Bicknell , Kevin Howard (K H)

Died of wounds, gunshot wounds sustained in a shooting incident at the Essexvale Battle Camp, Op Tangent. Upon returning from R&R on that Monday, twenty members of this Company had drawn rifles and live ammunition for retraining purposes. They assembled at the end of a football field, where they stripped their weapons for cleaning prior to moving to the rifle range for firing practice. Once the group had stripped their FNs, a Pte Robert Nyamini Mapfumo suddenly cocked his rifle and opened fire on automatic at his fellow soldiers. As Mapfumo's 20 round magazine emptied, and before he could replace it with a fully charged one, Privates Mawonda and Zevezene overpowered and disarmed Mapfumo. Tragically though, four lay dead and four were seriously wounded. Cpl Stephen Randall of Bulawayo, L/Cpl Michael Wall of Que Que, Sgt Kevin Bicknell of Hartley and Pte John Tshuma of Bembesi had lost their lives. Sgt Vic Anderson, Cpl Malcolm Partridge, L/Cpl Rob Garitzio and Pte David Chiremba had been wounded. In spite of claiming insanity, Mapfumo was found guilty of murder in the High Court in Bulawayo and sentenced to death