Wilcox, Mark Anthony (M A)

Mark was a corporal in 11 Commando (Kimberley). He was an old boy from Queens College in Queenstown and was killed on 12 Dec 1977 when the vehicle he was travelling on detonated a "cheese mine". Mark was killed as a result of injuries sustained when the Buffel he was in rolled after the mine(s) detonated. It happened on 'Oom Willie se pad' Unknown

MY NAME IS CHRIS J LOTTER. I WAS THE OPS MEDIC AT THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT. HE WAS STILL ALIVE WHEN WE ARRIVED BY CHOPPER. A CASPER FROM THE KOEVOET UNIT DETONATED A CHEESE MINE THE PREVIOUS DAY. SWAPO THEN PLANTED ANOTHER MINE NEXT TO THE PREVIOUS CRATER ON OOM WILLIE SE PAD. I DO BELIEVE THAT THE NEW BUFFALO VEHICLES WERE ON THE WAY FROM KIMBERLEY TO NKONGO AND THE 3RD BUFFALO CARRYING WILCOX AND BUYS DETONATED THE MINE. THEY MUST HAVE TRAVEL AT SOME SPEED BECAUSE THE DISTANCE THAT THE BAFFALO WAS AIRBORNE WAS A LONG WAY. NEITHER WILCOX OR BUYS WERE WEARING THEIR SAFETY BELTS. THE BUFFALO HIT THE ROAD NOSE FIRST AND ROLLED SEVER TIMES. BUYS WAS KILLED INSTANTLY FROM SEVERE HEAD INJURIES CAUSED BY THE ROLL BAR. WILCOX LANDED UNDER NEATH THE ROLL BAR WHICH CRUSHED HIS RIBS CAUSING PUNCTURED LUNGS. WHEN DOC RICK MORRISON AND MYSELF ATTENDED TO HIM HE WAS STILL ALIVE BUT COULD HARDLY BREATH. HE PASSED AWAY MINUTES AFTER ARRIVAL IN THE CHOPPER. DOC TRIED HIS BEST TO REVIVE WILCOX EVEN WITH INJECTIONS BUT WE WERE TO LATE. I DID NOT KNEW HIM PERSONALLY BUT HAS SEEN HIM AROUND NKONGO CAMP WITH 11 COMMANDO KIMBERLEY AND THE SPEG MAGTE BEREDE GUYS. THE MINE WAS ON OOM WILLIE SE PAD ABOUT 15KM FROM NKONGO. RIP BROTHER IN ARMS.