Identity
Person No.
32221
Old ROH no.
1046
Service No.
78440187PF
Last Name
First Name
Petrus Johannes Stephanus
Initials
P J S
Date of Birth
Unknown
Est. Birth Year
Age at Death
19
Death Record
Date of Death
Cause code
KIA 14,778
Killed in action
Cause of Death
Killed in action. Swapo had set up a new infiltration route into the Kaokoveld towards the end of 1981. When the South African army learned of this it was decided to assault the transit camp based at Cambeno 40 kms north of the Cunene River. Puma helicopters airlifted the assault force but as the choppers lifted off they found that the enemy was only 50 metres away from the LZ. Fortunately for Nel the helicopter gunships managed to neutralize some of the enemy and gave him a chance to consolidate his position. An intense fire fight developed and Lieutenant Nel's position was being assaulted on both flanks simultaneously. He then called for air support but as this was not available he and two men charged the enemy to try and eliminate the threat to his troops. During this selfless act his was killed. A 45 strong force of 32 Battalion with gunship support killed 201 SWAPO as well as captured vast amounts of equipment in the rugged terrain of Kaokaland desert
Military Service
Branch
Army
Rank
Second Lieutenant
Regiment
32 (Buffalo) Battalion 275
Later renamed
32 Battalion
Unit
Unknown
Defence Force
SADF 3,839
South African Defence Force
Location
Country
Locality
Cemetery
Grave Reference
Coordinates
Memorial
Memorial
Location
Within the Voortrekker Monument heritage precinct, Pretoria
Address
Coordinates
Panel
On the panel
No. 79
Awards
Honoris Crux (1975) (HC)
South Africa · awarded 1982-03-13
Posthumously awarded the Honoris Crux (1975) for actions on 13 March 1982 with 32 Battalion. After a Puma insertion near Cambeno, SWAPO were only about 50 metres from the landing zone. Lieutenant Nel’s position was assaulted on both flanks; air support was not available, and he and two men charged the enemy to eliminate the threat. He was killed in this act. Wikipedia lists 2 Lt P.J.S. Nel among Honoris Crux (1975) recipients: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honoris_Crux_(1975)
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
Next of kin, Mr. J. A. Nel, of Vryburg. Came from Pomfret. (also known as Fanus Nel)
Research notes
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
Posthumously awarded the Honoris Crux (1975) for actions on 13 March 1982 with 32 Battalion. After a Puma insertion near Cambeno, SWAPO were only about 50 metres from the landing zone. Lieutenant Nel’s position was assaulted on both flanks; air support was not available, and he and two men charged the enemy to eliminate the threat. He was killed in this act. Wikipedia lists 2 Lt P.J.S. Nel among Honoris Crux (1975) recipients: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honoris_Crux_(1975)
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), page 48 of 143: confirmed, no changes.
Stories 4
I was in the C-160Z Crew that was flying reinforcements of 32 Bn soldiers during Ops Super. As I recall, 2LT Nel was a fair-haired shortish chap, but a real leader...a spitfire actually. I'd seen him on a number of other missions previously. We brought in successive loads over that period, and 2LT Nel was on one of the first loads. I remember him driving his men hard to get unloaded -to get out to the contact to support the Battalion. The next day we brought out his body and the other soldier killed with him. In all the roar of engines, sand, dust, diesel drums, ammunition, and frenzy, I recall wondering about the agony his parents were going to experience. In spite of all the tragedy, their unit put mission first. The soldiers who brought the remains to the aircraft did it with decorum -even though they were rushing to get on the Pumas to support the fight.
SWAPO HAD SET UP A NEW INFILTRATION ROUTE INTO THE KAOKOVELD TOWARDS THE END OF 1981 AND WHEN THE SOUTH AFRICAN ARMY LEARNT OF THIS IT WAS DECIDED TO ASAULT THE TRANSIT CAMP BASED AT CAMBENO 40 KILOMETERS NORTH OF THE CUNENE RIVER. PUMA HELICOPTERS AIRLIFTED THE ASSAULT FORCE, BUT AS THE CHOPPERS LIFTED OFF NELLA, AS LIEUTENANT NEL WAS KNOWN, FOUND THAT THE ENEMY WAS ONLY 50 METRES AWAY FROM THE LZ. FORTUNATELY FOR HIM THE HELICOPTER GUNSHIPS MANAGED TO NEUTRALISE SOME OF THE ENEMY AND GAVE HIM A CHANCE TO CONSOLIDATE HIS POSITION. AN INTENSE FIRE FIGHT DEVELOPED AND LIEUTENANT NEL'S POSITION WAS BEING ASAULTED ON BOTH FLANKS SIMULTANEOUSLY. HE THEN CALLED FOR AIR SUPPORT BUT AS THIS WAS NOT AVAILABLE HE AND TWO MEN CHARGED THE ENEMY TO TRY AND ELIMINATE THE THREAT TO HIS TROOPS. DURING THIS SELFLESS ACT HE WAS KILLED. Unknown Unknown
In an attack on a large SWAPO base in the Cambena Valley, 32 Battalion troops were dropped into the area by helicopters but found themselves to be almost on top of the enemy, who were well entrenched in terrain that was etched with hollows, outcrops and cliffs. This made support by the helicopter gunships difficult, and the 32 Battalion group led by 2nd Lieutenant P.J.S. 'Nella' Nel stopper group made first contact with a group of between 50 and 100 SWAPO metres from the landing zone, and although they fought their way along the ravine for the next three hours, they were then attacked from both right and left flanks and were soon pinned down. Nel, realising that they could not remain in this precarious position led two of his men in a charge against the 12 enemy on his right flank, but was shot and killed during this charge. His body was retrieved at great risk by Sergeant Victor Dracula, Nel's second in command, and Rifleman Bernardo Domingos. Information extracted from 32 Battalion: The Inside Story of South Africa's Elite Fighting Unit , by Piet Nortje.
I was the chopper pilot providing topcover on that mission and uplifted Nellas body from the contact area.If anyone wants a detailed account of the battle and the circumstances,you can contact me on my email. lt.col.
Dedications 1
Nella - hoe graag sou ek nie wou gehad het dat jy nog vandag met ons was. Jou opgewektheid op Buffalo en vurige militarisme in die bos sal ek altyd onthou. Ons foto by die HAG (Xangongo) het 'n ereplek in my album. Rus in vrede my vriend, ek sal jou nooit vergeet.