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Chinery , Bruce Charles (B C)

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Photo of Chinery
Identity
Person No.
29732
Old ROH no.
207
Service No.
76468552PE
Last Name
Chinery 2
First Name
Bruce Charles
Initials
B C
Date of Birth
Unknown
Est. Birth Year
1961 (±1 yr) 382
Age at Death
22
Death Record
Date of Death
12 July 1983 98
Cause code
AA 1,735
Aircraft accident
Cause of Death
Killed in aircraft accident 1,514
Died in Aircraft Accident, near Waterkloof, in Atlas MB326M Impala Mk I #477. Suffered engine failure shortly after take-off from Air Force Base Waterkloof. The aircraft crashed with a high velocity and impact angle near Monument Park Extension. On impact, the ejection seat activated and ejected the pilot horizontally along the ground into the base of a tree trunk, killing him instantly
Military Service
Branch
Air Force
Rank
Lieutenant
Regiment
40 Squadron 57
Corps
South African Air Force 3,524
Unit
Unknown
Defence Force
SADF 3,874
South African Defence Force
Location
Country
South Africa 23,879
Locality
Gauteng 9,374
Cemetery
SADF WALL OF REMEMBRANCE, VOORTREKKER MONUMENT, PRETORIA 1,926
Grave Reference
Cremated - Ashes retained by family 4
Memorial
Memorial
SADF Wall of Remembrance
Location
On a koppie at the Voortrekker Monument, overlooking Pretoria
Address
Voortrekker Monument, Eeufees Road, Groenkloof, Pretoria, 0181, South Africa
Coordinates
-25.77639, 28.17583 · OpenStreetMap
Panel
Not listed against a numbered panel
On the panel
Position on the panel will be added with photographs
Unit History
Part of
Disbanded air and training squadrons
Notes

Son of Major and Mrs. J. C. Chinery, of Cape Town. His brother also died in service. ref. 85 years of SAAF | Brother of Pte / Air Mechanic Anthony John Chinery (PN 29731, AF Gymnasium, 30 Jul 1978).

Research notes


5 Sep 2026: Unit "40 Squadron" (a squadron, SAAF's regiment-equivalent) promoted to Regiment, per John's decision. Corps (South African Air Force) unchanged.
25 Sep 2026, Unit2 service-branch sweep: the stored Secondary Unit "Army" was CLEARED. It was not a sub-unit, it was a service-branch word, and it CONTRADICTED this record's own Branch, "Air Force". Across the roll 787 records carried such a contradiction; judged against Corps and Regiment -- independent of both columns -- the evidence backed Branch 744 times and Unit2 not once. Branch is therefore kept and the contradicting word removed. Nothing is guessed: this man's branch of service is already recorded, and his sub-unit, if any, is simply not known.

Citations
Unknown
External References
Stories 1
by Johan Meyer on 24 October 2008 · via source
Bruce Chinery died on 11 Jul 83 flying Impala Mk I No 477. He had a birdstrike at low level near AFB Waterkloof and resultant flame out. He ejected but died in process.
Dedications 1
by Jeff Yates on 10 January 2011 · via source
I did not know Lt Chinery but I witnessed his Impala fly overhead on the day of his accident at Waterkloof in 1983. I could immediately tell he was in trouble. He could have safely ejected at this stage,but he was flying over a populated area. I can only assume that he stayed with his aircraft to guide it further from the houses below. He succeeded in doing this but unfortunately it cost him his life. For this unselfish act, I would like to honor him as a hero. R.I.P.