SAMVOZA Veteran Mark Holder recounted his experiences from 1979
OVAMBOLAND BEGINS
I think it is important to say that the SANDF was NOT a Jol, we had some fun or made our own fun, but anyone that went through Basics and Second Phase in any of the SANDF forces can really be proud of what they did.
Some camps were worse than others but none were fun.
What is important is what the SANDF made us, I know certainly from my experience I came out much more mature and more confident. On our 14 day pass between border stints I hitch hiked to Cape Town, spent a few days there and swam in the sea at Hout Bay. I'd never been in the Cape and did not know how cold the sea is. When I say I swam in the sea that was true swimming out, when I got to the back line the cold hit me, and I would probably swear under oath that coming back I was swimming a few inches above the water. It is insanely cold.
After a couple of days in Cape Town I hitch hiked down the garden route to PE, up the coast to the Transkie. Being in uniform and not having a passport I had to go all the way around and eventually to Durban. Much nicer swimming in that sea.
After a few days in Durban (Toe het ek dwars gedraai) and hiked back across to Upington.
A very memorable experience. Especially the people that gave me lifts.
They were ALL so friendly and wanting to know what we were doing and so thankful to us for keeping them safe. That's what makes it worthwhile.
I would NEVER had attempted a trip like that before I did my time in 8SAI.
Then to Ovamboland, and that was not so funny.
We arrived in Ondangwa and then on the back of an open Samel 100 to our base in Ogongo.
This was our first time in Ovamboland so we were very unsure of everything. We took over the base from the guys from Ladysmith.
They had lost one of their section leaders to a jumping jack mine, and were not in a good frame of mind. The attitude of one of ours for ten of yours was foremost in their minds. On their last patrol before going home they were in some fairly dense bush and heard and saw the bush moving vigorously, after what happened to their section leader they were in no mood for a re-occurrence and opened up with everything they had. They took out an entire herd of cattle. This was a story from one of them when they got back to base.
Our first night in Ovamboland started well, we were shown to our tents with beds and mosquito nets. Then to the "Wall" around the camp and we were shown our line of fire should we be attacked. Very unnerving.
We all settled in and had our guard duty times confirmed.
At around midnight it sounded as if the whole world had exploded, we dived out of our beds grabbed our rifles and hit the wall. Our mortars were going off behind us and we were searching for movement in the darkness. Hearts pounding, adrenaline pumping and waiting for what whatever was going to happen. After about ten minutes everything went quite again and we were told we could go back to bed. Never got much sleep that evening.
A couple of days later we heard that that was the "Roofie" induction to Ovamboland. There was no attack, just our mortars going off and scaring us half to death. Welcome to Ovamboland.
We had a really unpleasant Captain at Ogongo that was always looking for someway to dish out "Straff PT" or just being otherwise. I volunteered for permanent patrol, so I was out driving the patrols more than most of the other drivers. The worst patrol to drive was the early morning Mine Sweeping Walk.
You had to be up and ready just before sunrise and then followed the SAPPERS in the Buffel while they swept the road for mines between Ogongo and the "Groot Boom". Where we met up with the guys sweeping from the other side. There was a huge tree on the side of the road and we had our mid-morning tea-break there. Then load them up and back to camp. These were all still sand roads. They only swept one side of the road for landmines. Boy could these guys walk, hats off to them.
One morning we were all set and loaded up for a patrol and as we left the camp Tiny's rifle slipped and hit the side of the Buffel and a shot went off. Our Captain came screaming out wanting to know what had happened. Tiny told him, and that was Tiny, flipping Buffel wheels for the day. We had to go out on patrol without our Bren Gunner.
Our first "Contact" was not like anything in the movies. We were on a routine patrol and we approached a LP (Local Population Settlement) village. The protocol was to wait outside and one the children would come out and find out what you wanted and then back to the elders and the would decide if you may come in or not.
And then we had a "Runner"
He was wearing what looked like a webbing and carrying a rifle. Off he went over the Mahangu field. And once again "Dwars Oor" not in line with the ploughed field.
A quick explanation is important. The Mahangu field is ploughed so that if you drive your Buffel across the ploughed furrows you are going to bounce in and out of every one of them. The ground is very hard and you will bounce.
So I turned the Buffel and gave chase not knowing what we were in for. Hit the furrow, bounce out, and so on and so on. We are all newbies to action on the Border so everyone in the back are standing up and shooting after the "Runner.
We hit a furrow and the bullets hit the ground very close to the Buffel.
As we come out of the furrow who knows how many birds or planes were shot down that day.
But unfortunately for "The Runner" as he went over the fence at the end of the field someone got a lucky shot in and over he went.
We came racing and bouncing up and jumped out to see what we had. A youngish guy with big dark eyes just staring at us. An image I'll never forget. He said something that none of us understood and seemed to pass out. We dropped the side of the Buffel and tried to lift him into the back. I had his left arm and as I lifted the whole arm and shoulder seemed to separate. A formidable weapon the R4. Adrenalin pumping madly and very dry mouths. That was noticeable in those situations how dry your mouth became. Anyway we got him on board and drove back to camp.
By the time we got back to camp he had died. We off loaded our first "Kill" and everyone went back to their tents. My Buffel, Charlie 21 and I had to clean it. You cannot believe how much blood is in a person, and how it sticks to everything.
About two hours later I eventually got back to my bed. Those Big Dark Eyes.
Comments