Identity
Person No.
33796
Old ROH no.
1630
Service No.
75289629PE
Last Name
First Name
David John
Initials
D J
Date of Birth
Unknown
Est. Birth Year
Age at Death
24
Military Service
Rank
Staff Sergeant
Regiment
Unit
Secondary Unit
Army
Defence Force
SADF 3,263
South African Defence Force
Death Record
Date of Death
Cause code
KIA 14,310
Killed in action
Cause of Death
Killed in action, contact with enemy. He was killed in an ambush when he was wounded in the right hip but died of blood loss
Location
Country
Locality
Cemetery
Coordinates
Additional Information
Notes
Son of Mr. and Mrs. J. A. S. Ward, of Johannesburg. His ashes lie next to his grandmother's in the St. John the Baptist Anglican Church.
Citation
He distinguished himself as part of Bravo Group during Op Savannah
External sources
-
SADF.info Border Roll of Honour
SADF.info Border RoH
- South African War Graves Project
Stories 5
SSgt Ward was killed by an accidental rifle shot while a cache was lifted and being inspected. Romeo Mike 2
Staf Dave Ward was in 101BN toe hy oorlede is. Sy KOMP BEV was LT Coenie Marnewick op daardie stadium.(RM 3). Na n kontak het n patroon hom in sy lies getref. Terwyl ons vir die chopper gewag het, is hy oorlede.
Dave was een van my en Kaggies se makkers. Ons was op daardie staduim spanserante op 101Bn se reaksiemag spanne. Ekkan nog onthou hoe ons een oggend ontplooi het en hy in sy erg engelse aksent geroep het saam met wie ry die sarge( hy het geweet.) Boeta en kon hy hardloop --- ek kan onthou as ons die vorige aand lekker gekuier het die volgende dag moes ons hardloop--- vergeet maar Dave was los voor. Ons het ook lekker gekuier in Tsumeb. Ja n groot en netjiese soldaat.
One of my lingering memories - there are many is when we were busy with the advanced stage of training at Magoebaskloof south of Tzaneen in 1982, and had to complete one of our regular long runs. Dave gave us lot a good head start before he started, as he wanted to run off the night before. We were going as hard and fast as we could, and he just breezed past the lot of us "kakking" us of for running like old woman as he passed each and every candidate and finished well in front. Needless to say he was ready for another night out, and my respect for him soared even higher if that was ever possible, because he looked like s**t before the run. I clearly remember the day Mark Heine and Justin Kitson - 8SAI rocked up at my base in Oshikati and gave me the news he had been killed - impossible I thought, and even today I find it hard to believe such a great person and the very last one I expected to get killed had. Whenever I think back of the days during selection, Dave is the first character that springs to mind.
David (first names David John) was a second cousin. A great guy. Date of death was 11 March 1984, my tenth birthday. I remember that we were sitting and eating cake safely in Jo'burg when my gran suddenly had a panic attack for no particular reason. Now that the family has found this we'll quickly get the rest of the details and some more photos loaded-up Duncan
Dedications 6
Sarge. Wat 'n goeie instrukteur en vriend was jy nie gewees vir jou "Spories" nie. Al die Spoorsnyers by 1SWASPES het die grootste eer en respek vir ons Engelse sersant gehad. Ek kan steeds onthou hoe lekker jy uit jou maag gelag het , toe jy gedurende my keurings onderhoud hoor dat ek , 'n voornemende Apteker , by jou elite groepe soldate wil diens doen! Wel , Sarge , vandag dink ek steeds met heimwee terug aan nie net al die spoorsnytegnieke nie , maar ook al die lewenslesse wat jy ons klomp "spories" geleer het. Dankie daarvoor! Suid-Afrika het 'n goeie man verloor! Ben Scheepers (Skip)
a great leader.to all the trackers at ON COURSE 1980.
Dave - we had some major pissups in the old school we used as NCO mess in Otavi, you could be a real animal at times! I'll never forget you. Bike squad 82 Yuri Maree
Die spoorsnyers van 1981/82 sal Sarge Ward onthou as 'n yster wat dit kon uitdeel maar ook kon vat. Ons was bevoorreg om hom as kursusleier te Potchefstroom en Hoedspruit te leer ken en ook later as mede soldaat te Tsumeb toe ons saam spoor gejaag en in dieselfde tent geslaap het. Willie Christie, Dickie Putter, Roy, Theuns, Buck Bothma en al die ander manne het 'n ontsaglike respek vir Sarge Ward en SSersant Tornay gehad en dit was 'n skok om van sy heengaan te hoor.
Dave; you were an inspiration and a good solider - I can still clearly picture your smiling face as you gave me good advice in Oshivello - I would probaly not be here today had I not heeded it. Peter V, On Course 1980, Trackers Wing "Oshifliee" Peter Viljoen
Iwas at school with Dave and had a beer with him in Ombalantu in 1980. I think about him often. sm