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Lautenslager , Vincent Peter (V P)

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Photo of Lautenslager
Identity
Person No.
31242
Old ROH no.
1859
Service No.
72440332PM
Last Name
Lautenslager 1
First Name
Vincent Peter
Initials
V P
Date of Birth
Unknown
Est. Birth Year
1957 (±1 yr) 432
Age at Death
23
Death Record
Date of Death
12 September 1980 155
Cause code
KIA 14,779
Killed in action
Cause of Death
Killed in action 14,653
Killed in action, shot down over Angola, in Atlas MB326KM Impala Mk II #1074
Military Service
Branch
Air Force
Rank
Lieutenant
Regiment
8 Squadron 10
Corps
South African Air Force 3,524
Unit
Unknown
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
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
Part of
Rhodesian Air Force - Squadrons
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

Son of Mr. L. J. B. M. Lautenslager

Research notes


5 Sep 2026: Unit "8 Squadron" (a squadron, SAAF's regiment-equivalent) promoted to Regiment, per John's decision. Corps (South African Air Force) unchanged.
Col (rt) Graham du Toit Last Post 12 Sep 2026 / Bushwar Books Lest We Forget 12 September (https://www.warbooks.co.za/posts/lest-we-forget-12-september/ 72440332PM Lt Vincent Peter Lautenslager, 8 Squadron, Atlas MB326K Impala Mk II 1074 flew into the ground near Xangongo providing CAS; Board of Enquiry found no hostile enemy action; no known grave, age 23. CONFLICT flagged, not changed: Graham+Bushwar "no hostile action / flew into the ground" vs stored CauseDeath "Killed in action, shot down over Angola". Unit2 leftover Army -> Air Force.
25 Sep 2026, Unit2 service-branch sweep: the stored Secondary Unit "Air Force" was CLEARED as a duplicate. It was not a sub-unit, it was a service-branch word repeating what the Branch column already says. Secondary Unit is for sub-units -- a company, a squadron, a commando -- and this record's branch of service is unchanged at "Air Force".

Citations
Unknown
External References
Stories 3
on 10 July 2003 · via source
Lt Vince Lautenslager was shot down in September 1980 whilst piloting an Impala Mk II over Southern Angola. Unknown
by Johan Meyer on 08 November 2008 · via source
On 12-Sep-80 Lt Vince Lautenslager was on a search and destroy mission as wingman to Lt Frans Vermaak in Impala MkII's. It appeared as though his Impala had struck into the ground during the roll-in to attack a Russian made troop carrier approximately 20 km's South East of Xangongo (The Ural lorry was still burning from the attack presumably by 30mm cannon from Lt Vermaak). It is not known if he was brought down by small arms fire or flew into the ground. He was presumed dead in the wreckage.
by Graham Du Toit on 12 September 2014 · via source
72440332PM Lieutenant Vincent Peter Lautenslager from 8 Squadron was Killed in Action on 12 September 1980 when his Atlas MB326K Impala Mk II, Serial No. 1074 was shot down by enemy anti-aircraft fire during close air support operations in Southern Angola. He was 23. His name and sacrifice has not been forgotten.
Dedications

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