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Sax , Jerome Alexander (J A)

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Photo of Sax
Identity
Person No.
32803
Old ROH no.
34844
Service No.
92510544PF
Last Name
Sax 1
First Name
Jerome Alexander
Initials
J A
Date of Birth
Unknown
Est. Birth Year
1974 (±1 yr) 208
Age at Death
24
Death Record
Date of Death
22 September 1998 100
Cause code
KIA 14,779
Killed in action
Cause of Death
Killed in action 14,655
Killed in action, in Operation Boleas, to restore stability in Lesotho at Khatsi Dam
Military Service
Branch
Medical Health
Rank
Corporal
Regiment
South African Medical Health Service 8
Corps
South African Medical Corps 536
Unit
7 Medical Battalion Group 7
Defence Force
SANDF 1,025
South African National Defence Force
Location
Country
South Africa 23,874
Locality
Western Cape 2,137
Cemetery
SIMON'S TOWN (DIDO VALLEY) CEMETERY 30
Grave Reference
Family private memorial 2
Coordinates
-34.1703, 18.42953 OSM
Memorial
Memorial
Operation Boleas Virtual Memorial
Location
Maseru, Lesotho
Address
Maseru, Lesotho
Coordinates
-29.31, 27.48 · OpenStreetMap
Panel
Not listed against a numbered panel
On the panel
Position on the panel will be added with photographs
Operation
Operation
Operation Boleas
Dates
1998-09
About
SANDF intervention in Lesotho, September 1998, to restore order after a disputed election and mutiny; involved combat against elements of the Lesotho Defence Force in Maseru.
Unit History
Home Unit
7 Medical Battalion Group
Attached To
44 Parachute Brigade
Role at time of death
Medical
Status
Mixed: Permanent Force (majority) + Reserve medical battalion groups
Predecessor South African Medical Service (SAMS) formally established 1 July 1979 (became SAMHS 1994). 2022-era structure shows most of the Mobile Military Health Formation as active/Permanent Force, with specific battalion groups (1, 3, 6 Medical Bn Gp) designated Reserve. Which component applied to a given Border War-era record is not determined by this source alone.
Notes

Son of Faith Sax, of Cape Town. Miss Vluggie Landman was Sgt. Sax's girlfriend. On the morning of 22 September, during the initial invasion, four South African helicopters were sent to Katse, two of the helicopters were used as Gunships and the other two helicopters were used to carry 20 Pathfinders (10 in each Chopper). When the first Chopper landed the Pilot said: 5 out and 5 Pathfinders must stay. The Pilot took off and landed again near the small Lesotho army base which was guarded by 28 Lesotho soldiers. The other 5 Pathfinder got out of the Chopper and walked to the Military base. A Pathfinder Corporal had pamphlets in his hands saying that they were a peace force and there on request of the Lesotho Government, but before he could give the pamphlet to the Lesotho soldiers one of them shouted something in Sesotho and then 28 Lesotho soldiers started to shoot at the 5 Pathfinders without any warning. The one Chopper went back and picked up the other 5 Pathfinders that were with the Civilian South Africans working on the Katse Dam Project. Then both Choppers landed near the Lesotho base and dropped the entire Pathfinder group. After the firefight Sergeant Jeremy Sax and a Pathfinder went to clear the buildings. Sergeant Jeremy Sax was shot throw a door busy clearing a room. A medical doctor with the Pathfinders, Captain Johan Nel, went to aid Sergeant Sax, he also was shot. Both men died instantly. A Chopper was called and both men were taken to the Command Hospital in Ladybrand.

Research notes


Col (rt) Graham du Toit Last Post 22 Sep 2026: "92510544PF Sergeant Jerome Alexander Sax from 7 Medical Battalion Group, attached to 44 Parachute Brigade was mortally wounded by Lesotho Army Forces during Ops Boleas while preparing to clear a bungalow in Katse Village where Lesotho Army troops were suspected to be hiding. He was 24." RANK CONFLICT flagged, not changed: Graham gives Sergeant, this record Corporal. Service number, date, unit, attachment and age all agree. Captain (Dr) Johan Nel (32210) was shot dead going to his aid.
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, "Medical Health". 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
Stories 2
on 04 April 2008 · via source
In Operation Boleas, a South African military intervention force invaded Lesotho in September 1998, to restore law and order following an attempted coup. On the morning of 22 September, during the initial invasion, four South African helicopters were sent to Katse, and landed on the ground near the small army garrison which guards the 185 metre high Katse Dam, the most important single component of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project. Sergeant Jeremy Sax of Cape Town, not a Sesotho speaker, walked to the base unarmed to say that the intervention force was taking over the garrison. The soldiers inside told him that this was their responsibility, and that he should leave. When he did not do so, he was shot by them, and apparently died almost instantly. A medical doctor with the intervention force, Captain Johan Nel, went to the aid of Sergeant Sax, and was also shot dead. There was then an exchange of fire between the two sets of troops in which another South African soldier was wounded. The helicopters then took off, leaving their wounded comrade on the ground, and strafed the Lesotho Defence Force garrison. 16 out of 17 soldiers in the garrison were killed, there being just one survivor who was eventually taken for treatment at the trauma unit of the project at Motebang Hospital, Hlotse. It is said that four other soldiers survived, simply because when the attack took place they had gone out jogging. When they returned nearly all
on 19 December 2012 · via source
the story described above is inaccurate and not fair to all the SA Pathfinders who lost their lives there that day. The true story follows below as added by a member of the platoon that was there. This version was added to the page of Captain Johan Nel... The real story, I was there. In Operation Boleas, a South African military intervention force invaded Lesotho in September 1998, on request of the Lesotho Government to restore law and order following a Military attempted coup. On the morning of 22 September, during the initial invasion, four South African helicopters were sent to Katse, two of the helicopters were used as Gunships and the other two helicopters were used to carry 20 Pathfinders (10 in each Chopper). When the first Chopper landed the Pilot said: 5 out and 5 Pathfinders must stay. The Pilot took off and landed again near the small Lesotho army base which was guarded by 28 Lesotho soldiers. The other 5 Pathfinder got out of the Chopper and walked to the Military base. A Pathfinder Corporal had pamphlets in his hands saying that they were a peace force and there on request of the Lesotho Government, but before he could give the pamphlet to the Lesotho soldiers one of them shouted something in Sesotho and then 28 Lesotho soldiers started to shoot at the 5 Pathfinders without any warning. The one Chopper went back and picked up the other 5 Pathfinders that were with the Civilian South Africans working on the Katse Dam Project. Then both Choppers landed near the Lesotho base and dropped the entire Pathfinder group. After the firefight Sergeant Jeremy Sax and a Pathfinder went to clear the buildings. Sergeant Jeremy Sax was shot throw a door busy clearing a room. A medical doctor with the Pathfinders, Captain Johan Nel, went to aid Sergeant Sax, he also was shot. Both men died instantly. A Chopper was called and both men were taken to the Command Hospital in Ladybrand. Of the 28 Lesotho Soldiers, 23 were killed and 1 wounded. The other 4 run away. dirk nel
Dedications 1
on 24 April 2004 · via source
Sax you will always be remembered,you were a true mate, sorry you had to clock out. peace forever l/cpl Mark Godbeer