Identity
Person No.
32697
Old ROH no.
1212
Service No.
76245679BG
Last Name
First Name
Rian
Initials
R
Date of Birth
Unknown
Est. Birth Year
Age at Death
18
Death Record
Date of Death
Cause code
KIA 14,780
Killed in action
Cause of Death
Killed in action, in a contact near Okatope base south of Ondangwa. Attacked on his last patrol before going home from the Border 3
Military Service
Branch
Army
Rank
Corporal
Regiment
Secondary Unit
Army
Defence Force
SADF 3,817
South African Defence Force
Location
Country
Locality
Grave Reference
Coordinates
Memorial
Memorial
Location
On a koppie at the Voortrekker Monument, overlooking Pretoria
Address
Coordinates
Panel
On the panel
1979 Army. Right column. 26th name from the top (Rix R.)
Unit History
Role at time of death
Infantry (area defence)
Status
Commando (Area Bound Reserve)
Part of
SADF Commando System
category
Generic Regiment-field text used across hundreds of records whose actual unit is a specific local Commando (e.g. Rustenburg Commando, Boksburg Commando -- captured in Unit). Post-WWII, "Commando" is its own force-component category alongside Regular/Permanent Force and Active Citizen Force -- area-bound, part-time reserve units tied to a specific district, mobilised for local counter-insurgency/area protection duties during the Border War era. Not a single regiment; this Status applies to the whole category.
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
Son of Mr. and Mrs. G. F. C. Rix
Research notes
SADF Wall of Remembrance (Voortrekker Monument): named on photograph "1978 SAA (Hitchens–Human, Wolmarans) to 1979 SAA (Akaando–Djolomien, Maarman–Saal)". 1979 Army. Right column. 26th name from the top (Rix R.).
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), pages 33-35 of 143: confirmed, no changes.
Stories 3
The Cpl Rix that I knew was known as Rhian.He died in a contact on the Friday the 13 of April 1979 around 11:30 pm near okatope base south of Ondangwa.He was my section leader of platoon 3 section 1.We where attacked on our last patrol before going home from the Border.3 Other guys also where wounded in the attack.one of them was Rfn Booysen ,who was asleep next to me.he was badily wounded and we never saw him again. Rhian was 18 or 19 years old .His family farmed in Philipie in the cape. Grapes I think.I still have photos of all the guys in my platoon.If anyone wants to contact me on this matter e-mail Dennis Finch natalchef@aol.com Dennis Finch
I knew Rhian well, was in the same Comp. I was also at his funeral in the Cape. Friends may contact me.
I remember well , I had returned from patrol and was assigned gate guard duty , when cpl Rix and his section left the base , the gate area was flooded from the summer rains,. The following morning we were called from the water hole up the road Okatope base, as the section had been hit .Bosman and a mortorist , Rousseau, were badly injured. I saw Rousseau@ i mil in the Nov of 79 , he was still recovering but in a baway, and bumped into Bosman some years later in civi street.....fondly remembered Massimo Lupini
Dedications 1
Fond memories of Cpl Rhian Rix of 11Commando Kimberley Section 1 Section leader of platoon 3 Dennis Finch