No additional information known at this time
War in Angola Member Dedications forum (Johan Schoeman Excel export, 1 Sep 2026) + Rand Daily Mail Africa Bureau clipping on the same WIA thread: shooting incident at Enhana, 22 Sep 1979, not Koevoet KIA. Previous CauseDeath (polluted template, unit is 3 SAI not Koevoet): 'Killed in action, Counter-insurgency duty in South West Africa. Member of Koevoet'. ActualCause/CauseCode changed KIA → SHOT. Newspaper names him William Ledgton Saunders, age 18, of Johannesburg; record keeps FirstName Ledgeton and Age 24 (conflict, not overwritten). AlternatePerson/Graham-style WIA roll: 76602804BG, 3 SAI attd. 54 Battalion, Eenha shooting incident.
14 Sep 2026: Pro Patria Medal added -- database-wide sweep for SADF Border War operational-area deaths within the medal's gazetted window (25 Jun 1976 - 27 Apr 2003), per the warrant's died-before-qualifying-period provision. See PersonAward.Citation for the gazette references.
14 Sep 2026: Pro Patria Medal added earlier today REVERTED -- John obtained the actual Government Gazette (GG 5171/5575); the "died before completing the qualifying period" provision relied on does not exist in the primary text (it was a secondary-source claim). Actual Rule 5 requires (a) combat/enemy-caused incident, (b) a Ministerially-acknowledged operation (clasp), or (c) 55+ continuous/90+ non-continuous days in an operational area -- none of which this record's cause of death clearly demonstrates.
Mike Sandham's research log ("List 1"), imported 16 Sep 2026, credited to The South Africa War Graves Project unless his entry says otherwise: gives Age 18 against this record's 24. This record has no date of birth, so there is nothing to adjudicate with. Flagged, not changed.
Col (rt) Graham du Toit Last Post 22 Sep 2026: "76602804BG Rifleman William Ledgeton Saunders from 3 SAI was shot dead in self defence by another soldier after an altercation during guard duty in a bunker at Eenhana. He was 18." AGE CONFLICT flagged, not changed: Graham 18, this record 24. The circumstances -- shot in self-defence after an altercation in a bunker at Eenhana -- are more specific than the stored account.
25 Sep 2026, Unit2 service-branch sweep: the stored Secondary Unit "Navy" 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.
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Col (rt) Graham du Toit Last Post
Graham Last Post 22 Sep 2026
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SADF.info Border Roll of Honour
open source ↗
SADF.info Border RoH
- South African War Graves Project open source ↗
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The War in Angola
open source ↗
War In Angola Roll of Honour (warinangola.com, tabid=1175), pages 125-128 of 143: confirmed, no changes.
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The War in Angola
open source ↗
War in Angola Member Dedications forum (www.warinangola.com), Excel export supplied by Johan Schoeman, 1 Sep 2026. Forum post(s): 'Mail' Africa Bureau
WINDHOEK - a former national serviceman, who said he shot a fellow soldier in self defence, was acquitted of murder yesterday.
The young Alberton man's account of a shootout in a pitch dark bunker in the South West African operational area was accepted by the Windhoek Supreme Court.
Mr Glenn Thomas Rodda, 21, told the court he fired his R1 rifle at Mr William Ledgton Saunders, 18, of Johannesburg, who shot at him first with a Bren machine gun.
"I wasn't going to give him a second chance," said Mr Rodda.
The two men were on guard duty together in a bunker at the army base at Enhana, Owamboland on September 22.
Mr Saunders allegedly said he had recently slept with Mr Rodda's former fiance. Mr Rodda said Mr Saunders threatened to shoot him after he.
Later he heard Mr Saunders cock his Bren machinegun. He picked up his own R1 rifle and found that the magazine had been removed. This meant there was only one round left in the chamber.
He said he flicked on his cigarette lighter and saw that the barrel of the bren was pointed at him a few centimetres from his face. He pushed the gun away. The Bren was fired. He shot back with his R1 and then tried to flee from the bunker. He tripped in the passage.
The Officer Commanding the Enhana Base, Commandant L J Trichardt, said he went into the bunker to investigate the source of the shots. He stumbled on Mr Rodda who was mumbling incoherently.
Cmdt Trichardt went into the heart of the bunker and found Rfn Saunders astride a bench with his head against a beam. Blood was pouring out of the young man's mouth and ears.