Identity
Person No.
32357
Old ROH no.
1871
Service No.
76450212PE
Last Name
First Name
Desmond
Initials
D
Date of Birth
Unknown
Est. Birth Year
Age at Death
21
Death Record
Date of Death
Cause code
KIA 14,780
Killed in action
Cause of Death
Killed in action, at Oshakati after Operation Protea, crashed whilst bringing in casualties at night, in Aerospatiale SA330L Puma C #174. It is said that Lamprecht was disorientated and guided the pilot incorrectly, thus the tail rotor caught in a barb-wire fence. Sgt Lamprecht (Flight Engineer), the co-pilot, Lt D O'Connor, several medics and a doctor as well as the casualty, tragically died. Only the pilot survived
Military Service
Branch
Air Force
Rank
Lieutenant
Regiment
Unit
Unknown
Secondary Unit
13 Field Squadron
Defence Force
SADF 3,817
South African Defence Force
Location
Country
Locality
Cemetery
Grave Reference
Coordinates
Operation
Operation
Dates
1981-08-23 to 1981-09-04
About
The largest SADF conventional operation since the Second World War at the time it was launched: a deep mechanised incursion into Cunene province, Angola, against SWAPO and Angolan (FAPLA) forces, resulting in the occupation of Xangongo and Ongiva and the capture of large quantities of Soviet-supplied FAPLA equipment.
Unit History
Part of
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. C. P. O'Connor, of Kuruman
Research notes
5 Sep 2026: Unit "19 Squadron" (a squadron, SAAF's regiment-equivalent) promoted to Regiment, per John's decision. Corps (South African Air Force) unchanged.
Citations
Unknown
External References
- South African War Graves Project open source ↗
-
The War in Angola
open source ↗
War In Angola Roll of Honour (warinangola.com, tabid=1175), pages 46-47 of 143: confirmed, no changes.
Stories 1
29 Sep 1981: Two helicopter crewmen from 19 Squadron and four members of the SADF including a Medical Doctor were Killed in Action during Operation Protea when Aerospatiale SA330L Puma, Serial No.174 crashed at Oshakati while bringing in casualties at night. It is suspected that the Pilot, Major Johannes Jacobus Vogel got disorientated in a brown-out situation causing the tail rotor to connect with a barb-wire fence. Sole survivor of this incident was Major Johannes Jacobus Vogel from 19 Sqn (Pilot & Aircraft Commander). As far as it is known, he never flew again. HELICOPTER CREW 76450212PE Lieutenant Desmond O?Connor (Co-Pilot) from 19 Sqn. He was 21. 70331103PE Sergeant Daniel Francis Lampbrecht (Flight Engineer) from 19 Sqn. He was 27. PASSENGERS 70265772BG Lieutenant (Dr) Cecil George Bartie from 3 Military Hospital. He was 27. 76397959BG Candidate Officer James van Zyl from 201 Battalion SWATF. He was 21. 78452075BG Private Hendrik Jacobus Badenhorst from the S.A. Medical Corps. He was 19 79574554BG Rifleman Richard Anthony Herbst from 3 SAI. He was 20.
Dedications
No dedications have been added yet.