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Spies , Wynand (W)

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Photo of Spies Photo of Spies Photo of Spies
Identity
Person No.
33058
Old ROH no.
2065
Service No.
76527688PE
Last Name
Spies 8
First Name
Wynand
Initials
W
Date of Birth
Unknown
Est. Birth Year
1961 (±1 yr) 381
Age at Death
20
Death Record
Date of Death
14 August 1981 98
Cause code
KIA 14,778
Killed in action
Cause of Death
Killed in action 14,654
Killed in action. After an attack during which 2 men were wounded, he was part of a 3 man rearguard, protecting the evacuation of the wounded. He was shot and killed in this rearguard action but owing to heavy enemy fire, his body could not be recovered. His remains were returned to SA as part of a prisoner swap deal and buried at Roodepoort, next to his mother
Military Service
Branch
Army
Rank
Lance Corporal
Regiment
5 Reconnaissance Regiment 72
Later renamed 5 Special Forces Regiment (1995)
Corps
South African Infantry Corps 10,347
Unit
Unknown
Defence Force
SADF 3,839
South African Defence Force
Location
Country
South Africa 23,872
Locality
Gauteng 9,374
Cemetery
ROODEPOORT NEW CEMETERY 7
Grave Reference
Alternative Commemoration until grave found 3
Unit History
Role at time of death
Special Forces (reconnaissance)
Status
Regular Force
Each numbered Reconnaissance unit was renamed over time: "X Reconnaissance Commando" -> "X Reconnaissance Regiment" (1981) -> briefly a Parachute Battalion designation (1992/93, under "45 Parachute Brigade", a Special-Forces-only designation distinct from the real 44 Parachute Brigade) -> "X Special Forces Regiment" (1995). The parent formation itself changed name several times before 1995 (Special Forces Headquarters, then Directorate Reconnaissance(Forces)) with disputed exact dates between sources -- 1995 is the one date sources agree on. Corps classified as SAIC (South African Infantry Corps) per this site's own records; no independent source found confirms that for Special Forces units specifically -- treat as owner-asserted pending a better citation.
Awards
Pro Patria Medal
Pro Patria Medal
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. J. A. Spies, of Roodepoort. | Graham Last Post 14 Aug 2026: 5 Recce, 3-man rearguard covering evacuation of two wounded in Southern Angola. Body not recovered under heavy fire; returned after political negotiations three years later and cremated. ROH cemetery still Roodepoort New (buried next to mother) — cremation vs burial left as query.

Research notes

SASFA In Memoriam (operators): confirmed Special Forces operator. SASFA: Spies Wynand KIA 1981. https://www.recce.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4.1.-Memoriam.pdf
25 Sep 2026, Unit2 service-branch sweep: the stored Secondary Unit "Army" 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 "Army".

Citations

Unknown

External References
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Dedications 1
by Johan Schoeman on 24 August 2023 · via War in Angola
See "Angolans willing to return body" - The Star 18 August 1981