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Williams , Owen Christopher (O C)

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No photograph available — remembrance poppy
Identity
Person No.
33880
Old ROH no.
1668
Service No.
77626497BG
Last Name
Williams 181
First Name
Owen Christopher
Initials
O C
Date of Birth
Unknown
Est. Birth Year
1962 (±1 yr) 351
Age at Death
21
Death Record
Date of Death
07 March 1983 149
Cause code
ACC 1,584
Accident
Cause of Death
Killed in a rifle grenade explosion 1
Killed in a rifle grenade explosion while on operations in Southern Angola, attached to 101 Battalion Romeo Mike
Military Service
Branch
Army
Rank
Lance Corporal
Regiment
5 South African Infantry Battalion 98
Corps
South African Infantry Corps 10,346
Unit
Unknown
Secondary Unit
101 Battalion, Romeo Mike Team
Defence Force
SADF 3,825
South African Defence Force
Location
Country
South Africa 23,869
Locality
Gauteng 9,374
Cemetery
SADF WALL OF REMEMBRANCE, VOORTREKKER MONUMENT, PRETORIA 1,926
Grave Reference
Alternative Commemoration until grave found 1,612
Memorial
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
Not listed against a numbered panel
On the panel
Position on the panel will be added with photographs
Unit History
Part of
Infantry Formation (SAAIF) — Motorised Infantry — Regular
Notes

Son of Mr. J. H. Williams, of Springs.

Research notes

Col (rt) Graham du Toit Last Post 07 Mar 2024: 77626497BG Lance Corporal Owen Christopher Williams, 5 SAI attached to 101 Battalion Romeo Mike, accidentally killed in a rifle grenade explosion while on operations in Southern Angola, age 21. Not the same incident as Greyling F.C. PN 30530 (5 SAI rifle grenade at Opuwa the same day). DATE DISCREPANCY 25 Aug 2026: pantser.cmvo.org.za's SADF deaths PDF gives this person's Sterf (date of death) as "03 07 83" (DD MM YY) against the same ServiceNo (77626497BG) and name -- differs from this record's DateDeath (1983-03-07). Not overwritten, flagged for reference.
14 Sep 2026: Pro Patria Medal added -- database-wide sweep for SADF Border War operational-area deaths within the medal's gazetted window (25 Jun 1976 - 27 Apr 2003), per the warrant's died-before-qualifying-period provision. See PersonAward.Citation for the gazette references.
14 Sep 2026: Pro Patria Medal added earlier today REVERTED -- John obtained the actual Government Gazette (GG 5171/5575); the "died before completing the qualifying period" provision relied on does not exist in the primary text (it was a secondary-source claim). Actual Rule 5 requires (a) combat/enemy-caused incident, (b) a Ministerially-acknowledged operation (clasp), or (c) 55+ continuous/90+ non-continuous days in an operational area -- none of which this record's cause of death clearly demonstrates.

Citations
Unknown
External References
Stories

No stories have been added yet.

Dedications 1
on 01 March 2009 · via source
Dear Owen Williams, Always wondered what happened to my dear friend and comrade and only just recieved news you may have been killed in action 1982 Angola, if so R.I.P comrade you will allways be remembered. G.T.Semmens ( 74534694 ) 0827832779@vodamail .co.za