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Van Niekerk , Pieter Adriaan (P A)

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Photo of Van Niekerk
Identity
Person No.
33555
Old ROH no.
2004
Service No.
77203321BG
Last Name
Van Niekerk 157
First Name
Pieter Adriaan
Initials
P A
Date of Birth
Unknown
Est. Birth Year
1961 (±1 yr) 381
Age at Death
20
Death Record
Date of Death
04 July 1981 92
Cause code
SHOT 546
Shot
Cause of Death
Died in Shooting Incident 289
Died in Shooting Incident, near Oshakati, during Ops Protea
Military Service
Branch
Army
Rank
Rifleman
Regiment
6 South African Infantry Battalion 65
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
BRAKPAN CEMETERY 42
Grave Reference
Alternative Commemoration until grave found 11
Coordinates
-26.25318, 28.38143 OSM
Operation
Operation
Protea
Dates
1981-08-23 to 1981-09-04
About
The largest SADF conventional operation since the Second World War at the time it was launched: a deep mechanised incursion into Cunene province, Angola, against SWAPO and Angolan (FAPLA) forces, resulting in the occupation of Xangongo and Ongiva and the capture of large quantities of Soviet-supplied FAPLA equipment.
Unit History
Part of
Infantry Formation (SAAIF) — Air Assault Infantry — Regular
Notes

Son of Mr. P. A. van Niekerk, of Brakpan

Research notes


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.
25 Sep 2026, Unit2 service-branch sweep: the stored Secondary Unit "Air Force" was CLEARED. It was not a sub-unit, it was a service-branch word, and it CONTRADICTED this record's own Branch, "Army". 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 Gerald Bourhill on 30 October 2010 · via source
Killed on Ops Carnation during a heavy but short contact as a member of 6SAI Foxtrot Co Platoon 6. Allways the joker!!
on 04 July 2013 · via source
We were in the wrong place at the wrong time! Those who were with us that late afternoon in Angola will know what I mean! K.Tappan
Dedications 1
by Johan Schoeman on 17 January 2017 · via War in Angola
The family have been told that he was killed in a contact and would like to hear from anyone that has more information about the circumstances around his death. They are distraught about the many contradictions about how he died and would like some closure. If you have any information, please do not hesitate to post it here, or contact his brother, André van Niekerk, at 082 785 1384 (email: ajvn63@gmail.com), or Rochelle at 060 370 7954 (email: rochelle@swlaw.co.za). You can also email me at johan@warinangola.com