Ons Onthou - Majoor Edward Richard Every | Afrikaanse Nuus
Foto geneem by LMB Grootfontein voor Maj Every se vertrek
BOSOORLOG – Op 20 Feb 1988 het 72302342PM, Majoor Edward Richard Every van 1 Eskader omgekom in operasies teen vyandelike magte toe sy Mirage F1AZ (Serie 245) afgeskiet is deur ‘n Soviet SA-13 Gopher Grond-tot-Lug Missiel by Cuatir naby Menongue.
Die voorval het plaasgevind terwyl Majoor Every ‘n operasionele vlug oor Suid-Angola onderneem het om vyandelike magte te onderdruk. Die vliegtuig het in vlamme neergestort en gedisintegreer tydens die impak met die grond. Majoor Every se oorskot is nooit gevind nie, maar gedenksteen is vir hom opgerig by die Voortrekkerhoogte Nuwe Begraafplaas Militêre Afdeling. Hy was 31-jaar oud.
Veterane van die Suid-Afrikaanse Bosoorlog het die volgende opmerkings gemaak:
Ek was daar op die betrokke dag en onthou dit soos gister. Ek was saam met 32 Bataljon as ‘n jong dokter. Die Mirages is ingeroep om ‘n FAPLA-konvooi wat op pad was van Menongue na Quito te bombardeer terwyl die konvooi steeds binne reikafstand van ons MRL vuurpyl lanseerders was. Ek het van ‘n afstand gesien hoe die missiel tref. Unita het gerapporteer dat hulle hom gesien uitskiet het, maar ek het dit nie gesien nie. Ons het die hele nag gesoek sonder enige sukses.
Die Spesiale Magte span wat die area gedek het waar die Mirage se wrak was, het gerapporteer dat ‘n groot groep FAPLA en Angolese Lugmag intelligensie-personeel besig was om die wrak te deursoek. Dit was binne reikafstand, daarom het Pierre Franken ‘n aanval geloods met ‘n halwe sarsie deur sy vuurpyl-lanseerder troep. Twee trokke was nodig om al die vyand se liggame te verwyder na die tyd. Volgens sommige bronne, is daar tot soveel as 143 Kubane en FAPLA gedood tydens die teenaanval.
Volgens ‘n bron was ‘n halwe sarsie deur ‘n troep gedurende die 1980s, soos hierbo genoem, ongeveer 12 missiele per lanseerder met tipies 4 lanseerders per troep. Dus was ‘n halwe sarsie sowat 24 missiele wat op die teiken afgevuur was.
Oud-soldate aan die kant van Suid-Afrika gedurende die Bosoorlog, en hul opofferings sal nooit vergeet word nie. Oud-soldate van die SAW en oud-lede van die SAP kan by geslote Facebook gespreksgroepe oor die Bosoorlog aansluit, waar hul belange gedien word.
We Remember – Major Edward Richard Every from 1 Squadron
Foto van ‘n Vuurpyl-lanseerder wat deur SA Soldate gebruik is in die teenaanval.
BUSH WAR – On 20 Feb 1988, 72302342PM Major Edward Richard Every from 1 Squadron was killed in action when his Mirage F1AZ, Serial 245 was shot down by a Soviet SA-13 Gopher Surface-to-Air Missile at Cuatir near Menongue while on an operational sortie over Southern Angola. The aircraft crashed in flames and disintegrated on impact with the ground. He has no known grave, but memorial headstone was erected for him at the Voortrekkerhoogte New Cemetery Military Section. He was 31 years old.
Veterans of the South African Border War remarked the following:
I was there on that day-still remember it as if it was yesterday. I accompanied 32 Battalion as a young doctor. They called the Mirages in to bomb a FAPLA convoy on its way from Menongue to Quito so that they will be still in range of our MRL rocket launchers that night. I saw the hit from a distant. Unita reported that they saw him eject, but I didn’t see it. We searched the whole night without any success.
The Special Forces team covering the area where the Mirage wreckage was located, reported a large number of FAPLA and Angola Air Force intelligence personnel picking through the wreckage. It was within range, so Pierre Franken hit the spot with a half-ripple from his rocket-launcher troop. Two trucks were needed to collect enemy bodies afterwards. According to some sources, as many as 143 Cubans and FAPLA may have been killed by that half ripple.
According to a source, a half ripple from a troop as stated above will be 12 rockets per launcher and typically 4 launchers per troop in the 1980s. So a half-ripple is 24 rockets on the target.
Veteran-soldiers on the side of South-Africa during the Bush War, and their sacrifices wil never be forgotten. Veterans of the SADF and SAP can join closed discussion groups about the Bush War on Facebook.
Wikipedia (Eng) – 9K35 Strela-10
AVcom Forum – Major Edward Richard Every