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Wiggell , William Thomas (W T)

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No photograph available — remembrance poppy
Identity
Person No.
33865
Old ROH no.
1662
Service No.
75524363BG
Last Name
Wiggell 2
First Name
William Thomas
Initials
W T
Date of Birth
Unknown
Est. Birth Year
1957 (±1 yr) 431
Age at Death
20
Death Record
Date of Death
05 July 1977 100
Cause code
MVA 2,637
Motor vehicle accident
Cause of Death
Died in motor vehicle accident 1,764
Died in Military Vehicle Accident, at Bethlehem
Military Service
Branch
Army
Rank
Sapper
Regiment
2 Field Engineer Regiment 41
Corps
South African Engineer Corps 743
Later renamed South African Corps of Engineers
Unit
Unknown
Defence Force
SADF 3,843
South African Defence Force
Location
Country
South Africa 23,872
Locality
Gauteng 9,374
Cemetery
SADF WALL OF REMEMBRANCE, VOORTREKKER MONUMENT, PRETORIA 1,926
Grave Reference
Alternative Commemoration until grave found 1,612
Memorial
1977 SAA (Kruger–Maquinda, Walker–Wilters) to 1978 SAA (Amorim–Cassamano, Hunter–Mandunga)
Names on 1977-1978 SAA Kruger-Mandunga
Memorial
SADF Wall of Remembrance
Location
On a koppie at the Voortrekker Monument, overlooking Pretoria
Address
Voortrekker Monument, Eeufees Road, Groenkloof, Pretoria, 0181, South Africa
Coordinates
-25.77639, 28.17583 · OpenStreetMap
Panel
1977-1978 SAA Kruger-Mandunga
On the panel
1977 Army. Right column. 7th name from the top (Wiggell W.T.)
Unit History
Role at time of death
Field Engineers
Status
Permanent Force (Regular)
Part of
Engineer Formation — Regular
Formed 1973 from 17 Field Squadron (relocated from Potchefstroom to Bethlehem, 1967); listed as the primary deployment unit of the SA Army Engineer Formation's regular units.
Notes

Whilst attached to Bravo Company Regiment Algoabaai. It was during this period that one evening, his unit came under sustained mortar and machine gun fire. Corporal Tim Conway was fatally wounded by shrapnel during the opening engagement. With total disregard for his personal safety, "Tiffy" returned fire from an exposed position and simultaneously directed return mortar fire. For this, "Tiffy" was awarded the Honoris Crux. He was sadly killed in action, the following year.

Research notes

SADF Wall of Remembrance (Voortrekker Monument): named on photograph "1977 SAA (Kruger–Maquinda, Walker–Wilters) to 1978 SAA (Amorim–Cassamano, Hunter–Mandunga)". 1977 Army. Right column. 7th name from the top (Wiggell W.T.).
4 Sep 2026: Unit leftover "2 Field Engineer Regiment" (a named regiment, not a sub-unit) moved to Regiment. Corps unchanged.
25 Sep 2026, Unit2 service-branch sweep: the stored Secondary Unit "Army" was CLEARED as a duplicate. It was not a sub-unit, it was a service-branch word repeating what the Branch column already says. Secondary Unit is for sub-units -- a company, a squadron, a commando -- and this record's branch of service is unchanged at "Army".

Citations
Unknown
External References
Stories 2
on 27 February 2006 · via source
No.1662 also) Peter
by DW on 24 November 2006 · via source
Not sure if the above refers to the person the above writer actually refers to. The Sapper "Tommy" Wiggel I remember did his national service with us in Bethlehem in the Orange Free State in 1977 and was killed shortly after basic training in an accident where he was crushed between two Bedford trucks. This happened in the main base in town about 3 months before any of us were deployed for active border duty. All respects, however, to the dedication given above as I do respect every aspect thereof. Possibly a "gap" in the details of the hero's who served our country, especially those who served in the special forces of whom so little has been revealed.
Dedications 1
on 17 August 2026 · via source
I served with "Tiffy" Wiggell during 1976 in Owamboland when he was attached to Bravo Company Regiment Algoabaai. It was during this period that one evening, we came under sustained mortar and machine gun fire.