Identity
Person No.
32532
Old ROH no.
1881
Service No.
78419827BG
Last Name
First Name
Mark Anthony
Initials
M A
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, out on a patrol with his unit in Angola, a mortar hit them. A group of 4 or 5 soldiers were in a circle and the mortar hit right in the middle, killing Mark instantly
Military Service
Branch
Medical Health
Rank
Lance Corporal
Regiment
Unknown
Unit
Secondary Unit
Army
Defence Force
Unknown
Location
Country
Locality
Grave Reference
Memorial
Memorial
Location
On a koppie at the Voortrekker Monument, overlooking Pretoria
Address
Coordinates
Panel
Not listed against a numbered panel
On the panel
Position on the panel will be added with photographs
Notes
Son of Mr. A. L. Plateel. Attended York High School, George
Research notes
Col (rt) Graham du Toit, Last Post, 28 Aug 2026: L/Cpl M.A. Plateel, South African Medical Corps (Ops Medic attached to Grp 36 HQ), age 19, KIA by mortar fire while on patrol in Angola, 28 Aug 1981 -- same incident as L/Cpl P. Kruger (PersonNumber 31184, 6 SAI). Matches ROH record. Regiment field corrected from garbled 'Medical T' to 'South African Medical Corps' (this OrgEntity row had no other person attached to it).
4 Sep 2026: Regiment leftover "South African Medical Corps" (a branch/Corps, not a specific regiment) moved to Corps, matching the same organisation already correctly classified there elsewhere on the ROH.
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), page 25 of 143: confirmed, no changes.
Stories 2
# 1881 L/Cpl MA Plateel SAMS Mark was in school with me in George Cape Province. He was attached to the medics in Ondangwa and was out on patrol in Angola when a mortar hit them. A group of 4 or 5 guys were in a circle and the mortar hit right in the middle, killing Mark instantly. I am unsure of the rest of the group but do know that there were more than one fatality that day, a Major I believe. Well loved and liked, Mark was the only casualty of York High School in George. RIP.
I went through training with Mark at Klipdrift SAMS Training Centre. There was a natural rivalry between Afrikaans and English-speaking troopies, and we were not on the same side, but I had respect for him. As part of our Junior Leadership training our group took part in Operation Protea. I was theatre medic at the hospital in Oshakati when his body was brought in. Unlike the other casevacs this was somebody I knew. That made the war real to me. Rest in Peace Mark.
Dedications 1
Sadly missed, always remembered. A dammed fine drummer too. We would love to have had you around today.