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Senekal , Gerhardus Johannes Jacobus (G J J)

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No photograph available — remembrance poppy
Identity
Person No.
32881
Old ROH no.
1287
Service No.
76204841BG
Last Name
Senekal 12
First Name
Gerhardus Johannes Jacobus
Initials
G J J
Date of Birth
Unknown
Est. Birth Year
1960 (±1 yr) 416
Age at Death
19
Death Record
Date of Death
11 April 1979 207
Cause code
SHOT 546
Shot
Cause of Death
Died in Shooting Incident 290
Died in Shooting Incident, critically wounded while sitting on his bed at Grootfontein. A fellow soldier put a magazine into his rifle, cocked the weapon twice and pulled the trigger as the weapon was being put down. Shot in the head; evacuated to the hospital in Grootfontein and declared dead on arrival
Military Service
Branch
Army
Rank
Signaller
Regiment
Unknown
Corps
South African Corps of Signals 355
Unit
Grootfontein Headquarters Signal Unit 1
Secondary Unit
52 Battalion
Defence Force
SADF 3,821
South African Defence Force
Location
Country
South Africa 23,859
Locality
Gauteng 9,374
Cemetery
SADF WALL OF REMEMBRANCE, VOORTREKKER MONUMENT, PRETORIA 1,926
Grave Reference
Alternative Commemoration until grave found 1,612
Memorial
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
Not listed against a numbered panel
On the panel
Position on the panel will be added with photographs
Notes

No additional information known at this time

Research notes

Col (rt) Graham du Toit Last Post 11 Apr 2024: 76204841BG Signaller Gerhardus Johannes Jacobus Senekal, Grootfontein Headquarters Signal Unit attached to 52 Battalion, critically wounded sitting on his bed when a fellow soldier put a magazine into his rifle, cocked twice and pulled the trigger as the weapon was being put down; shot in the head; evacuated to Grootfontein hospital and declared dead on arrival, age 19. Unit was 2 SAI / 2 Military Base Management — corrected to Grootfontein HQ Signal Unit (new UnitID 4187), Unit2 52 Battalion, regiment South African Corps of Signals. Rank Signalman → Signaller.
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.

Citations
Unknown
External References
  • Col (rt) Graham du Toit Last Post
    Col (rt) Graham du Toit Last Post 11 Apr 2024: 76204841BG Signaller Gerhardus Johannes Jacobus Senekal, Grootfontein Headquarters Signal Unit attached to 52 Battalion, critically wounded sitting on his bed when a fellow soldier put a magazine into his rifle, cocked twice and pulled the trigger as the weapon was being put down; shot in the head; evacuated to Grootfontein hospital and declared dead on arrival, age 19. Unit was 2 SAI / 2 Military Base Management — corrected to Grootfontein HQ Signal Unit (new UnitID 4187), Unit2 52 Battalion, regiment South African Corps of Signals. Rank Signalman → Signaller.
  • 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 125-128 of 143: confirmed, no changes.
Stories 2
on 29 December 2001 · via source
George Weston was born in King's Somborne in Hampshire and died of wounds after the battle of Onverwacht in January 1902 whilst serving in the Hampshire Company of the 7th Mounted Infantry.
on 29 December 2001 · via source
George Weston was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) and was wearing the ribbon for the first time on the day he received his ftal wound.
Dedications 2
on 12 July 2006 · via source
to my brother naas senekal
on 17 April 2007 · via source
dit is nou 2007 en nog steeds mis ek jou elke dag en elke dag wonder ek hoe dit sou gewees het as jy nog hier by ons was ek mis jou ouboet so baie ek wens ek kon net vir jou se hoe liefek vir jou is jou boetie naas naas senekal