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Plateel , Mark Anthony (M A)

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No photograph available — remembrance poppy
Identity
Person No.
32532
Old ROH no.
1881
Service No.
78419827BG
Last Name
Plateel 1
First Name
Mark Anthony
Initials
M A
Date of Birth
Unknown
Est. Birth Year
1962 (±1 yr) 362
Age at Death
19
Death Record
Date of Death
28 August 1981 107
Cause code
KIA 14,811
Killed in action
Cause of Death
Killed in action 14,686
Killed in action, out on a patrol with his unit in Angola, a mortar hit them. A group of 4 or 5 soldiers were in a circle and the mortar hit right in the middle, killing Mark instantly
Military Service
Branch
Medical Health
Rank
Lance Corporal
Regiment
Unknown
Corps
South African Medical Corps 536
Unit
Grp 36 HQ 11
Defence Force
Unknown
Location
Country
South Africa 23,879
Locality
Gauteng 9,374
Cemetery
SADF WALL OF REMEMBRANCE, VOORTREKKER MONUMENT, PRETORIA 1,926
Grave Reference
Alternative Commemoration until grave found 1,612
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
Notes

Son of Mr. A. L. Plateel. Attended York High School, George

Research notes

Col (rt) Graham du Toit, Last Post, 28 Aug 2026: L/Cpl M.A. Plateel, South African Medical Corps (Ops Medic attached to Grp 36 HQ), age 19, KIA by mortar fire while on patrol in Angola, 28 Aug 1981 -- same incident as L/Cpl P. Kruger (PersonNumber 31184, 6 SAI). Matches ROH record. Regiment field corrected from garbled 'Medical T' to 'South African Medical Corps' (this OrgEntity row had no other person attached to it).
4 Sep 2026: Regiment leftover "South African Medical Corps" (a branch/Corps, not a specific regiment) moved to Corps, matching the same organisation already correctly classified there elsewhere on the ROH.
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, "Medical Health". 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 2
by Richard Turner Richard Turner on 15 April 2003 · via source
# 1881 L/Cpl MA Plateel SAMS Mark was in school with me in George Cape Province. He was attached to the medics in Ondangwa and was out on patrol in Angola when a mortar hit them. A group of 4 or 5 guys were in a circle and the mortar hit right in the middle, killing Mark instantly. I am unsure of the rest of the group but do know that there were more than one fatality that day, a Major I believe. Well loved and liked, Mark was the only casualty of York High School in George. RIP.
by Piet Grobler on 28 January 2011 · via source
I went through training with Mark at Klipdrift SAMS Training Centre. There was a natural rivalry between Afrikaans and English-speaking troopies, and we were not on the same side, but I had respect for him. As part of our Junior Leadership training our group took part in Operation Protea. I was theatre medic at the hospital in Oshakati when his body was brought in. Unlike the other casevacs this was somebody I knew. That made the war real to me. Rest in Peace Mark.
Dedications 1
by Richard Turner on 15 April 2003 · via source
Sadly missed, always remembered. A dammed fine drummer too. We would love to have had you around today.