Identity
Person No.
32550
Old ROH no.
1159
Service No.
67302257BG
Last Name
First Name
Johan Hendrik
Initials
J H
Date of Birth
Unknown
Est. Birth Year
Age at Death
30
Death Record
Date of Death
Cause code
KIA 14,778
Killed in action
Cause of Death
Killed in action, on patrol the Lt sent out a section (1 Ratel) to follow a couple a tracks that the tracker had picked up. The Ratel hit an ambush just after 10am. By the time backup had formed up and went to their aid a group of soldiers had been killed
Military Service
Location
Country
Locality
Cemetery
Grave Reference
Coordinates
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
Husband of Mrs. R. Potgieter
Research notes
25 Sep 2026, Unit2 service-branch sweep: the stored Secondary Unit "Air Force" was CLEARED. It was not a sub-unit, it was a service-branch word, and it CONTRADICTED this record's own Branch, "Army". Across the roll 787 records carried such a contradiction; judged against Corps and Regiment -- independent of both columns -- the evidence backed Branch 744 times and Unit2 not once. Branch is therefore kept and the contradicting word removed. Nothing is guessed: this man's branch of service is already recorded, and his sub-unit, if any, is simply not known.
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), page 48 of 143: confirmed, no changes.
Stories 1
About 150 members of an elite Swapo unit code named 'Vulcan' had infiltrated the farming area around Grootfontein, Tsumeb, Otavi and Tsintsabis. Several farmers and farm workers were killed during this incursion, as were seven members of Alpha Company of 61 Mech Bn on 15 April 1982. They were Rfn B.J. Wolfaardt, M. Petersen, J.H. Potgieter, L.P. Hough, L/Cpl J.J. van der Berg, Cpl M.J. van Jaarsveld and 2Lt D. van der Westhuizen ("Oom Daan"). Whilst on patrol the Lieutenant sent out a section (one Ratel) to follow a couple of tracks that the tracker had picked up. The Ratel hit an ambush just after 10 am. By the time backup had formed up and went to their aid a group of soldiers had been killed.
Dedications 1
I will never forget that fateful day in SWA and I'll never forget you my friend. May God keep you until