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Du Toit , Johannes Jacobus (hannes) (J J)

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Photo of Du Toit Photo of Du Toit Photo of Du Toit
Identity
Person No.
30172
Old ROH no.
1699
Service No.
74391806PE
Last Name
Du Toit 128
First Name
Johannes Jacobus (hannes)
Initials
J J
Date of Birth
Unknown
Est. Birth Year
1958 (±1 yr) 437
Age at Death
22
Death Record
Date of Death
10 June 1980 146
Cause code
KIA 14,811
Killed in action
Cause of Death
Killed in action 14,686
Killed in action, in Operation Sceptic, in contact with the enemy at Smokeshell. The Ratel he was in was ambushed by about 50 enemy and even when his weapon jammed he continued to fire with the anti-aircraft weapon until he was mortally wounded
Military Service
Branch
Army
Rank
Lieutenant
Regiment
1 South African Infantry Battalion 111
Corps
South African Infantry Corps 10,347
Unit
Unknown
Defence Force
SADF 3,874
South African Defence Force
Location
Country
South Africa 23,879
Locality
Mpumalanga 425
Cemetery
BETHAL NEW CEMETERY 8
Grave Reference
F12 1
Coordinates
-26.48808, 29.48463 OSM
Memorial
1980 Army (Abel–Ralikwatha). Photograph: South African War Graves Project.
Names on 1980 Army Abel-Ralikwatha
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
1980 Army Abel-Ralikwatha
On the panel
1980 Army. Left column. 36th name from the top (Du Toit J.J.). Wall shows HC after the name
Operation
Operation
Sceptic
Dates
1980-06-01 to 1980-06-30
About
Large mechanised operation into southern Angola against SWAPO bases around Chifufia and Mongua, notable as an early large-scale combat use of the Ratel infantry fighting vehicle and Olifant tank.
Unit History
Part of
Infantry Formation (SAAIF) — Mechanised Infantry — Regular
Awards
Honoris Crux (1975)
Honoris Crux (1975) (HC)
South Africa · awarded 1980-06-01
Posthumously awarded the Honoris Crux (1975). Wikipedia lists Lt J.J. du Toit, 1 SAI, among Honoris Crux (1975) recipients with date of action 1 June 1980. The Roll records Lieutenant Johannes Jacobus (Hannes) du Toit, 1 SAI, killed in action on 10 June 1980 during Operation Sceptic at Smokeshell: the Ratel he was in was ambushed by about 50 enemy and even when his weapon jammed he continued to fire with the anti-aircraft weapon until he was mortally wounded. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honoris_Crux_(1975)
Pro Patria Medal
Pro Patria Medal
South Africa
Pro Patria Medal warrant, Government Gazette No. 5171 (25 Jun 1976), Rule 5, as amended by GG No. 5575 (3 Jun 1977); discontinued by GG No. 25213 (25 Jul 2003, Schedule corrected by GG No. 26778, 17 Sep 2004) for service on/after 27 Apr 2003. Gazette extracts: https://rohsa.co.za/award.php?id=24
Notes

Son of Mr. S. T. P. du Toit

Research notes

SADF Wall of Remembrance (Voortrekker Monument): named on photograph "1980 Army (Abel–Ralikwatha). Photograph: South African War Graves Project.". 1980 Army. Left column. 36th name from the top (Du Toit J.J.). Wall shows HC after the name. | Willem Steenkamp, Borderstrike! South Africa into Angola 1975–1980, 3rd ed. (Just Done Productions, 2006, ISBN 978-1-920169-00-8): after swapping into Capt Louis Harmse’s repaired command Ratel with Capt Piet Botes (44 Parachute Brigade), drove into a PLAN position on Complex 8 at Smokeshell. Both the 20mm and coaxial Browning jammed; Du Toit manned the rear anti-aircraft Brownings until mortally wounded; Botes U-turned the vehicle out. Posthumous Honoris Crux (Appendix B no. 60).
25 Sep 2026, Unit2 service-branch sweep: the stored Secondary Unit "Army" was CLEARED as a duplicate. It was not a sub-unit, it was a service-branch word repeating what the Branch column already says. Secondary Unit is for sub-units -- a company, a squadron, a commando -- and this record's branch of service is unchanged at "Army".

Citations

Posthumously awarded the Honoris Crux (1975). Wikipedia lists Lt J.J. du Toit, 1 SAI, among Honoris Crux (1975) recipients with date of action 1 June 1980. The Roll records Lieutenant Johannes Jacobus (Hannes) du Toit, 1 SAI, killed in action on 10 June 1980 during Operation Sceptic at Smokeshell: the Ratel he was in was ambushed by about 50 enemy and even when his weapon jammed he continued to fire with the anti-aircraft weapon until he was mortally wounded. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honoris_Crux_(1975)

External References
Stories 3
by Chris Douglas on 02 February 2006 · via source
Du Toit was killed in action during operation Smoke Shell (1980). During a strike on a terrorist base in Angola some Ratels were shot up and disabled by AA guns in the base. He was maning the tail gun of his Rattle giving covering fire during the battle and was killed with small arms fire.
on 28 February 2006 · via source
Lt Hannes du Toit was second in command of Combat Team 2, operating from Ratel IFV Two Zero Alpha. On 10 June, during the attack on Complex 8 near Chitumba, Angola, as part of Operation Sceptic, the Ratel IFV Two Zero, commanded by the leader of Combat Team 2, Captain Louis Herman, suffered a bent axle. Captain Herman transferred his command to Lt du Toit's Ratel, Two Zero Alpha, leaving du Toit to make his way forward as best he could in the damaged Ratel, Two Zero. Once the damaged Ratel had been repaired Lt du Toit and his men, plus Captain Piet Botha (attached from 44 Parachute Brigade), made their way forward in an endeavour to catch up with the now much advanced Combat Team Two. While doing so, their Ratel ran into a strongly defended SWAPO position at Complex 8, where they came under intense fire. During this exchange the Ratel suffered jams in both their 20 mm cannon and the 7.62 mm Browning, leaving them only the twin anti-aircraft Brownings at the rear to defend themselves with. Lt du Toit, manning these Brownings, exposed himself while firing the twin Brownings at the surrounding SWAPO insurgents, while Captain Botha quickly swung the Ratel around in a U-turn and drove out of range of the insurgents' fire. Unfortunately, in the brief exchange Lt du Toit had been mortally wounded, although he continued to give covering fire until he lost consciousness. Despite the best efforts of his men, he died shortly afterwards, but his supreme sacrifice had enabled the rest of his crew to escape unscathed. For his bravery and self-sacrifice in this engagement, Lt du Toit was posthumously awarded the Honoris Crux. (information extracted from " Borderstrike " by Willem Steenkamp; Just Done Productions, 2006.) Peter Chapman
by Steve Wilmot on 20 October 2011 · via source
I met Hannes in about 1977 while on a course in Heidelberg . I bought my first car, a "sharky" Peugeot 404, from him and became good friends with him. I drove that car with a TAB registration for about 7 years. When Hannes enrolled to go to the Military Academy in Saldanha he accepted me as his "father" which was a mentoring system where a second year showed the newcomers the ropes. In rugby I played lock and he was one of the props. While we were not best buddies I new enough of him and about his character to not be surprised by his heroic actions when he died. .I think of him often as a "family"member I lost in the Border conflict.
Dedications

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