Identity
Person No.
32270
Old ROH no.
1062
Service No.
82475815BG
Last Name
First Name
Norman Walter
Initials
N W
Date of Birth
Unknown
Est. Birth Year
Age at Death
19
Death Record
Date of Death
Cause code
KIA 14,780
Killed in action
Cause of Death
Killed in action, when his Ratel 90 (call sign 33C) was struck by a Soviet 122mm BM-21 Katyusha Rocket during an enemy bombardment whilst in laager with an Artillery Section about 13 km East of Cahama, during Op Askari
Military Service
Location
Country
Locality
Cemetery
Grave Reference
Operation
Operation
Dates
1983-12-09 to 1984-01-19
About
Major SADF operation into southern Angola against SWAPO and, for the first time on this scale, directly-engaged FAPLA forces around Cuvelai and Cahama; unexpectedly heavy FAPLA/Cuban resistance and losses on both sides contributed to the diplomatic track that produced the February 1984 Lusaka Accord.
Unit History
Home Unit
Attached To
Role at time of death
Infantry, later Armour
Status
Permanent Force (Regular)
Part of
Same lineage as the Special Service Battalion (OrgEntityID 5278, pass 1) -- "1 Special Service Battalion" is the specific numbered battalion within that Permanent Force unit.
Awards
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. and Mrs. N. W. Niemand, of Fichardtpark, Bloemfontein
Research notes
Confirmed 23 Aug 2026 against the 61 Mech Veterans Association official Roll of Honour (61mech.org.za/index.php/roll-of-honour): "Trooper N W Niemand - 28 Dec 1983 - Op Askari".
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 54-56 of 143: confirmed, no changes.
-
The War in Angola
open source ↗
War in Angola Member Dedications forum (www.warinangola.com), Excel export supplied by Johan Schoeman, 1 Sep 2026. Forum post(s): 19057, 19062.
Stories 1
My Email to SA War Graves Project:
Discussions on this incident are ongoing and some details have emerged which I though need to be brought to your attention as to the circumstanced around the death of Tpr Niemand on 28 Dec 1983.
Your entry reads: “Killed in action, Ratel was hit during a "friendly fire" incident about 13km east of Cahama during Op Askari.”
This was not the case and I would like to point out the more recent version posted by Graham du Toit which led to a lengthy discussion by the persons involved in the incident:
“28 Dec 1983: 82475815BG Trooper Norman Walter Niemand from 1 Special Service Battalion attached to 61 Mechanised Battalion Group, was Killed in Action in Southern Angola when his Ratel 20 was struck by a Soviet 122mm BM-21 Katyusha Rocket during an enemy bombardment whilst in laager with an Artillery Section during Ops Askari. He was 19.”
This was repeated on the OPS ASKARI Facebook group by Doug Beveridge who asked the question: “Can anybody confirm this redeye 122mm hit . (other reports that it was a blue on blue )”
The discussion is on https://web.facebook.com/groups/opsnabetragtingAcoyAskari/permalink/2007464116134496/ in case you are part of the group (if not, ask me to add you)
I will copy and paste only some of the notable comments below:
From Doug Beveridge (Group Admin): Johan Schoeman do you have any info on this
From Leon Pheiffer: Artillery bombardment not redeye
From Doug Beveridge: was it own forces bombaardment
From Doug Beveridge: "Killed in action, Ratel was hit during a "friendly fire" incident about 13km east of Cahama during Op Askari."
From Leon Pheiffer: Hi Doug, no definately not own forces. I was the commanding officer and with Pieter that tragic day
From Johan Schoeman: Doug, where do you get that info about it being "friendly fire"? I think the Ratel had been attached to the artillery battery as protection, so its extremely unlikely to have been fired upon by own artillery!
From Doug Beveridge: are you querying my sources again Schoeman? Lol
http://www.southafricawargraves.org/search/details.php?id=32270
From Doug Beveridge: its not as if you arty boys do not bomb own forces lol
32bn refused your services for a while after an incident
From Johan Schoeman: Doug Beveridge Well yes... we did have our bad moments. It is for that reason that we had refined our procedures with checks and double-checks to ensure safety to the highest possible degree. I do believe it was kept at the absolute minimum but when you use live ammu, things can always unexpectedly go wrong.
As to the SA War Graves Project entry, that should have been updated as more facts came to light. I will contact them as soon as I can get more concrete information on what happened. I will check with the Gunners Association as to their standing on this incident as well.
From: Johan Schoeman: I have brought it under the attention of a member of the Gunners Association and we should get an answer sometime next week.
From Johan Schoeman: This was NOT a "friendly fire" incident and was the result of an enemy artillery bombardment of 122 mm rockets, one of which had struck the Ratel-90 (not Ratel-20) directly. The SA War Graves Project entry, even though wrong, does not try to infer that it was own artillery as Doug Beveridge implies, just that it was "friendly fire". We have now established that this was NOT the case and that the SA Artillery had absolutely no part in it. Record set straight...!
I will contact the SAWGP with the details of what happened so that they may update their own records.
I got Frank Louw from the Gunners Association involved because of the clear implication by Doug that it was own artillery.
More relevant comments:
From Pieter Engelbrecht: Volgens hoe ek het het ons na nart bat gaan soek wat rond beweeg het toe trek ons vuur dat hul rv kon werk ons was eers met rooioe getref ons crewcomander het laatweet ons word getref toe tref iets anders ons en theuns se ons moet ratel vdrlaat voor 90mm ontplof ek wou nog beseerdes help maar het agter gekom eks beseer
From Johan Schoeman: Pieter, was julle saam met die artillery (die G-4 battery)? Watter eenheid en subeenheid was jy deel van? Roepsein van die voertuig (Ratel-90?)?. Hoeveel is beseer?
From Pieter Engelbrecht: Ons was im m ratel ek het die ouens die oggen ontmoet 3 beseer en 1 oorlede
From Johan Schoeman: Pieter was jy Pantser eskadron of AT peleton (infanterie)?
Manage
From Pieter Engelbrecht: Ek was die ops medic in ratel
From Johan Schoeman: Dankie Pieter... Ek hoop jy het ten volle herstel van jou wond(e)?
From Pieter Engelbrecht: Ja is blind na ongeluk
From Johan Schoeman: Aggenee... ek is baie jammer om dit te hoor!
From Wayne Leslie Rudman: Johan Schoeman The ratel 90 call sign was 33C. The ratel 20 and 90"s (a few vehicle about six - can't remember exactly - Chis Sparks?) were doing a little recon work (under Leom Pheifer's command) and we came under fire soon after we pulled a larger and deployed our cammo nets. It appears we were under direct observation of an tree climber who could direct the bombardment. I remember the first volley passed overhead and was way off from out location so we felt at ease at that stage then suddenly the shit hit the fan. My ratel 23C was laargered next to 33C. I received resultant engine failure after shrapnel had damage my radiator. That night they replaced my engine. 33C still perfectly driveable and was used to tow my vehicle away to a safer location after the engine fully seized. We were later taken back to Xangongo where the Tiffies did a transplant during the night. We were rolling again before first light back to the support of the artillary that we were asigned to. The enermy were quite good with return fire so we were very mobile. Shoot and move. One of our gun trekkers was shot out prior to this day. Two or three days earlier if my memory serve me. Sadly we suffered loss of life that day with Norman and the three others that were badly injured. The two surviving pantzer crew eventually returned months later to 61 after their recovery. We never heard what happened to Pieter Engelbrecht untill we contact via the forum 30 odd years later. Pieter jy is n sterk my maat!
From Owen Taylor: Jip enemy artillery. Was there. With Helmuth Snr Heydenrych and Warren Slabbert and Vaughn Shaw and Charl van der
From Frank Louw: Please give me more info. Was it enemy art or blue on blue. You aye you were there....in the lager at the time?
From Owen Taylor Jip. Definitely enemy art.
From Helmuth Snr Heydenrych: It was a Ratel 90. At that stage we were +- 12 km from Cahama. We were promised Xmas Lunch inside Cahama...it never happened.
From Christopher Sparks: 3 Ratels. Pheiffer, 23C (20mm) and 33C (90mm) only. Guntrekker was shot out North of Cahama on the last day of December 1983 after which we left for Xangongo.
From Frank Louw: Doug Beveridge Johan Schoeman...see reply to me from Owen. Not blue on blue. He has the dope follow up with him.
From the above it is clear that the entry needs to be changed and I recommend slightly modifying Graham du Toit’s entry for this incident, as follows:
“28 Dec 1983: 82475815BG Trooper Norman Walter Niemand from 1 Special Service Battalion attached to 61 Mechanised Battalion Group, was Killed in Action in Southern Angola when his Ratel 90 (call sign 33C) was struck by a Soviet 122mm BM-21 Katyusha Rocket during an enemy bombardment whilst in laager with an Artillery Section during Ops Askari. He was 19.”
Not that I have also CCd Graham du Toit and John Dovey (of Justdone publications) herewith:
Regards
Johan Schoeman
www.warinangola.com
Discussions on this incident are ongoing and some details have emerged which I though need to be brought to your attention as to the circumstanced around the death of Tpr Niemand on 28 Dec 1983.
Your entry reads: “Killed in action, Ratel was hit during a "friendly fire" incident about 13km east of Cahama during Op Askari.”
This was not the case and I would like to point out the more recent version posted by Graham du Toit which led to a lengthy discussion by the persons involved in the incident:
“28 Dec 1983: 82475815BG Trooper Norman Walter Niemand from 1 Special Service Battalion attached to 61 Mechanised Battalion Group, was Killed in Action in Southern Angola when his Ratel 20 was struck by a Soviet 122mm BM-21 Katyusha Rocket during an enemy bombardment whilst in laager with an Artillery Section during Ops Askari. He was 19.”
This was repeated on the OPS ASKARI Facebook group by Doug Beveridge who asked the question: “Can anybody confirm this redeye 122mm hit . (other reports that it was a blue on blue )”
The discussion is on https://web.facebook.com/groups/opsnabetragtingAcoyAskari/permalink/2007464116134496/ in case you are part of the group (if not, ask me to add you)
I will copy and paste only some of the notable comments below:
From Doug Beveridge (Group Admin): Johan Schoeman do you have any info on this
From Leon Pheiffer: Artillery bombardment not redeye
From Doug Beveridge: was it own forces bombaardment
From Doug Beveridge: "Killed in action, Ratel was hit during a "friendly fire" incident about 13km east of Cahama during Op Askari."
From Leon Pheiffer: Hi Doug, no definately not own forces. I was the commanding officer and with Pieter that tragic day
From Johan Schoeman: Doug, where do you get that info about it being "friendly fire"? I think the Ratel had been attached to the artillery battery as protection, so its extremely unlikely to have been fired upon by own artillery!
From Doug Beveridge: are you querying my sources again Schoeman? Lol
http://www.southafricawargraves.org/search/details.php?id=32270
From Doug Beveridge: its not as if you arty boys do not bomb own forces lol
32bn refused your services for a while after an incident
From Johan Schoeman: Doug Beveridge Well yes... we did have our bad moments. It is for that reason that we had refined our procedures with checks and double-checks to ensure safety to the highest possible degree. I do believe it was kept at the absolute minimum but when you use live ammu, things can always unexpectedly go wrong.
As to the SA War Graves Project entry, that should have been updated as more facts came to light. I will contact them as soon as I can get more concrete information on what happened. I will check with the Gunners Association as to their standing on this incident as well.
From: Johan Schoeman: I have brought it under the attention of a member of the Gunners Association and we should get an answer sometime next week.
From Johan Schoeman: This was NOT a "friendly fire" incident and was the result of an enemy artillery bombardment of 122 mm rockets, one of which had struck the Ratel-90 (not Ratel-20) directly. The SA War Graves Project entry, even though wrong, does not try to infer that it was own artillery as Doug Beveridge implies, just that it was "friendly fire". We have now established that this was NOT the case and that the SA Artillery had absolutely no part in it. Record set straight...!
I will contact the SAWGP with the details of what happened so that they may update their own records.
I got Frank Louw from the Gunners Association involved because of the clear implication by Doug that it was own artillery.
More relevant comments:
From Pieter Engelbrecht: Volgens hoe ek het het ons na nart bat gaan soek wat rond beweeg het toe trek ons vuur dat hul rv kon werk ons was eers met rooioe getref ons crewcomander het laatweet ons word getref toe tref iets anders ons en theuns se ons moet ratel vdrlaat voor 90mm ontplof ek wou nog beseerdes help maar het agter gekom eks beseer
From Johan Schoeman: Pieter, was julle saam met die artillery (die G-4 battery)? Watter eenheid en subeenheid was jy deel van? Roepsein van die voertuig (Ratel-90?)?. Hoeveel is beseer?
From Pieter Engelbrecht: Ons was im m ratel ek het die ouens die oggen ontmoet 3 beseer en 1 oorlede
From Johan Schoeman: Pieter was jy Pantser eskadron of AT peleton (infanterie)?
Manage
From Pieter Engelbrecht: Ek was die ops medic in ratel
From Johan Schoeman: Dankie Pieter... Ek hoop jy het ten volle herstel van jou wond(e)?
From Pieter Engelbrecht: Ja is blind na ongeluk
From Johan Schoeman: Aggenee... ek is baie jammer om dit te hoor!
From Wayne Leslie Rudman: Johan Schoeman The ratel 90 call sign was 33C. The ratel 20 and 90"s (a few vehicle about six - can't remember exactly - Chis Sparks?) were doing a little recon work (under Leom Pheifer's command) and we came under fire soon after we pulled a larger and deployed our cammo nets. It appears we were under direct observation of an tree climber who could direct the bombardment. I remember the first volley passed overhead and was way off from out location so we felt at ease at that stage then suddenly the shit hit the fan. My ratel 23C was laargered next to 33C. I received resultant engine failure after shrapnel had damage my radiator. That night they replaced my engine. 33C still perfectly driveable and was used to tow my vehicle away to a safer location after the engine fully seized. We were later taken back to Xangongo where the Tiffies did a transplant during the night. We were rolling again before first light back to the support of the artillary that we were asigned to. The enermy were quite good with return fire so we were very mobile. Shoot and move. One of our gun trekkers was shot out prior to this day. Two or three days earlier if my memory serve me. Sadly we suffered loss of life that day with Norman and the three others that were badly injured. The two surviving pantzer crew eventually returned months later to 61 after their recovery. We never heard what happened to Pieter Engelbrecht untill we contact via the forum 30 odd years later. Pieter jy is n sterk my maat!
From Owen Taylor: Jip enemy artillery. Was there. With Helmuth Snr Heydenrych and Warren Slabbert and Vaughn Shaw and Charl van der
From Frank Louw: Please give me more info. Was it enemy art or blue on blue. You aye you were there....in the lager at the time?
From Owen Taylor Jip. Definitely enemy art.
From Helmuth Snr Heydenrych: It was a Ratel 90. At that stage we were +- 12 km from Cahama. We were promised Xmas Lunch inside Cahama...it never happened.
From Christopher Sparks: 3 Ratels. Pheiffer, 23C (20mm) and 33C (90mm) only. Guntrekker was shot out North of Cahama on the last day of December 1983 after which we left for Xangongo.
From Frank Louw: Doug Beveridge Johan Schoeman...see reply to me from Owen. Not blue on blue. He has the dope follow up with him.
From the above it is clear that the entry needs to be changed and I recommend slightly modifying Graham du Toit’s entry for this incident, as follows:
“28 Dec 1983: 82475815BG Trooper Norman Walter Niemand from 1 Special Service Battalion attached to 61 Mechanised Battalion Group, was Killed in Action in Southern Angola when his Ratel 90 (call sign 33C) was struck by a Soviet 122mm BM-21 Katyusha Rocket during an enemy bombardment whilst in laager with an Artillery Section during Ops Askari. He was 19.”
Not that I have also CCd Graham du Toit and John Dovey (of Justdone publications) herewith:
Regards
Johan Schoeman
www.warinangola.com
Dedications 1
Reply from Terry Cawood:
Hi There Johan,
Many thanks for the heads up and input from the members that were there during the incident, I have corrected our entry and submitted it for verification. The amendment should appear on the website within the next day or two.
It is always valuable to receive input from those who were there and we really appreciate this in order to correct any erroneous entries we might have.
Thanks Again,
Regards
Terry Cawood
SA National Coordinator
South Africa War Graves Project
Hi There Johan,
Many thanks for the heads up and input from the members that were there during the incident, I have corrected our entry and submitted it for verification. The amendment should appear on the website within the next day or two.
It is always valuable to receive input from those who were there and we really appreciate this in order to correct any erroneous entries we might have.
Thanks Again,
Regards
Terry Cawood
SA National Coordinator
South Africa War Graves Project