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Williams , Sydney Melvin (S M)

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No photograph available — remembrance poppy
Identity
Person No.
33883
Service No.
Unknown
Last Name
Williams 181
First Name
Sydney Melvin
Initials
S M
Date of Birth
Unknown
Est. Birth Year
1968 (±1 yr) 305
Age at Death
40
Death Record
Date of Death
28 August 2008 107
Cause code
SUIC 384
Suicide
Cause of Death
Suicide 346
Committed suicide, while stationed in Sudan
Military Service
Branch
Army
Rank
Corporal
Regiment
10 South African Infantry Battalion 12
Corps
South African Infantry Corps 10,347
Unit
Unknown
Secondary Unit
United Nations/African Union Mission in Darfur
Defence Force
SANDF 1,025
South African National Defence Force
Location
Country
South Africa 23,873
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
De Brug Wall of Remembrance
Location
SANDF Mobilisation Centre, De Brug
Address
De Brug Mobilisation Centre, Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa
Panel
Not listed against a numbered panel
On the panel
Position on the panel will be added with photographs
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
Operation
Operation
Operation Cordite
Dates
2004 to 2016
About
SANDF contribution to the African Union/United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID).
Unit History
Role at time of death
Infantry (Motorised)
Status
Permanent Force (Regular)
Part of
Infantry Formation (SAAIF) — Motorised Infantry — Regular
Listed under South African Army Infantry (Motorised) (Regular) in the SA Army Units navbox.
Notes

Williams, from 10 SA Infantry Battalion in Mafikeng, was stationed at the Mellit Military Base in Sudan in support of the United Nations and African Union mission there.

Research notes

SN CORRECTION 25 Aug 2026 (year-prefix method): ServiceNo 71370076BA cleared -- per the documented SA force-number convention (data/SA_SERVICE_NUMBER_NOTES.md), the prefix '71' implies registration circa 1971 (usually age 16), i.e. birth circa 1955. This record's own Age/DateDeath implies birth circa 1968, a mismatch; PersonNumber 33882 (Williams, implied birth circa 1956) fits instead. Original value: "71370076BA".
Col (rt) Graham du Toit, Last Post, 28 Aug 2026: Cpl S.M. Williams, 10 South African Infantry Battalion, age 40, died in Sudan (UN/AU mission, UNAMID) 28 Aug 2008. Matches ROH record (OperationID already linked to Operation Cordite).

Citations
Unknown
External References
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