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Tiedt , Christiaan Jacobus (C J)

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Photo of Tiedt
Identity
Person No.
33281
Old ROH no.
1425
Service No.
05577044V
Last Name
Tiedt 1
First Name
Christiaan Jacobus
Initials
C J
Date of Birth
Unknown
Est. Birth Year
1947 (±1 yr) 174
Age at Death
24
Death Record
Date of Death
25 November 1971 152
Cause code
AA 1,734
Aircraft accident
Cause of Death
Died in air crash 37
Killed when Westland Wasp #83 from SAS President Steyn crashed on a test flight near Luanda, 25 November 1971
Military Service
Branch
Air Force
Rank
Captain
Regiment
SAS President Steyn 5
Corps
South African Air Force 3,524
Unit
22 Flt 6
Defence Force
SADF 3,839
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
Notes

Son of Mr. C. H. Tiedt. ref. 85 years of SAAF
Chris Bennett, Three Frigates (2006): while SAS President Steyn was homeward-bound escorting the new submarine SAS Emily Hobhouse, the ship’s Westland Wasp (after a main-rotor/head change) crashed on a required overland test flight from Luanda on 25 November 1971; all four crew were killed.

Research notes

Bennett, Chris. Three Frigates: President Class Frigates bring the SA Navy to maturity. Just Done Productions / Lulu, 2006 (ISBN 978-1-920169-02-2).
25 Sep 2026, Unit2 service-branch sweep: the stored Secondary Unit "Army" was CLEARED. It was not a sub-unit, it was a service-branch word, and it CONTRADICTED this record's own Branch, "Air Force". 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
by Elize Kunz on 17 September 2010 · via source
Capt Christo Tiedt was a helicoper pilot in the SAAF. He was based at Ysterplaat Air Force Base. He was not involved in the Border War. They were stationed on board the SAS President Steyn. They were escorting a new Daphne class submarine on its way back to South Africa from France. In Luanda they experienced technical problems with the helicopter. After technicians worked on the helicopter, Capt Tiedt and three fellow officers took the helicopter for a test-flight. It exploded in mid air just after take-off off of the ship. All four the crew members in the helicopter was killed. At the time of his death, Capt Tiedt's wife was pregnant with their second child (born only months after the tradgedy). Captain Christo Tiedt was 24 years old and died on 25 November 1971. All four men were buried in Cape Town.
by Chris Bennett (Three Frigates) on 26 August 2026
Christiaan Jacobus Tiedt was killed on 25 November 1971 when Westland Wasp helicopter #83 from SAS President Steyn crashed near Luanda during a post-maintenance test flight.

Bennett (Three Frigates) places the loss during President Steyn’s return voyage from Europe after acceptance of the Daphne-class submarine SAS Emily Hobhouse; the Portuguese liaison officer informed the ship that afternoon that all four crew had died.
Dedications

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