Identity
Person No.
31353
Service No.
88772280PE
Last Name
First Name
David
Initials
D
Date of Birth
Unknown
Est. Birth Year
Age at Death
27
Death Record
Date of Death
Cause code
DIS 6,078
Died of disease
Cause of Death
Died of tuberculosis and pneumonia, at Phalaborwa Hospital
Military Service
Branch
Army
Rank
Sergeant
Regiment
5 Reconnaissance Regiment 72
Later renamed
5 Special Forces Regiment
(1995)
Unit
Unknown
Defence Force
SADF 3,828
South African Defence Force
Location
Country
Locality
Unknown
Cemetery
Grave Reference
Unit History
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.
Notes
Husband of Mrs. Ananis Lizazi, c/o Schietocht Mil Base, Hebron, Phalaborwa
Research notes
26 Aug 2026: Unit was leftover "32 (Buffalo) Battalion"; Regiment was "5th Reconnaissance Regiment". SAWGP Regiment 5th Reconnaissance Regiment with no separate unit.
25 Sep 2026, Unit2 service-branch sweep: the stored Secondary Unit "Army" 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 "Army".
Citations
Unknown
External References
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