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Briel , Jacobus Alwyn (J A)

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Photo of Briel Photo of Briel
Identity
Person No.
38988
Service No.
124307
Last Name
Briel 5
First Name
Jacobus Alwyn
Initials
J A
Date of Birth
Unknown
Est. Birth Year
1957 (±1 yr) 431
Age at Death
22
Death Record
Date of Death
06 September 1979 112
Cause code
KIA 14,780
Killed in action
Cause of Death
Killed in action 14,654
Killed in action, shot down in Mozambique (at Mapai). Believed to have been carrying explosives to be used in Operation Uric and hit by a RPG7 or AAA., in Aerospatiale SA3330 Puma C #164. Also killed was the SAAF aircrew and 14 Rhodesian soldiers
Military Service
Rank
Trooper
Regiment
Rhodesian Light Infantry 155
Unit
1st Battalion 459
Secondary Unit
1 Commando
Defence Force
RSF 2,789
Rhodesian Security Forces
Location
Country
Mozambique 116
Locality
Harare (Salisbury) 1,462
Cemetery
Buried at the crash site near Mapai (Rail), Mozambique by the local population 17
Grave Reference
Body not recovered - crash site coordinates are: S22°06'48.2" E31°39'12.1" 17
Coordinates
-22.113389, 31.653361 OSM
Operation
Operation
Uric
Dates
1979-09-01 to 1979-09-07
About
Operation Uric / Bootlace (Sept 1979) — includes Bell R6098 (Wesson) and Mapai Puma losses.
Unit History
Part of
Rhodesian Army - Infantry
Notes

Amendments from Rhodesian Combined Forces Roll of Honour 1966-1981, by Adrian Haggett and Gerry van Tonder.

Research notes

Geldenhuys, Prop. Rhodesian War Casualties. 3rd printing. JustDone / Lulu, 2009 (Rhodesia: Roll of Honour).
Geldenhuys scrape duplicate PersonNumber 49230 deleted 27 Aug 2026 (Book acknowledgements as LastName Photographs; Briel Jacobus Alwyn / 24307 is Trooper Briel, Jacobus Alwyn (124307), Mapai Puma.)
Col (rt) Graham du Toit Last Post 6 Sep 2026 (Mapai Puma 164 shootdown, Operation Uric): confirmed, all details already matched exactly.
Col (rt) Graham du Toit Last Post 6 Sep 2026: today's fuller post gives age 19; this record has always shown 22 -- flagged, not overwritten.

Citations

***Not yet accepted for War Grave Status by CWGC, need service file

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