NEWSLETTER - FEBRUARY 2026

The new year started with an extremely well researched overview of OPERATION SAVANNAH given by Johann Ahlers, who had participated in the military exercise as a 19 year old national serviceman. The title of his talk, Boys in a Civil War, emphasised the use of national servicemen barely out of school who had no choice about being there - and no idea of what they were facing.

Johann had been prompted to investigate and document this whole operation after the disbanding in 2025 of the association (Bond van Savannah Veterane) of which he had been a member. It had held annual commemorative services over the last 50 years.

The whole excursion into Angola had been a national SECRET at the time - albeit rumours flourished to the effect that SA was involved in cross-border excursions. Johann started by sketching international events: post-Watergate and the withdrawal from Vietnam in the USA; Portugal having the last colonies in Africa; communist expansion from both Russia and China; pressure on SA about South West Africa. He pointed out the difficulties faced by communication in a world which was pre-cellphone and pre-Internet.

Using a map of Angola as background, he added a day-by-day commentary on events.
There were three groups fighting for independence all with outside backers:
MPLA (Backed by Russia, Cuba and Congo-Brazzaville - communists)
FNLA (Backed by China, Zaire and the CIA [later SA too])
UNITA (Backed by SA [later Zaire and CIA])

Considering the operation technically started in August 1975 and was initially targeted as being over by 11 November 1975 (when Angola was due to become independent of Portugal) its duration until the end of March 1976 when most of the SADF personnel had been withdrawn proved to be, in the speaker's opinion, a costly and possibly unnecessary extension beyond the initially agreed date of 11 November 1975.

He included details of many books written about the conflict - before and since the removal of the secrecy restrictions - and pointed to memorials including at the Vootrekker Monument in Pretoria. Losses of men were especially poignant considering national servicemen were supposedly not taken outside of the country.

Although Cuban proxies were often up against the SADF soldiers, backing came from the USSR whose spending appears to have been almost 7 times that of anti-communist forces via the CIA. Some equipment was returned to the Republic but a lot was left behind and some personnel had to be evacuated by sea after blown-up bridges cut them off from the rest of the force. It was never a united force and there were instances where clashes between SA groups were only narrowly avoided.

Johann indicated that he could give further Zoominars describing individual attacks or covering the movements of specific groups (e.g. X-Ray or Firefox) in the future - to which we look forward. His e-mail contact is also on the video recording which is, as usual, recorded in the Society's Video Library on the website.

Thursday 19th February 2026 at 19h30 and then 20h15

Speaker: Errol Back-Cunningham
Subject: Courage, Deceit and Betrayal: SOE Operations in Holland and France during WW2.

The successes and failures of the Special Operations Executive against the Abwehr and Sicherheitsdienst while working with Resistance groups in Holland and France during WW2.

The lecture covers the formation of The Special Operations Executive (SOE) and it's disastrous failures in Holland with Dutch Resistance groups and the German Abwehr contrasted with significant successes in France yet similarly calamitous betrayals and failures leading to many deaths and tragedies at the hands of the Gestapo.

Monday 9th February 2026 at 19h30 and then at 20h15:

Speaker: Arnold v Dyk
Subject: The Battle of Zuurvlakte on 14 July 1901.

Arnold's talk will include an introduction on the context and background of the guerrilla war in the Cape Colony, the opposing sides (Commandants Willem Diederik Fouche and Stoffel Myburgh and Connaught Rangers under command of General Fitzroy Hart of Colenso fame), the battle and the aftermath.

The main talk for February will be on the call-up and deployment of the tanks of the NMR to the border. It will be given by WOl(Ret) Johan Bodenstein.

This will be preceded by a PowerPoint show and video on the Centurion Tank from its original design brief through its operational history with many countries, until its debut as the Oliphant tank in South Africa.

The venue is the St Cyprians Church Hall off Umbilo Rd, with secure parking. Entry is free and open to all, with visitors welcome, but a donation of R20 for the car guard and gives entry into the monthly raffle is requested from all attendees.

Visitors are welcome and encouraged.
Details from Phil Everitt, Cell or WhatsApp: 0844371636

The Journals have been sent to all hubs in cities where applicable. Postal copies have been entrusted to the Post Office, pdf links have been e-mailed to all members who were paid up at the end of 2025. Any queries to joan@trolleyscan.com

Calvin Mason in London e-mailed as follows:
"For many years I've been researching the activities of St John Ambulance in South Africa during the Anglo-Boer War. I thought that I should record my findings, so set up a website:
www.sjab-sa-medals.info

"I've also built on the work of Beighton & de Villiers to determine the SJAB men who died in South Africa and have added a few - found a couple that died at sea and one who fell ill at sea and died at Netley Military Hospital.

It's still a work in progress but I wondered if your members might like to fill any gaps or add to the website.

My name is Larissa Mack. I am searching for the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) and KSA awarded to my great-grandfather Sergeant/Private Richard Walter Walsh, South African Constabulary (A250), for gallantry at Roodepoort Nek in 1902. The Queen's South Africa Medal with clasps has been reunited with our family after 73 years, but the DCM and KSA remain unlocated.

Family history suggests the medals were separated mid-20th century, and the DCM may have remained in South Africa. I'm reaching out to inquire whether your society or members have ever recorded a KSA or DCM to R. Walsh (under Walsh/Welsh/Welch variants) or similar SAC gallantry medals even if not publicly archived online.

wmakers@warwickjewellers.net.au

Eastern Cape details contact    Malcolm Kinghorn    041-373-4469    culturev@lantic.net

Gauteng details contact    Joan Marsh     010-237-0676    joan@rfidradar.com

KwaZulu-Natal details contact    Prof Phil Everitt    084-437-1636     everitt@iafrica.com

KwaZulu-Natal * NOTE* Fast mirror and backup site      BOOKMARK FOR REFERENCE     Main site * NOTE*