07/07/1977 - Snippets from a fading memory - Part 4

NOTE - I might be writing down stuff that happened during one of my many camps up north. Memories can be jumbled, and time lines have lost all meaning.

Another funny  moment - we swept the infantry and medics to a local clinic. There the medics would check out the locals, and dispense medicine as required. Sometimes, one would approach us and ask if we had headache tablets. On more than one occasion, we dispensed out malaria tablets, and one time I recall someone giving the man a s-bit - you, those things we used to make fires with… and told him to chew it and wash it down with water. I'm sure that guy had gypoguts for at least a week after that!

Malaria tablets were not popular among the troops. Stories abounded that they made you tan yellow! and due to the fact that any off time was spent tanning, we were not up for a yellow finish! I don't know if it was in fact true, but I never took a malaria tablet, and now realise how risky that was.

Talking about tanning - another stupid thing I remember doing was smearing brake fluid on my arms and legs. Got a better and darker tan! How dumb was that? No after effects that I know of though. But we did have dark tans! Another photo that does not exist somewhere in my drawer.

A nice trip was sweeping up to one of the water towers. I don't know if it was Alpha tower or what. Once there, and the infantry did their thing, we would climb up to the top, and get inside the tower and swim. That water was ice cold, and so welcoming in the heat of the day. If I remember, it was also near to a mission station called Santa Clara (forgive me if I get the names wrong). That place was suspected of giving aid to the enemy, so was raided on several occasions. We just stood by in case we were needed to clear any explosives or arms cache. Never happened. I think those nuns were just too smart!

The kuka shops were also the targets for raids, as they were known to support the enemy with food and money. On one raid, we found hundreds of Rands stuffed into the cartons that wine bottles come in. The owner only explained that he didn't have a bank (the nearest one was probably Ondangwa), and so kept his earnings in the shop! Not sure what happened, other than we all got free cold drinks and some tinned foods.

The guys from my section were renowned for the speed at which we could sweep a road. I have no idea what it was anymore, but I do know that eventually the infantry guys walking in the bush next to us to give us cover were complaining, and many times we swept with no cover, and the infantry guys rode on the buffels! Anyone remember how fast we would sweep?

Once we were overtaken by a speeding local. The Ford F100 and F250 was a very popular bakkie in that area. It wasn't long, and we heard the boom of a landmine going off, somewhere a few kilometres ahead of where we were.  We made the decision to get on the vehicles and drive on the spoor of the bakkie, to get to the scene as soon as possible. Once the wreckage was in view, probably 150 meters away, we stopped, and resumed sweeping, up to the crater, and all around it to check for any secondary mines. As soon as it was clear, we found that the driver had not survived, no surprise I suppose, and settled down to have lunch, right there, next to the road, next to the crater and wreckage. It's actually surreal now that the incident did not have any effect on us, other than we didn't find the mine, it was detonated. The radio guys called the incident I, as we knew the base would be worried. They would have heard the explosion and seen the plume of rising smoke and worried that it might have been one of our vehicles.

One memory from Eenhana was when we were there with the mounted division - this was the guys who rode on horseback. I was friends with one of the guys, and so used to help him in the evenings when we took the horses to feed and drink. The highlight was riding them back to the stables bareback! I had ridden horses once or twice before, but riding bareback, holding onto their mane was another experience.

Maybe, with a bit of thought, more to follow.