This page reflects the volume and types of activities that a National Serviceman Conscript was involved in, in the South African Defence Force prior to 1994. These entries reflect the author's memories some 13 to 15 years ago, and yet are based primarily on factual data in the form of letters and other personal documents. ©
3 July 1985 Started National Service at Personeel Dienste Skool in Voortrekkerhoogte, Pretoria. Haircuts and basic kit issue were the order of the day. It was freezing cold and for many of us from the coast we were not accustomed to the cold. Accommodation was in tents as the base was so full.
10 July 1985 We were transferred to 3 S.A.I. at Potchefstroom as P.D. School in VTH could not handle the volume of recruits who arrived. This was the first time this Infantry unit had had a July intake for quite some time.
15 July 1985 Basics started and we endured early mornings and many a late night. Sports Day was on a Wednesday and I played Tennis. This was at least a few hours of peace.
10 to 11 August 1985 Parents Day at 3 S.A.I. First time we had seen family since the end of June.
18 August 1985 We will be going on pass/leave from 30 August to 4 September. I was one of a number of people who decided to volunteer for specialisation so our group of 9 members had a short pass and returned for transfer to the S.A. Medical Services training camp at KlipDrift for Medics basics. This was held during September and then we moved on to more advanced medical training in Pretoria during October.
1 October 1985 At 1 Military Hospital doing Hospital Phase lectures and practical phase in the wards and Casualty section.
15 November 1985 At S.A.M.S. College, Voortrekkerhoogte. Doing Ops Medics classroom phase. Our group was called the Foreign Legion at VTH, while prior to this at Klipdrift we had been called Smarties (because we looked like a box of Smarties with our different-coloured berets).
6 December 1985 We finish our Operational Medical Orderly course at VTH. All of 3 S.A.I.'s members passed the course and we are now qualified Ops Medics. We returned to 3 S.A.I. to Bravo Coy, and I am back in Platoon 3 as a platoon Ops Medic.
7 to 15 December 1985 As we arrived at 3 S.A.I. on the 6th, we were advised that we are going on pass for this period.
16 December to February 1986 We go to Kempton Park to do township duties in Tembisa.
1 March 1986 Back in Potchefstroom at Fort Malnutrition as it is apparently known. This was actually at Modderfontein in the Bloekombos base. Doing more training. We now gained a company mascot - a Fox Terrier called Tembi.
20 April 1986 Conditions at Bloekombos were pretty bad and so one of the members wrote a letter to the Minister of Defence / Complaints Office about the conditions in the base and the mistreatment of troops.
1 to 2 May 1986 On practice mini-patrol near Modderfontein observing the townships and living off of Ratpacks.
10 May 1986 We then moved on to do a special patrol through Alexandra township in Johannesburg for four days.
15 May 1986 Doing homeland-duties. We are located at Marble Hall near Kwandebele. We arrive there and are given houses to live in while on patrol. We are only in the houses a few days and are then relocated to an old school near Verena - naturally back into tents.
26 May 1986 Our section is relocated to the Chief Ministers house and farm for his family's protection.
8 June 1986 Have been doing patrols in one of the townships of Kwandebele. Some pretty gruesome sights seen. These included necklacing done by locals against their own people. Also had to provide medical support for the injured in a motor vehicle accident. I have never seen eleven people packed into a Ford Cortina, and there were some pretty ghastly injuries. Liquor and overcrowding were naturally involved.
20 June 1986 I had lost my military issue scarf at one of the spots attended to, so went back and found it there a week later.
24 June 1986 We have been in Kwandebele looking after the farm of the Chief Minister again.
30 June 1986 Now we moved on to Malaita in Lebowa, which is NE of Groblersdal. Main camp was at Malaita but our platoon was located in a farm house near Steelpoort. Once again a better situation than the rest of the company as we had access to electricity, running hot water, shops and telephones.
22 July 1986 We leave for South West Africa on 23 July. Exact location unknown.
8 August 1986 We have been training now for two and a half weeks at Oshivelo. This is for acclimatisation and retraining purposes. We are based at the Dolfyn Training Base just North of the main base, which is directly across the tar road from Etosha Game Reserve. As Medics my group went off to the main base and did refresher training for four days. Our Pay was now R285,00 per month and we received R4,00 per day Danger Pay for being on the Border. Post Day was our lifeline and we always looked forward to the post arriving on Tuesdays and Fridays. Parcels and letters from family and friends were always awaited eagerly. We expect that we will return to South Africa two weeks before 27 November. After training we are transfered to Okatope base where we do regular patrols - mostly with Buffels (10 seater patrol vehicles [plus a driver]). Also do a considerable amount of guard duty. Okatope is about 40 kms SE of Ondangwa on the tar road.
25 September 1986 We were at Oshivelo last week for a week's retraining - but only our platoon went so it wasn't too bad.
17 October 1986 The Officer Commanding Bravo Company sent a letter to all parents about the new base which we are situated at in the Operational area. This was Okatope base.
30 October 1986 We expect to return home in approximately 2 weeks time for leave of approximately 14 days.
14 November 1986 At 53 BN in Sector 10 awaiting our return to South Africa. We will be transferred to 7 S.A.I. on our return to S.A. in November. New home will be 7 S.A.I. Echo Coy, Platoon 3. We return to South Africa and have a few weeks leave - leave in the second year was 14 days, plus an extra day for each week spent in the operational area.
24 December 1986 We leave 7 S.A.I. for Oshivelo on Sunday. We arrive at Oshivelo a day later to be told "Oh, we didn't expect you until next week." Everybody is pretty peeved.
1 January 1987 We spend New Years Day in the bush at Oshivelo doing training. New Years Day "special meal" is a Rat Pack as normal.
9 January 1987 We return to 53 BN and are now located at Oshigambo. This is NE of Ondangwa. More patrols and guard duty, but now mostly do foot patrols.
8 February 1987 Went into 53BN to make a phone call to home for an issue of business. This was a rare allowance as one was only allowed to phone home in an emergency. I had to obtain authority from the Captain, the Chaplain at Oshigambo, and the Chaplain at 53BN.
9 February 1987 We moved on to Ogongo base. This base was near the Ogongo Agricultural College to the west of Oshakati. There was a water-purification works there as well.
22 February 1987 We will be going home within 1 month for pass.
25 February 1987 We will be returning to South Africa approximately 11 March.
21 April 1987 After leave we return back to the border where we are located at Oshigambo again. Half the company had flown directly to Ondangwa and the rest to Grootfontein. We all arrived at 53 BN Ondangwa and were posted out to Oshigambo from 22 April. Somebody at 53BN said we should have gone to Oshivelo first, but what with the short period of National Service remaining we weren't sent back there - thank goodness. Most of the company was elated at this development.
9 May 1987 The previous week I suffered an episode where I had to go on to Ondangwa to have a filling replaced as a toffee had pulled it loose. The toffee was from a parcel sent up by the "Dankie Tannies" of the Southern Cross Fund. Needless to say, having feared dentists on all prior occasions this was the first time there was a decrease in fear. New dentist, new techniques !
19 May 1987 We spent some time at Echo Tower guarding the water tower and pipeline. I was medic and chef simultaneously. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays were Ratpack days, and on the other days I would cook fresh food for the section. There were no lights so all cooking was done during the daytime using the Defence Force's favourite kitchen technique - gas cooking. Fresh meat was kept refrigerated (cooled) in the old-fashioned way - in a cool room (and that was not a COLDROOM ! ). Luckily it was used up within a day or two or it would have gone off.
6 June 1987 22h00 Oshigambo base is revved by enemy mortars. First thought that goes through our minds is that the higher-ranks are drunk and are throwing Thunderflashes around the base again. That was a common ploy to see if we were battle-ready, and how fast we could get to "Klaarstaan" positions (First- and Last-light base defence positions in case the base was attacked - these were the times when a base was most likely to have been attacked). Needless to say we very quickly realized that this WAS an actual attack on the base. It's a most unusual sensation to hear bombs exploding around you - and certainly not an experience I would like to have again. Much activity ensued and thankfully there were no deaths in own forces. The terrorists got away but were apparently apprehended a day or two later.
16 June 1987 We return to Ondangwa for our return flight to South Africa.
20 June 1987 National Service ends at 7 S.A.I.
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