Mdluni , Mpinzi (M M)

I have finally tracked down details on my late cousin and his friend who were killed in a car accident in 1974 whilst in the SADF and stationed at Lenz. Neither of them appear on any SADF Memorial or Roll of Honour list, which is strange given that both families were offered full military funerals at the time of their deaths (an offer not taken up by my cousin's family, but which was taken up by his friend's family). The two killed were Gordon Daubermann, my cousin, who was a National Serviceman signaller stationed at Lenz, and his best friend Rodney Pugh, also a National Serviceman stationed at Lenz. I'm not sure if Rodney was also a signaller, although I suspect he was. They were on their way back to camp in my aunt's car, a VW Beetle, on the night of 17 August 1974, when they collided head-on near Lenasia with a bigger car being driven on the wrong side of the road by a drunk driver, who fled the scene afterwards but was apprehended by police, thanks to a suspicious driver who picked him up and took him to the local police station. Both Gordon and Rodney were killed instantly in the crash, but they were only found after the police had coerced the information about the crash from the drunk. I was 14 at the time, and I recall that both families were offered full military funerals for the two, but only Rodney Pugh's family accepted this offer. The army chaplain from Lenz did attend my cousin Gordon's funeral, and spoke briefly, as I can well remember it. I was a pall bearer at the funeral.