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Oram , Charles John (C J)

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Photo of Oram
Identity
Person No.
32406
Service No.
Unknown
Last Name
Oram 1
First Name
Charles John
Initials
C J
Date of Birth
Unknown
Est. Birth Year
1961 (±1 yr) 381
Age at Death
26
Death Record
Date of Death
31 January 1987 77
Cause code
MVA 2,631
Motor vehicle accident
Cause of Death
Died in Motorcycle Accident 30
Died in Motorcycle Accident, whilst at 5 Recce
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 3,828
South African Defence Force
Location
Country
South Africa 23,872
Locality
Limpopo 190
Cemetery
PHALABORWA TOWN CEMETERY 4
Grave Reference
A4 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.
Notes

No additional information known at this time

Research notes

SN CORRECTION 25 Aug 2026: ServiceNo 83480426BG cleared -- the pantser.cmvo.org.za SADF deaths PDF lists that number under "OPPERMAN, WILLIAM HAALSWARD" (RFN, Sterf 24 11 86), matching PersonNumber 32405 (Opperman, DateDeath 1986-11-24) by surname and exact date, not this record. Original value: "83480426BG". Left as an unresolved collision otherwise -- this correction is specific to this one PDF-confirmed case, not a general claim this record's other data is wrong. 26 Aug 2026: Unit was leftover "8 South African Infantry Battalion". SAWGP Regiment 5 Reconnaissance Regiment with no separate unit.
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
Unknown
External References
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