“We will remember them”

Date: 14 November 2019 By: Andries van Zyl

On Sunday, 10 November, tribute was paid to those who had made the ultimate sacrifice in service of their country as part of Armistice Day, also called Remembrance Day.

At 05:00 on Monday, 11 November 1918, a document was signed that brought an end to the First World War. At the 11^th hour of the 11^th day of the 11^th month of that year, the guns fell silent. The war that was supposed to end all wars had come to an end, but not before an estimated nine million people had lost their lives. Each year, on the Sunday closest to 11 November, this historic ending of the war is remembered.

The Memorable Order of Tin Hats (MOTH) of Louis Trichardt’s Turbi Hills Shellhole played hosts once again to the event on Sunday, with numerous special guests attending the memorial service and laying wreaths. Guests included, among others, Moth Chris Bezuidenhout (on behalf of the South African Air Force Association), Moth Ron Rose (in remembrance of all British and Allied soldiers), Moth André Vermeulen (on behalf of 61 Mechanized Battalion Veterans Association), Lieutenant-Colonel Craig Leeson (the officer commanding of 85 Combat Flying School on behalf of the flying school and AFB Makhado), Sergeant (retired) Rob Riddel (on behalf of C Squadron Rhodesian SAS), Charles Leach (on behalf of Lt Tim Kleinenberg), Lieutenant-Colonel (retired) Johan Louw (on behalf of 32 Battalion), Moth Peet van der Walt (on behalf of former South African special forces and 44 Parachute Regiment), Col (police retired) Gert Nel (on behalf of Koevoet) and Moth Daan Rossouw (on behalf of the Rhodesian Police Special services). A number of wreaths were also laid by individuals.

“They shall wait upon you, Lord, and shall renew their strengths, they shall mount up with wings of eagles, they shall run and not be weary and they shall walk and not faint. They shall grow not old as we are left to grow old, age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn, at the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them…” reads an extract of the prayer of the Memorable Order of Tin Hats (Moths) delivered during the event.

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Andries van Zyl

Andries joined the Zoutpansberger and Limpopo Mirror in April 1993 as a darkroom assistant. Within a couple of months he moved over to the production side of the newspaper and eventually doubled as a reporter. In 1995 he left the newspaper group and travelled overseas for a couple of months. In 1996, Andries rejoined the Zoutpansberger as a reporter. In August 2002, he was appointed as News Editor of the Zoutpansberger, a position he holds until today.

More photos... 

Sergeant (retired) Rob Riddel laid a wreath on behalf of C Squadron (Rhodesian SAS) during Remembrance Day on Sunday.

Moth Servaas Wahl gets ready to hoist the Moth flag as part of Remembrance Day at the Turbi Hills Shellhole in Louis Trichardt the past weekend.