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Mbuli , Thulani Emmanual (T E)

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No photograph available — remembrance poppy
Identity
Person No.
39777
Service No.
Unknown
Last Name
Mbuli 3
First Name
Thulani Emmanual
Initials
T E
Date of Birth
Unknown
Est. Birth Year
1993 (±1 yr) 2
Age at Death
19
Death Record
Date of Death
23 May 2012 102
Cause code
DROW 1,200
Drowned
Cause of Death
Drowned 1,082
Drowned, during anti-piracy operations in the Northern Mocambique Channel. He together with others had boarded a suspect Iranian Freighter, the "Dhow Hoane" for a routine search and inspection operation and while he was disembarking from the ship, he slipped off the ladder and fell into the sea. Despite a 36-hour search, no trace of his body was ever found. He was no known grave and remains unaccounted for
Military Service
Branch
Navy
Rank
Able Seaman
Regiment
Unknown
Corps
South African Navy 435
Unit
SAS Drakensberg 2
Secondary Unit
Navy
Defence Force
SANDF 1,019
South African National Defence Force
Location
Country
South Africa 23,850
Locality
Gauteng 9,374
Cemetery
SADF WALL OF REMEMBRANCE, VOORTREKKER MONUMENT, PRETORIA 1,926
Grave Reference
No known grave - Lost at sea 1
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 Copper
Dates
2011
About
SANDF anti-piracy patrol operation in the Mozambique Channel.
Unit History
Part of
Support and mine warfare
Notes

No additional information known at this time

Research notes

Col (rt) Graham du Toit Last Post 23 May 2024: Able Seaman Thulani Emmanual Mbuli, SAS Drakensberg, Reported Missing during anti-piracy operations in the Northern Mozambique Channel. Boarded suspect Iranian freighter "Dhow Hoane" for search and inspection; slipped off the ladder while disembarking and fell into the sea. 36-hour search found no trace; no known grave. Age 19. Graham gave no service number. ROH already SANDF and already had this drowning account (Reported Missing vs Drowned not overwritten). Emmanual spelling left as on both Graham and ROH. Unit was Rhodesian 1st Battalion / Mortar Troop — corrected to SAS Drakensberg. Cleared stolen ServiceNo 645552 (Rhodesian block on Mathe R. PN 39776, Matidiri D.S. PN 39778, Matthee M.H. PN 39779; not a SAN force number).

Citations
Unknown
External References
  • Col (rt) Graham du Toit Last Post
    Col (rt) Graham du Toit Last Post 23 May 2024: Able Seaman Thulani Emmanual Mbuli, SAS Drakensberg, Reported Missing during anti-piracy operations in the Northern Mozambique Channel. Boarded suspect Iranian freighter "Dhow Hoane" for search and inspection; slipped off the ladder while disembarking and fell into the sea. 36-hour search found no trace; no known grave. Age 19. Graham gave no service number. ROH already SANDF and already had this drowning account (Reported Missing vs Drowned not overwritten). Emmanual spelling left as on both Graham and ROH. Unit was Rhodesian 1st Battalion / Mortar Troop — corrected to SAS Drakensberg. Cleared stolen ServiceNo 645552 (Rhodesian block on Mathe R. PN 39776, Matidiri D.S. PN 39778, Matthee M.H. PN 39779; not a SAN force number).
  • South African War Graves Project open source ↗
  • defenceWeb -- SANDF peacekeeper fatalities open source ↗
    defenceWeb, "SANDF peacekeeper fatalities" and "DRC deaths pushed SANDF peacekeeper fatalities to over 100 since democracy" (compiled lists). Confirms existing record.
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