Identity
Person No.
33581
Old ROH no.
1499
Service No.
78458197PE
Last Name
First Name
Gideon
Initials
G
Date of Birth
Unknown
Est. Birth Year
Age at Death
26
Death Record
Date of Death
Cause code
MVA 2,627
Motor vehicle accident
Cause of Death
Died in Military Vehicle Accident, Eland Armoured Car overturned at the Rooisloot Training Area, crushing him in the turret hatch
Military Service
Branch
Army
Rank
Staff Sergeant
Regiment
Unknown
Defence Force
SADF 3,823
South African Defence Force
Location
Country
Locality
Cemetery
Grave Reference
Coordinates
Unit History
Home Unit
Attached To
Role at time of death
Armour (Armoured Car)
Status
Permanent Force (Regular)
Part of
Re-established 1 October 1973 out of C Squadron 1 SSB, itself formed as C Squadron of 2 Armoured Car Regiment in February 1962 and renamed 22 December 1966. Regimental HQ and C Squadron at Zeerust; D Squadron detached to 2 SAI at Walvis Bay. Squadrons served in Namibia and Angola from 1974: B, C and D Squadrons on Operation Savannah, 8 October 1975 to 31 January 1976, and later Operations Protea, Daisy, Hooper and Modular. On 25 January 1988 it became the first unit in South Africa granted the Right of Free Admission to a coloured community, Henryville. Most of the men on this roll who point at 2 SSB belong to this period. Also took part in Operation Adding on 10 February 1988, the intervention restoring the Bophuthatswana government after the coup attempt against President Mangope. Equipped with the Ratel IFV and, from May 1990, the Rooikat; received national colours 30 June 1990.
Notes
Husband of Mrs. K. van Rooyen
Citations
Unknown
External References
-
Col (rt) Graham du Toit Last Post
Col (rt) Graham du Toit Last Post 16 Aug 2026: Eland AC, crushed in turret hatch (was Eland APC).
- South African War Graves Project open source ↗
-
The War in Angola
open source ↗
War In Angola Roll of Honour (warinangola.com, tabid=1175), pages 107-108 of 143: confirmed, no changes.
Stories 1
Staff Van Royen was tragically killed when his eland overturned at Rooisloot and he was standing upright in the turret when the vehicle rolled over him he died instantly and was a good staff well loved by his troops and he was tough but a very fair man g mccormack
Dedications
No dedications have been added yet.