'Operation Savannah
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'Operation Savannah
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Returning home The trains took us from Grootfontein to Windhoek. Heavy rain had washed the railway line away to Bloemfontein so the army charted a Jumbo Jet to fly us from Windhoek to Bloemfontein. Our Captain instructed us not to drink on the plane, but once in the air the plane’s captain told us that he was now our captain and we could drink what we wanted. We went berserk, drinking everything on the plane- they had to lock up the Air stewardesses for their own safety. We found out that some of our kit was not unloaded from the plane. This contained our mementos of the war. We were not debriefed or counseled just sent home. We got Pro Patria and the Cunene Clasp for our actions sent to us in the mail some years later. They did not give us a parade to receive them. The 49 men who died received theirs posthumously on the 9th October 1976. The R3000.00 payment was paid straight away. Five years later we were told we were eligible for annual camps according to law. A result of this was companies gave jobs to men from other countries,women and to those not eligible for call up. Companies did not want to pay salary when we were absent, and this also led to hardship. Our families had to get used to us being absent once more. |
