SAMHSEC meeting 13 April 2026
SAMHSEC meeting
Dylan Fourie discussed the military career of Lauri Allan Törni - the soldier who fought for three countries.
Lauri Allan Törni (28 May 1919 – 18 October 1965) was a Finnish soldier who served in the Finnish Army in the Winter War from November 1939 to March 1940 and the Continuation War from June 1941 to September 1944, in the Finnish Volunteer Battalion of the Waffen SS under the alias Larry Laine for the rest of World War 2 and in the United States Army under the alias Larry Thorne from 1954. He was killed in a helicopter crash during the Vietnam War. The recordings of Dylan’s presentation are in the Video Library of the Society's website
SAMHSEC Requested the Pleasure of your Company to talk about military history on 27 April 2026
In session 1, the AFB PE Veterans Group Wall of Remembrance was introduced in a ppt prepared by and presented on behalf of the Chairman SAAFA PE Branch, Sean Moorhouse.
AFB PE was opened in 1938, closed at the end of WW 2 and reopened in 1961.
The Wall of Remembrance was unveiled on 28 March 2026 on the PE SAAF Museum premises, which is where 42 Air School was located during WW 2. It is not a War Memorial. It records military and civilian personnel who served at AFB PE and AFS PE who have died. It was built with cash donations from the group and materials and expertise donated by private individuals and companies.
There are presently 147 names on the wall. Additional names are to be added in due course.
In session 2, Peter Duffel-Canham reviewed the book SAS: the Great Train Raid by Damien Lewis. In 1943, a SAS team commandeered a train and released Prisoners of War from a camp in Italy before they could be transported to Germany.
Centenary of recognition of Afrikaans as an Official Language in South Africa
In recognition of the Centenary of Afrikaans as an Official Language in 2025, presentations to SAMHSEC zoomeetings in May 2026 will be in Afrikaans.
SAMHSEC meeting 11 May 2026
Louis Eksteen: Die 'Dundee Diehards' en die geskiedenis van militêre skyngevegte
in KwaZulu Natal van die Eerste en Tweede Vryheidsoorloë en Anglo-Zulu Oorlog slagvelde
en Fort Amiel Museum in Newcastle.
SAMHSEC Requests the Pleasure of your Company to talk about military history on 25 May 2026
RPC meetings are opportunities to share your knowledge of a military history
subject or book with fellow military historians. Presentations should last
approximately 15 minutes to allow time for sharing the pleasure of one another’s
company. You can do any number of RPC presentations per year. Please contact
André at andrecrozier@gmail.com if you want to share your knowledge.
Session 1 at 1930 South African time
Anne Samson: Die Rebelle se 1914 Rebellie
Session 2 at 2015 South African time
Dylan Fourie: Tarkastad se manne in twee wêreldoorloë
Hidden Histories progress report
https://samilitaryhistory.org/memorial/index.html
The following have been added since newsletter 259 April 2026:
Boksburg and District War Memorial
https://samilitaryhistory.org/memorial/boksburg.html
Brakpan Mine Rand Revolt 10 Mar 1922 Memorial
https://samilitaryhistory.org/memorial/brakpanmine.html
Brakpan War Memorial
https://samilitaryhistory.org/memorial/brakpan.html
1st Bn Gordon Highlanders Doornkop 29 May 1900 Memorial
https://samilitaryhistory.org/memorial/doornkop.html
Grahamstown Unknown Soldier Memorial
https://samilitaryhistory.org/memorial/grahamunk.html
Jameson Surrender Memorials
https://samilitaryhistory.org/memorial/jamesonsur.html
Katyn Forest & Warsaw Uprising Memorial
https://samilitaryhistory.org/memorial/warsaw.html
Kingston Frost Park War Memorial
https://samilitaryhistory.org/memorial/frost.html
MOTH Dardanelles Shellhole War Memorial
https://samilitaryhistory.org/memorial/mothdarden.html
Randfontein War Memorial
https://samilitaryhistory.org/memorial/randfntn.html
Roodepoort City Hall War Memorial
https://samilitaryhistory.org/memorial/roodept.html
Addition to Saint Mungo's Church Christmas Day Massacres Memorial
https://samilitaryhistory.org/memorial/stmungo.html
South African Heavy Artillery Memorial (71st (Transvaal) Siege Battery)
https://samilitaryhistory.org/memorial/jhbzoo.html
South African Heavy Artillery Memorial (125th (Transvaal) Siege Battery)
https://samilitaryhistory.org/memorial/sahaunion.html
Burgershoop Cemetery Krugersdorp Jameson Raid Memorial & graves
https://samilitaryhistory.org/memorial/burghershoop.html
Captain H. Halse SAP
https://samilitaryhistory.org/memorial/halse.html
Constable James Kobe Madlaila
https://samilitaryhistory.org/memorial/madlaila.html
Head Constable J. Milne SAP
https://samilitaryhistory.org/memorial/milne.html
Rand Revolt graves in Brixton Cemetery Transvaal Scottish
https://samilitaryhistory.org/memorial/tsrandrev.html
Thanks to all who have contributed already and call to arms for those whose contributions are yet to come.
SAMHSEC
Chairman: Malcolm Kinghorn culturev@lantic.net
Secretary: Stephen Bowker stephen@stephenbowker.co.za
Speaker coordinator: André Crozier andrecrozier@gmail.com
Scribe: vacant
Field trip coordinator: vacant