Identity
Person No.
30511
Service No.
Unknown
Last Name
First Name
Ralph
Initials
R
Date of Birth
Unknown
Est. Birth Year
Age at Death
30
Death Record
Date of Death
Cause code
AA 1,737
Aircraft accident
Cause of Death
Died in Military Aircraft Accident, was a passenger in a Pilatus Astra, and after landing at CFS Langebaanweg, apparently inadvertently activating the pilot's ejector seat after the aircraft had landed
Military Service
Branch
Air Force
Rank
Flight Sergeant
Regiment
Unknown
Secondary Unit
Air Force
Defence Force
SANDF 1,021
South African National Defence Force
Location
Country
Locality
Grave Reference
Memorial
Memorial
Location
On a koppie at the Voortrekker Monument, overlooking Pretoria
Address
Coordinates
Panel
Not listed against a numbered panel
On the panel
Position on the panel will be added with photographs
Notes
Son of Roelf and Sarah Gouws of Upington; brother: Joey of Pretoria.
Research notes
SN CORRECTION 25 Aug 2026: ServiceNo 81561078PC cleared -- the pantser.cmvo.org.za SADF deaths PDF lists that number under "GOUWS, PAULUS" (CPL, Sterf 14 11 84), matching PersonNumber 30510 (Gouws, DateDeath 1984-11-14) by surname and exact date, not this record. Original value: "81561078PC". Left as an unresolved collision otherwise -- this correction is specific to this one PDF-confirmed case, not a general claim this record's other data is wrong.
Citations
Unknown
External References
Stories
No stories have been added yet.
Dedications
No dedications have been added yet.