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Purdon , John Melville (J M)

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No photograph available — remembrance poppy
Identity
Person No.
32602
Old ROH no.
1186
Service No.
70393939PM
Last Name
Purdon 7
First Name
John Melville
Initials
J M
Date of Birth
Unknown
Est. Birth Year
1955 (±1 yr) 397
Age at Death
22
Death Record
Date of Death
04 October 1977 133
Cause code
AA 1,734
Aircraft accident
Cause of Death
Killed in aircraft accident 1,514
Killed in aircraft accident, at Rysmiersbult, in Cessna 185A #733
Military Service
Branch
Air Force
Rank
Lieutenant
Regiment
11 Squadron 30
Corps
South African Air Force 3,524
Unit
Unknown
Defence Force
SADF 3,852
South African Defence Force
Location
Country
South Africa 23,872
Locality
Gauteng 9,374
Cemetery
SADF WALL OF REMEMBRANCE, VOORTREKKER MONUMENT, PRETORIA 1,926
Grave Reference
Alternative Commemoration until grave found 1,612
Memorial
1977 SAA (Kruger–Maquinda, Walker–Wilters) to 1978 SAA (Amorim–Cassamano, Hunter–Mandunga)
Names on 1977-1978 SAA Kruger-Mandunga
Memorial
SADF Wall of Remembrance
Location
On a koppie at the Voortrekker Monument, overlooking Pretoria
Address
Voortrekker Monument, Eeufees Road, Groenkloof, Pretoria, 0181, South Africa
Coordinates
-25.77639, 28.17583 · OpenStreetMap
Panel
1977-1978 SAA Kruger-Mandunga
On the panel
1977 Air Force. Right column. 1st name from the top (Purdon J.M.)
Unit History
Part of
Disbanded air and training squadrons
Notes

Son of Mr. A. L. Purdon, of Umtata. ref. 85 years of SAAF

Research notes

SADF Wall of Remembrance (Voortrekker Monument): named on photograph "1977 SAA (Kruger–Maquinda, Walker–Wilters) to 1978 SAA (Amorim–Cassamano, Hunter–Mandunga)". 1977 Air Force. Right column. 1st name from the top (Purdon J.M.).
5 Sep 2026: Unit "11 Squadron" (a squadron, SAAF's regiment-equivalent) promoted to Regiment, per John's decision. Corps (South African Air Force) unchanged.
25 Sep 2026, Unit2 service-branch sweep: the stored Secondary Unit "Air Force" 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 "Air Force".
4 Oct 2026: Col (rt) Graham du Toit Last Post, 4 Oct 2026, adds that the Cessna 185A investigation indicated a high-speed impact with the ground under power, and suspected unauthorised low-level aerobatics just before impact -- recorded here as supporting detail, not a conflict with the stored cause.

Citations
Unknown
External References
Stories 2
on 25 July 2007 · via source
Lt John Purdon received his wings at Dunottar with my brother Lt Eric Thompson in 1974, they where both posted to 11 squadron in Potch. he was like a family member as he spend most of his weekend passes at my parents house. My brother went MIA in Angola 1975, however John still remained part of the family until his death in 1977. Unknown
on 15 March 2010 · via source
I am the niece of Lt John Purdon, i am looking for any information regarding my uncle as i have no other forms of trying to locate information. If ther is anyone out there that might have known him. All I know is that my uncle died during a flight this all information i was ever given Tracy
Dedications

No dedications have been added yet.

Source: https://rohsa.co.za/person.php?PersonNumber=32602&pdf=1

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South African Roll of Honour — Remembering those who served and fell. Lest We Forget.