Identity
Person No.
32549
Old ROH no.
1158
Service No.
01169895PE
Last Name
First Name
Johan Diederik
Initials
J D
Date of Birth
Unknown
Est. Birth Year
Age at Death
40
Military Service
Rank
Brigadier
Regiment
Secondary Unit
Air Force
Defence Force
Unknown
Death Record
Date of Death
Cause code
AA 1,738
Aircraft accident
Cause of Death
Died in Aircraft Accident, shot down by own AAA, in Aerospatiale SA3330 Puma C #122. The OC 2 Mil Area, scheduled a visit to Battlegroup Chicken, near Mussende, Angola. Unfortunately the Puma was painted green, similar to the colour of the enemy planes and flew off course over an AA battery that had not been informed of the flight. Thinking the enemy were attacking, the AA shot the chopper down
Location
Country
Locality
Cemetery
Grave Reference
Coordinates
Notes
Husband of Mrs. S. J. Potgieter, of Saldanha. ref. 85 years of SAAF
Research notes
Col (rt) Graham du Toit Last Post 04 Jan 2024: 01169895PE Brigadier Johan Diederik Potgieter SM, Officer Commanding 2 Military Area, passenger on Puma 122, scheduled visit to Battle Group Orange near Mussende, Ops Savannah, age 40. ROH cause already has friendly AAA / Puma 122; names Battlegroup Chicken. Graham: Battle Group Orange, SA 330C, 20mm scored 21 hits, Aircraft Commander not killed in the crash but could not be freed before the wreck burnt; Commandant Martin Verster only survivor (not on the roll).
Citations
Unknown
External References
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Col (rt) Graham du Toit Last Post
Col (rt) Graham du Toit Last Post 04 Jan 2024: 01169895PE Brigadier Johan Diederik Potgieter SM, Officer Commanding 2 Military Area, passenger on Puma 122, scheduled visit to Battle Group Orange near Mussende, Ops Savannah, age 40. ROH cause already has friendly AAA / Puma 122; names Battlegroup Chicken. Graham: Battle Group Orange, SA 330C, 20mm scored 21 hits, Aircraft Commander not killed in the crash but could not be freed before the wreck burnt; Commandant Martin Verster only survivor (not on the roll).
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SADF.info Border Roll of Honour
SADF.info Border RoH
- South African War Graves Project
Stories 1
I was present where and when this person died after being shot down during ops Savannah in a Puma helicopter. His death was not due to a crash. I tried pulling him out of the burning helicopter but was unable to do so due to heat and exploding ammunition. This was more than an aircraft crash which seems to be wrongly stated in the records. There was one survivor who was badly burnt and airlifted for treatment. Place of death - Dondo (200km South East from Luanda)
Dedications
No dedications have been added yet.