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Theron , Coenraad Jacobus (C J)

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Photo of Theron
Identity
Person No.
33248
Old ROH no.
1410
Service No.
74540378PE
Last Name
Theron 47
First Name
Coenraad Jacobus
Initials
C J
Date of Birth
04 July 1958 92
Age at Death
19
Death Record
Date of Death
06 June 1978 141
Cause code
DOW 2,734
Died of wounds
Cause of Death
Died of wounds 2,436
Died of wounds, received in friendly fire incident on 6 May when 140mm artillery fired short near Namuidi (Operation Reindeer). Transferred to 1 Mil with shrapnel wounds and partial paralysis but relapsed and died on 6 June
Military Service
Branch
Army
Rank
Sergeant
Regiment
32 (Buffalo) Battalion 275
Later renamed 32 Battalion
Corps
South African Infantry Corps 10,347
Unit
Unknown
Defence Force
SADF 3,852
South African Defence Force
Location
Country
South Africa 23,872
Locality
Western Cape 2,137
Cemetery
BELLVILLE (STIKLAND) CEMETERY 91
Grave Reference
Alternative Commemoration until grave found 43
Memorial
32 Battalion Tree of Honour roll, transcribed by Derek Walker Source: graves-at-eggsa.org (site now inactive), via Mike Sandham, 28 Aug 2026
Names on Tree of Honour
Memorial
32 Battalion Tree of Honour
Location
Within the Voortrekker Monument heritage precinct, Pretoria
Address
Voortrekker Monument, Eeufees Road, Groenkloof, Pretoria, 0181, South Africa
Coordinates
-25.77639, 28.17583 · OpenStreetMap
Panel
Tree of Honour
On the panel
No. 32
Memorial
1978 SAA (Castle–Havenga, Mennigke–Wolfgang)
Names on 1978 SAA Castle-Wolfgang
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
1978 SAA Castle-Wolfgang
On the panel
1978 Army. Right column. 28th name from the top (Theron C.J.)
Operation
Operation
Reindeer
Dates
1978-05-04 to 1978-05-06
About
Major combined airborne/mechanised cross-border operation against SWAPO/PLAN bases in southern Angola, its central action the Battle of Cassinga (4 May 1978) — a parachute assault on the SWAPO camp at Cassinga (Chetequera was the simultaneous ground target) that killed several hundred, disputed to this day between "military base" (SADF) and "refugee camp" (SWAPO/Namibian government) characterisations.
Notes

Son of Mr. G. M. Theron, of Kuilsrivier. ref "Die Buffel Struikel" by LJ Bothma

Research notes

SADF Wall of Remembrance (Voortrekker Monument): named on photograph "1978 SAA (Castle–Havenga, Mennigke–Wolfgang)". 1978 Army. Right column. 28th name from the top (Theron C.J.). | Colyn Brookes, Mibisa: Volume One – Western Cape (Lulu, 2013, ISBN 9781447682523): Bellville-Stickland Cemetery, Strand Road. | Willem Steenkamp, Borderstrike! South Africa into Angola 1975–1980, 3rd ed. (Just Done Productions, 2006, ISBN 978-1-920169-00-8): Sergeant C. J. Theron “killed” by friendly fire during the 32 Battalion sweep on objective Charlie in Operation Reindeer. This record has died of wounds on 6 June 1978 from 140mm artillery firing short near Namuidi on 6 May — not overwritten; Steenkamp may have compressed the delayed death.
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
Stories 1
by Dion Rossouw on 24 January 2007 · via source
Sgt Cobus Theron died on 6 June 1978 as a result of wounds he sustained from own artillery fire early May 1978 during Operation Rheindeer. Information obtained from Louis Bothma's book, Die Buffel Struikel.
Dedications 2
by Martin Venter on 30 January 2005 · via source
I remember Cobus - remember the two of us shared a fox hole at Manuandi. Remember the shell that dropped short on us in May 1978 when Cobus was wounded. I still visit Johan Louw and Cobus in 1 Mil the monday, but when we arrived the next day at 14:00 in Rundu Cobus was dead. He was a nice guy, I was lucky to have spend time with him and to khow him.
by Gerhard Blom on 27 December 2007 · via source
I was there when Cobus and the other 17 were hit by own forces. I helped to carry Cobus back about 5 km where the Pumas came to pick them up. That was when I saw him the last time. Cobus you and all the others were great.