Identity
Person No.
41754
Service No.
63307755PE
Last Name
First Name
Johannes Siebert
Initials
J S
Date of Birth
Unknown
Est. Birth Year
Age at Death
44
Death Record
Date of Death
Cause code
DIS 6,079
Died of disease
Cause of Death
Died suffering an acute asthma attack which resulted in him choking, at Phalaborwa Hospital
Military Service
Branch
Army
Rank
Staff Sergeant
Regiment
5 Reconnaissance Regiment 72
Later renamed
5 Special Forces Regiment
(1995)
Unit
Unknown
Defence Force
SADF 3,839
South African Defence Force
Location
Country
Locality
Unknown
Cemetery
Grave Reference
Unit History
Attached To
Role at time of death
Special Forces (reconnaissance)
Status
Regular Force
Each numbered Reconnaissance unit was renamed over time: "X Reconnaissance Commando" -> "X Reconnaissance Regiment" (1981) -> briefly a Parachute Battalion designation (1992/93, under "45 Parachute Brigade", a Special-Forces-only designation distinct from the real 44 Parachute Brigade) -> "X Special Forces Regiment" (1995). The parent formation itself changed name several times before 1995 (Special Forces Headquarters, then Directorate Reconnaissance(Forces)) with disputed exact dates between sources -- 1995 is the one date sources agree on. Corps classified as SAIC (South African Infantry Corps) per this site's own records; no independent source found confirms that for Special Forces units specifically -- treat as owner-asserted pending a better citation.
Notes
Resided at Nollie Bosman Street, Phalaborwa. Divorced but had 2 children.
Research notes
Col (rt) Graham du Toit Last Post 29 Jan 2026: 63307755PE Staff Sergeant Johannes Siebert Esterhuizen, 5 Reconnaissance Regiment, died in Phalaborwa Hospital after an acute asthma attack which resulted in him choking to death, age 44. Unit was Engineers School — corrected to 5 Reconnaissance Regiment (regiment already 5 Recce; died at Phalaborwa).
Citations
Unknown
External References
-
Col (rt) Graham du Toit Last Post
Col (rt) Graham du Toit Last Post 29 Jan 2026: 63307755PE Staff Sergeant Johannes Siebert Esterhuizen, 5 Reconnaissance Regiment, died in Phalaborwa Hospital after an acute asthma attack which resulted in him choking to death, age 44. Unit was Engineers School — corrected to 5 Reconnaissance Regiment (regiment already 5 Recce; died at Phalaborwa).
- South African War Graves Project open source ↗
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