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Marcel , Noel Mbumba (N M)

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No photograph available — remembrance poppy
Identity
Person No.
31604
Old ROH no.
894
Service No.
78121001PD
Last Name
Marcel 1
First Name
Noel Mbumba
Initials
N M
Date of Birth
Unknown
Est. Birth Year
1955 (±1 yr) 397
Age at Death
30
Death Record
Date of Death
02 June 1985 93
Cause code
KIA 14,778
Killed in action
Cause of Death
Killed in action 14,654
Killed in action, during a contact with enemy forces, in Southern Angola
Military Service
Branch
Army
Rank
Corporal
Regiment
5 Reconnaissance Regiment 72
Later renamed 5 Special Forces Regiment (1995)
Corps
South African Infantry Corps 10,347
Unit
Unknown
Defence Force
SADF 3,836
South African Defence Force
Location
Country
South Africa 23,873
Locality
Limpopo 190
Cemetery
5 SFR CEMETERY, BA.PHALABORWA 8
Grave Reference
C9 1
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.
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

No additional information known at this time

Research notes

SASFA In Memoriam (operators): confirmed Special Forces operator. SASFA: Marcel NM KIA 1985. 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 "06 02 85" (DD MM YY) against the same ServiceNo (78121001PD) and name -- differs from this record's DateDeath (1985-06-02). Not overwritten, flagged for reference. 26 Aug 2026: Unit was leftover "2 Squadron". SAWGP Regiment 5 Reconnaissance Regiment with no separate unit.
25 Sep 2026, Unit2 service-branch sweep: the stored Secondary Unit "Navy" was CLEARED. It was not a sub-unit, it was a service-branch word, and it CONTRADICTED this record's own Branch, "Army". 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
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