. Faugh a Ballagh! STORY An official communiquè, issued by SADF Headquarters in October 1981, announced that Lieutenant Alan Gingles had been killed "in action against terrorists in the operational area". However, as is often the case with these terse official announcements, there was more to the story of Alan Gingles's death than was apparent from the communiquè. Alan Gingles was killed whilst leading a small Special Forces team carrying out an operation against the Harare-Beira railway near Doeroi, in Moçambique, some 300 miles from the South African border. It would appear there was a premature detonation whilst they were laying their demolition charges, and Alan and three of his comrades were killed. FRELIMO found their bodies and equipment, but as per SOPs, nothing was being carried which would enable them to identify the men. When the Moçambican Government publicised the incident and accused the SADF of carrying out acts of sabotage in Moçambique, the South African Government disavowed all knowledge of the men and the incident. However, a partial account of the incident was pieced together by an investigative journalist, and published in a British newspaper in February 1983. Alan Gingles was from Larne, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland. Having graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, he was commissioned into the Royal Irish Rangers, and served with the Second Battalion in Hemer, West Germany. Thirsting for adventure, and an opportunity to fight terrorism, Alan left the British Army and went to Rhodesia, where he passed selection and became a member of the Selous Scouts. Following the demise of Rhodesia, he joined the SADF. At the time of his death, he was serving with the 5th Reconnaissance Regiment at Phalaborwa, in the Eastern Transvaal. Alan was not forgotten by his brother officers of 2 Royal Irish. They commissioned a portrait of him, which was hung in the Officers' Mess. (MTR) Riley Riley
Dedications 3
by Riley on 30 May 2001 · via source
In honoured memory of Alan Gingles, late the Royal Irish Rangers and Selous Scouts, killed in action whilst fighting terrorism. Faugh a Ballagh!
by Alan Gingles on 17 September 2003 · via source
I dedicate this message to a fallen hero,To which my name was also dedicated.I never knew you.But we have the same aim.The protection of Ulster and Great Britain.For Ulster he lived and for Ulster he died.Look after mother for me alan.
by Mark Pretorius (via Johan Schoeman, War in Angola) on 16 October 2021 · via War in Angola
From Mark Pretorius: Alan Gingles
On graduating from Sandhurst on 8 April 1977, Gingles was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Royal Irish Regiment.
Gingles was promoted to Lieutenant on 8 April 1979.
Gingles was placed on the Regular Army Reserve of Officers on 6 September 1979.
According to regimental magazine, The Cheetah, Gingles served in F Troop of 1 Commando in the Rhodesian Light Infantry. By October 1980, he had become second in Command of 1 Commando.
Gingles was killed in 1981, while serving in 5 Recce of the South African Defence Forces. He died while attempting to sabotage a railway line near Beira in Mozambique, when his bomb exploded prematurely.
Gingles was removed from the UK's regular army reserve of officers as of 8 April 1985.
He was identified by a book he had been carrying with reference to himself and family. The pages were found around the explosion. Research TRC Documents for the full story.