Identity
Person No.
32554
Old ROH no.
1162
Service No.
72354327N
Last Name
First Name
Michiel Casparus Eksteen
Initials
M C E
Date of Birth
Unknown
Est. Birth Year
Age at Death
18
Military Service
Rank
Lance Corporal
Regiment
Secondary Unit
"D" Sqdn.
Defence Force
SADF 3,296
South African Defence Force
Death Record
Date of Death
Cause code
SHOT 537
Shot
Cause of Death
Died in Shooting Incident, at Ruacana Airport. He was accidentally shot with a 7.62 MG while his convoy was parked and they were busy clearing and checking weapons
Location
Country
Locality
Cemetery
Grave Reference
Coordinates
Notes
Son of Johannes Marthinus and Wilhelmina Gertruida Potgieter, of Vrede | Crew commander Eland Mk V 60mm, callsign 43 Charlie, D Sqn 2 SAI. Parked at Ruacana Airfield cleaning weapons; coaxial Browning in an Eland 90 behind them fired (belt still in, then a second round left in the breech). Lt Andre Venter wounded removing him (survived). | Graham Last Post 13 Aug re-post spells first name Machiel (ROH/SAWGP Michiel) and names a 7.62 MAG; earlier Graham / AddInfo has coaxial Browning on an Eland 90.
Citations
Unknown
External References
-
Col (rt) Graham du Toit Last Post
Col (rt) Graham du Toit Last Post 13 Aug 2026: Eland Browning accident, Ruacana.
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Col (rt) Graham du Toit Last Post
Col (rt) Graham du Toit Last Post 13 Aug 2026 re-post: Machiel / 7.62 MAG (Browning retained).
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SADF.info Border Roll of Honour
SADF.info Border RoH
- South African War Graves Project
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The War in Angola
War In Angola Roll of Honour (warinangola.com, tabid=1175), pages 123-124 of 143: confirmed, no changes.
Stories 6
Died 13 August 1975 as a result of a shooting accident at Rucana Airport. Unit was D Squadron attached to 2 SAI BN GP Sam van den Berg (svdb3@iafrica.com)
I remember this incident. I was with HQ Coy. of 2 SAI Bn Gp and we had just arrived from Walvis Bay by "flossie". The armour guys (2 SSB D Sqdn) arrived after us because they drove their vehicles up to Ruacana. The noddy cars were parked line astern near us and were clearing their weapons when an AD from one of the Brownings (co-axial I think) hit the chap in the car in front of him. An officer leapt to his assistance and was also hit from a second AD from the same weapon.
Sam se inligting is reg. Ons pantserkarre was in H formasie getrek met B voertuie in die middel, dit was skerp skemer toe daar 'n sarsie vuur afgaan, omtrent 4 of 5 skote. Pottie is in die blad gewond en het in sy kar ingeval, Andr? Venter het opgespring tot op die agterste luik om te help toe nog 'n skoot afgaan, hy is in die boud gewond. 'n Vliegtuig vanaf Undongwa het eers vir Andr? (wat waarskynlik die swaarste gewond was) weggeneem hospitaal toe. Met die terugkeer om Pottie te kry het hulle verdwaal en Pottie is weens bloedverlies oorlede. Pottie was 'n stil skrander ou van wie almal gehou het. Ons was almal nog baie jonk, 18/19 so dink jou in watter skok was so 'n voorval op ons 2de dag op die grens. Ek is nou 50 en nou nog as ek my o? toemaak sien ek vir Pottie en Obbes voor my.
I did my national service Jan 1977 to Dec 1978 with 2 SSB of 2 SAI Bn Gp and one of our officers as Lt Andre Venter. So I can attest that Luietenant Andre Venter was in fact wounded while sitting on top of his car a few years previously. (Dang this brings back memories!!!) Rob Joubert
Ek was net duskant die tragedie gewees. Op ons Bedfords. Was saam met 2SAI se HK kompanie gewees, 81 mm mortiere. Ek het my boeglam geskrik, nuut op die grens, toe die browning begin hardloop. Ons het gehoor van die ou wat in die gat geskiet is. Ek het nooit geweet die persoon het gesterf nie.
I was there at the Ruacana airport. We had arrived by plane from Walvis Bay and were resting some distance from the runway in a temporary camp site. The armored group arrived a few hours later (they had driven from Walvis Bay) and were settling in when two series of shots were heard. The next day we were stationed at the Ruacana Falls border post with some of the 2SAI BG armored vehicles. I walked by an armored vehicle that was having the blood cleaned from it side door. This was were the officer was killed.
Dedications
No dedications have been added yet.