Christo van Zyl (1962 - 1980)

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South African Defence Force 1957 – 1994 South African Army, 3rd Infantry Battalion.

Biography

Christo van Zyl was Killed in Action during South African Bush War 26 August 1966 - 15 January 1990.

Christo van Zyl is genealogies verbind aan Suid Afrika /is genealogically connected to South Africa

Birth

Name: Christo van Zyl ^[1]

Event Date: 28 January 1962^[1]

Event Place:

Father's Name: Son of Mr. E. F. van Zyl, of Malvern, Johannesburg. ^[1]

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Baptism

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Witnesses:

Membership

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Military Info

Force number: 77323103BG ^[1]

Rank: Rifleman ^[1]

Surname: van Zyl ^[1]

Names: C. ^[1]

Regiment: South African Infantry Corps ^[1]

Unit: 3rd South African Infantry Battalion ^[1]

Cemetery: South Africa, Transvaal, Germiston (Primrose) cemetery ^[1]

Death

Event Date: 3 December 1980 ^[1]

Age: 19 years ^[1]

Cause of death: Two members from 3 SAI were Killed in Action on 03 December 1980 and one was critically wounded (he later Died of Wounds on 20 January 1981) while their Company was based at Ondangwa Town. With only a few days left to serve, two sections were ordered to escort one of two school buses from AFB Ondangwa to Oshakati with the Permanent Force and Contractor's children who had arrived from the RSA for the school holidays. The trip to Oshakati was uneventful but on the return trip later that evening, both Buffel Troop Carriers were ambushed by a large group of SWAPO/PLAN insurgents. A Soviet RPG-7 Anti-Tank Rocket hit the roll bar of one of the Buffel Troop carriers and exploded, critically wounding Cpl Donald Brooks and slightly wounding all the other men seated in the rear of the vehicle. The 2nd Buffel Troop Carrier took a RPG-7 Anti-Tank Rocket through the side of the vehicle. The rocket projectile passed right through the bodies of two of the men inside, killing them instantly before exiting the Buffel armour plate on the opposite side. The drivers, who were never decorated for their bravery, managed to extricate both Buffel Troop Carriers, full of wounded troops out the kill zone with their tyres blown out. Corporal Brooks Buffel managed to safely reach Air Force Base Ondangwa while the 2nd Buffel arrived safely at the Army base in Ondangwa town. A full-scale follow-up operation was launched at first light and a number of the SWAPO/PLAN insurgents involved in this incident were captured. ^[1]

Grave

Event Place: ^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13} South African War Graves Project Grave of Christo van Zyl Seen and entered Dec 2023 by Frederik Willem Johannes Britz