Identity
Person No.
31422
Old ROH no.
845
Service No.
83326645BG
Last Name
First Name
Craig Anthony
Initials
C A
Date of Birth
Unknown
Est. Birth Year
Age at Death
19
Death Record
Date of Death
Cause code
MVA 2,628
Motor vehicle accident
Cause of Death
Died in Military Vehicle Accident, rhino accident, while on duty at Louis Botha airport. He was a passenger in the vehicle
Military Service
Branch
Air Force
Rank
Airman
Regiment
Unit
Unknown
Defence Force
SADF 3,825
South African 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
Unit History
Role at time of death
Field Engineers
Status
Permanent Force (Regular)
Part of
Formed 1973 from 17 Field Squadron (relocated from Potchefstroom to Bethlehem, 1967); listed as the primary deployment unit of the SA Army Engineer Formation's regular units.
Notes
Son of Mr. Lucarne, of Pietermaritzburg.
Research notes
4 Sep 2026: Unit leftover "2 Field Engineer Regiment" (a named regiment, not a sub-unit) moved to Regiment. Corps unchanged.
25 Sep 2026, Unit2 service-branch sweep: the stored Secondary Unit "Army" was CLEARED. It was not a sub-unit, it was a service-branch word, and it CONTRADICTED this record's own Branch, "Air Force". Across the roll 787 records carried such a contradiction; judged against Corps and Regiment -- independent of both columns -- the evidence backed Branch 744 times and Unit2 not once. Branch is therefore kept and the contradicting word removed. Nothing is guessed: this man's branch of service is already recorded, and his sub-unit, if any, is simply not known.
Citations
Unknown
External References
-
SADF.info Border Roll of Honour
open source ↗
SADF.info Border RoH
- South African War Graves Project open source ↗
-
The War in Angola
open source ↗
War In Angola Roll of Honour (warinangola.com, tabid=1175), pages 105-106 of 143: confirmed, no changes.
Stories 2
Taken from a Story in the Natal Witness: City Airman killed in N3 Crash City Reporter A National serviceman from Pietermaritzburg, Airman Craig Lucarne (19), was killed and four of his colleagues were injured in an accident on the N3 near Louis Botha Airport yesterday. No details of the accident were available last night but a spokesman for the South African Air Force, where all five were undergoing training, said a Rhino military vehicle overturned. Airman Lucarne was of Steele Road, Scottsville. Those injured in the accident were Temporary Corporal K. Charvat (19), Airman D.J.M. Miller (20), Airman C.W. Delve (19) and Airman J.W. Vermeulen (19). Temporary Corporal Charvat and Airman Miller were said to be in a serious but stable condition at Addington Hospital while Airmen Miller and Delve were slightly injured. The South African Air Force spokesman said a board of inquiry had been convened to look into the cause of the accident. The dead man is survived by his parents, Mr Alwyn Lucarne and Mrs Daphne Lucarne, and a sister, Mrs Sharon King.
At his funeral (at Boschoff Street Methodist Church) the church was packed full with his friends and family. I remember that his girlfriend had to be taken out of the church because she was hysterical with grief.. There wasn't a dry eye in the whole place. Craig was truly loved by everyone who had come into contact with him..
Dedications 2
Craig, You were a good friend. I will always remember your ready smile and the fact that had a joke for every occasion ! Every time I think of you, the only time I can think of that wasn't happy was at your funeral.. You were always happy and made everyone around you happy.. I miss you.
A Eulogy for Craig The street lights are hazy in the late night mist. Sleep eludes me, so I stand outside in the cool air and have a last Cigarette. Images of a friend replay themselves ceaselessly in my mind; It?s hard to grasp the reality of his death. His laugh and smile the way he walked the things he said each evoke images too powerful to forget. I write this eulogy in a vain attempt to expiate my grief. And when the tears are dry and all the words are said I will remember him just because he was my friend. (c)John Dovey. This poem was written the night before Craig's funeral John Dovey