Velleman, Paul Denzil (P D)

Lt Paul Velleman and flight-engineer <a href="main.php?page=

Lt Paul Velleman and Co-Pilot, <a href="

Paul Velleman was the pilot of a Puma seconded to the Rhodesian Air Force, co-piloted by

Search for Puma Lost at Mapai April 11, 2009 - April 14, 2009 Under the cover of darkness, on the night of the 6th September 1979, I was flown out of the forward admin area of Op Uric, situated deep in the Mozambique bush, to our Operational Forward HQ situated at Chipinda Pools. I was the sole passenger in the SAAF Puma that evening, and my task was to sort out notices for the casualties sustained earlier that day, when a SAAF Puma (See Photo 1) carrying elements of 1 Commando 1RLI and 2 Engineer Squadron had been shot down on the outskirts of Mapai (Rail) formerly known as Jorge de Limpopo, killing all 17 on board. During the 40 odd minute flight back to the Rhodesian border, I vowed that I would one day return to the crash site to honour my friends and comrades in arms who had made the supreme sacrifice that morning, but who, because of the expediency of the battle, had had to be left behind where they had died. 29 years later I was privileged enough to be invited to join Bob Manser's expedition to find the Donaldson Canberra lost over the Malvernia area in January 1977. It became plainly obvious during this search, that the local police, militia, and Mozambicans were more than willing to assist in the location of these war sites and bore absolutely no malice towards their former adversaries. It was then that I realised that it was possible to honour the pledge I had made in 1979. Slowly over a period of 5 months I was able to assemble a "Team" for the Mapai expedition by using the members of Bob's Canberra party as the nucleus. Regrettably both Bob and Alistair Macrimmon were both unable to make it and so Neill Jackson ex Support Commando, "Stan" Standish White ex SAS volunteered their services. Added to these "volunteers" were Eastern District farmers Duff Odendaal and his son in law, Gareth Barry. The final search team was thus made up as follows: Rick van Malsen Kevin Jones Malcolm Macrimmon Neill Jackson "Stan" Standish White Duff Odendaal Gareth Barry Nearly two hundred E mails were sent out globally as we planned, sourced information, obtained eye witness accounts, speculated on where the actual site was, made up introductory letters and catch phrases in Portuguese, sorted out admin and log etc. It finally all came together and on Thursday 11th April 2009 "The Team", complete with wives, c