Identity
Person No.
33465
Old ROH no.
1558
Service No.
76504810BG
Last Name
First Name
Nicolaas Jacobus
Initials
N J
Date of Birth
Unknown
Est. Birth Year
Age at Death
19
Death Record
Date of Death
Cause code
KIA 14,778
Killed in action
Cause of Death
Killed in action, while on patrol within 10 km from Ondangwa. Their Armour troop surprised Swapo that morning in a chana. Nic was killed while directing fire from the turret of his armoured car. 9 Swapo killed and 2 taken POW
Military Service
Branch
Army
Rank
Lance Corporal
Regiment
Unknown
Secondary Unit
"A" Coy.
Defence Force
SADF 3,852
South African Defence Force
Location
Country
Locality
Cemetery
Grave Reference
Coordinates
Unit History
Role at time of death
Armour (Armoured Car)
Status
Permanent Force (Regular)
Part of
Resuscitated as a Permanent Force unit in 1946, when the South African Armoured Corps was officially proclaimed and the Special Service Battalion was included in it as the corps's only full-time unit, its symbols and colours being incorporated. Same lineage as the Special Service Battalion (OrgEntityID 5278); "1 Special Service Battalion" is the specific numbered battalion within that Permanent Force unit.
SOURCE CONFLICT, recorded rather than resolved: the 1 SSB article says the post-war reorganisation produced "1 Special Service Battalion and 1 South African Infantry Battalion", which would make 1 SAI the other battalion from the start. The Special Service Battalion and 2 SSB articles instead have the second battalion carrying the name 2 SSB until 26 January 1951, when it was renamed 1 SAI. The two accounts cannot both be right about when the name 1 SAI appeared. NO OrgEntityAlias is recorded for 2221 on the strength of either.
Border War service falls in this era: South West Africa and Angola, with squadrons detached to battlegroups rather than the regiment deploying whole -- among them 63 Mechanised Battalion Group, on Operations Merlyn and Agree in 1989. Equipped with the Eland 60 and Eland 90. All but three of the men on this roll who point at 2221 died in this period.
The Union Defence Force became the South African Defence Force in 1957, part-way through this era; no man on this roll attached to 2221 died before 1964, so the change affects none of them.
Awards
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 Nicolaas Jacobus and Cornelia Wilhelmina Van Niekerk van der Merwe
Citations
Unknown
External References
Stories 1
L/Cpl vd Merwe was killed while on patrol within 10 km from Ondangwa.Their Armour troup surprised SWAPO that morning in a chana. Nic was killed while directing fire from the turret of his armoured car. 9 SWAPO killed and 2 taken POW Unknown
Dedications 3
I'll always remember that day,as if is yesterday. May you rest in peace Henry Meiring
As Nic's gunner, I too remember that day as though it was only yesterday. Time has made the nightmares less, but losing a mate in his prime still seems so senseless. May God keep you safe in the palm of his hand until we meet again beyond the sunset- Cheers buddy.
46 years have passed , but still the memory lives on. All the images are still there, The big laughs and the less nice times, Our Armour guys never forget . Rest in Peace buddy