Van Der Merwe , Basil Harvey (B H)

Col (rt) Graham du Toit Last Post 25 Sep 2026: "05147392PE Warrant Officer Class I Basil Harvey van der Merwe from 1 SAI suffered a heart attack while on duty at the Unit and later died in 3 Military Hospital. He was 54." NEW ROH record -- no Basil Harvey van der Merwe on the roll under any spelling, and no 1 SAI death on this date. At 54 he is far older than the conscripts around him on this roll; the rank of Warrant Officer Class I is consistent with a long-serving Permanent Force soldier, and no inference beyond that is drawn.
- Corps recorded as South African Infantry Corps on the strength of the unit (1 SAI), which Graham names; he gives no corps himself.
Mike Sandham OMISSIONS: 25 SEPTEMBER (25 Sep 2026), quoting the South African War Graves Project: "05147392PE Adjutant Officer Class I Basil Harvey van der Merwe from 1 South African Infantry Battalion, South African Infantry Corps Died of heart attack, at 3 Military Hospital. He was on duty. He was 54." CONFIRMED hours after this record was created from Graham. Service number, forenames, surname, unit, cause, place and age all agree.
- THIS SETTLES A FLAG RAISED WHEN THE RECORD WAS CREATED. The citation written this morning said the Corps had been recorded as South African Infantry Corps on the strength of the unit, because Graham gave no corps himself. Mike's entry states the corps outright, and it is the same. It is no longer an inference.
- RANK CONFIRMED, not conflicted: Mike gives "Adjutant Officer Class I" where Graham gives "Warrant Officer Class I". These are the same rank -- Adjutant Officer is the anglicised form of the Afrikaans adjudant-offisier -- and this roll already carries the alias, which resolves to Warrant Officer Class I.