Daniel Goes to war.

Daniel goes to war

Part 5

October 14 1975 – August 23 1976

                  

Sgt Daniel Roxo joined the fledgling 32 Battalion, then known as Battle Group Bravo  in mid October 1975 where he was used by Commandant Breytenbach to assist in training FNLA troops. Daniel together with 11 other instructors, among them Jose, Mauro, Ponciano and Carlo were to become known as the “Dirty Dozen”. There has been several great books written on the formation and early days as well as history of 32 Battalion, 4 by Colonel Jan Breytenbach “Forged in battle”,” They Live by the sword”, “Buffalo soldiers” and his latest called “The tempered sword”. Other good books  on the subject are “32 battalion the inside story of South–Africa’s elite fighting unit” as well as “The Terrible Ones” both written by Piet Nortje, the revised and updated version “Borderstrike” by Willem Steenkamp, as well as the book “Buffalo Battalion” by Louis J Bothma. I have used the information in these books together with information from various sources to put together Daniels movements  as best I can during this period of his life.  

Many Portuguese people are not aware of Daniels contribution to South Africa or the SADF during its intervention in the Angolan war as well as its aftermath and while this association was brief due to his untimely death in August 1976, Daniel was to become one of the legendary members of 1 Recce as well as 32 battalion just as he had been a legend in Mozambique.

The intervention by South Africa in Angola to become known as Operation Savannah came about to prevent Angola, falling into the Marxist backed MPLA hands. MPLA who had the backing of Admiral de Carvalho (the Portuguese Governor in Angola) where trying hard to get Angola under its control prior to Independence that had been set for 11^th November 1975.

Daniel joined Commandant Breytenbach and his task force as a Sergeant just prior to Battle Group Bravo setting off from Calai on 14 October 1975.  Bravos first action of Operation Savannah  was on 17 October when the lead  company were ambushed by UNITA at Cuvelai. After forming a assault line the ambushers fled into the bush. The fact that the FNLA and UNITA were supposed to be on the same side had obviously not reached all of Savimbi’s men in the field.

The rest of Bravo group where brought to the town and Daniel informed Commandant Breytenbach that there was another UNITA headquarters about 10 kilometres away. Daniel was tasked to take some men and destroy the post. Daniel would have been involved in contacts at Mupa that saw Bravos first casualty of war. Less than  a week after leaving Calai Bravo linked up with  Battle Group Alpha to assault Periera D’ Eca  Bravo’s task was to attack from the North and secure the airfield some 8 kilometers to the west of the town. Daniels company was held in reserve until needed.

On 21 October Bravo Group proceeded to Joao de Almeida and as they neared the town they were ambushed by a small group of the enemy who fled soon after the initial contact. By late afternoon the town was secured. On 23 October Bravo moved out towards Sa da Bandeira leaving a platoon of FNLA under the command of Daniel to prevent any enemy advance from the rear.

Not much is known about Daniels movements after being left to defend Joao de Almeida however he was involved in an incident in Lobito as described in Buffalo Soldiers. “I despatched Sergeant Danny Roxo and a platoon back to Lobito to secure the dockyard area and the fuel storage tanks, Later I returned to our laagering area to find a highly irate Danny Roxo waiting for me. He had returned with his platoon from the fuel tanks in Lobito. He had been thoroughly beaten up. His platoon had been followed into Lobito by a group of UNITA troops commanded by a fellow called ‘Lumumba’. A war name that meant only one thing, he was not a friend of FNLA nor of the South Africans. Lumumba peremptorily ordered Danny to vacate the dockyard. Danny rightly objected, saying he took only orders from his commander. Lumumba would have to discuss the matter with me. He replied that he would only speak with me if he needed to buy a pocket of tomatoes. Danny lost his temper and obviously made some unflattering remarks about UNITA. Lumumba retaliated by ordering his troops to beat up Danny and a few of the men with him”  

            

It was not long after this that Daniel was to win the Honoris Crux. So its perhaps pertinent to look at this phase of his life. Many believe that Daniel won this award during the Battle for Bridge 14, this is not so it was the lead up to the actual battle as you will see.

After more than 80 men of Charlie Company Bravo Group were killed following an ambush by Cubans at Ebo with the wounded being cold bloodily executed where they lay. After the South  African forces had withdrawn from Ebo it was decided to try and bypass the town using an outflanking manoeuvre. This plan however had to be aborted due to UNITA troops hastily leaving the battle zone every time the Stalin organs (Red eyes) opened fire. It was then decided at Command level that the South Africans would have to cross the Nhia river over a small but well constructed bridge behind a hill code-named Top Hat.  

   

Due to the fact that the bridge could not be seen from the South Africans positions Colonel Breytenbach was given orders on 27 November to send out a patrol to ascertain if the bridge was in fact still intact. Daniel was tasked to Reconnoitre the bridge as well  see if FAPLA were dug in on the far side of the river. Unknown to the South Africans FAPLA were occupying Top Hat.  

Top Hat

Daniel with a platoon of infantry as well as 2 armoured cars set out  to reconnoiter the area. Not too long after Daniel and his men had moved out the distinct  sounds of a contact could be heard by those in the rear. Hearing the battle intensify Commandant Breytenbach ordered additional armoured cars to go Daniels assistance but due to the intensity of the contact they respectively declined. Daniel and his men made it back after hitching a ride on the two armoured cars who unlike those who had refused to go and assist had stayed at the scene of the fight.

In the words of Col Jan Breytenbach “Danny’s story was remarkable, he arrived with his patrol at Top Hat where he decided to leave all his men and the cars, while he went ahead on foot, on his own, to reconnoitre the bridge. Unbeknown to him, he passed through a very strong FAPLA position on Top Hat’s slope from where they watched Danny with eagle and expectant eyes as he marched his solitary way to his doom at the bridge.

Danny turned the corner, at the bridge, saw that it was blown and also that there were 3 Cubans standing around what appeared to be a 14.5 anti-aircraft gun on the far side of the river. He promptly shot 2 of them after which all hell broke loose as all sorts of weapons opened up on him from the far side.

So he decided to beat a hasty retreat back to his patrol, along the same route that he had come. He ran slap bang into the FAPLA on the slopes of Top Hat who had a glorious view of  speeding little man thumping the tar road within metres past their positions. They opened up with relish but somehow it did not quite work out the way they had planned”.

Daniels Certificate of award for HC

Danny told me the story in his own inimitable Portuguese way. “Coronel I run and go tat tat tat – and I run and I go tat tat tat tat – and I run and go tat tat tat tat – and suddenly the shooting it stops; no more FAPLA” he smiled from ear to ear. Danny claimed to have shot 2 Cubans. He did not claim more. But as luck would have it, FAPLA on Top Hat had caught 2 of Danny’s men when they tried to round up some cattle while Danny was on his way to the bridge.

Both were kept separately as prisoners at Catofe, one by Cubans and the other by FAPLA and both escape separately within a 2 day interval between the escapes. While we debriefed them it transpired that Danny had shot a total of eleven, 2 Cubans and 9 FAPLA, the latter while dashing through the ambush on Top Hat. Danny was evidently the talk of the town in Catofe and both escapees overheard the troops discussing the incident while they were having a booze up the night after it happened”.     

                                         

For  this action Daniel was recommended for and later awarded the Honoris Crux, Daniel became the first non South African to win South Africa’s highest award, a medal he was never to receive due to his untimely death in August 1976. While Daniel was the first non South African to be awarded the HC he was not the first to be nominated, this honour goes to Jose “Robbie” Ribeiro for actions at Sa da Bandeira airfield during operation Savannah. It’s been said the reason he was not awarded the HC was because he was a Mullato, a decision that Commandant Breytenbach did not agree with and tried unsuccessfully to overturn. 

Daniels citation reads in part: “S Sergeant Paulo distinguished himself with an act of bravery that put his life in danger in the operational area.

Jose "Robbie" Ribeiro

After Daniel, Ponciano and Jose had returned from leave in 1976  they were the only members qualified to serve in the leader group. Poncianio and Jose were sent to Mpupa to start training  FNLA troops that had mustered there after coming back from leave while Daniel was sent to a refugee camp at Calai that was starting to burst at the seams to recruit able-bodied FNLA supporters who were willing to fight against the MPLA.

By the end of February 1976 all SADF forces had withdrawn from Angola after operation Savannah leaving only groups of leaderless FNLA troops from Bravo Group to try and keep FAPLA out of the Cuando Cubango province. With the possibility that FAPLA would push the FNLA out Commandant Breytenbach requested additional leader group members to assist in consolidating all available manpower.

From March to August Daniel was involved in a number or engagements and incidents that will be covered fully at a future date but the one incident that is remembered is Daniel, Ponciano and Jose being tasked to reconnoiter and blow up the bridge at Dirico as ordered by Commandant Breytenbach.  

Near to Macunde on the north bank of the Okavango river, the Wolf (mine resistant Unimog) that they were travelling in detonated a heavily boosted anti tank mine that threw the vehicle into the air causing it to come crashing down on its side. Firing that had started for the side of the road was suppressed by Jose and other survivors of the ambush.

Rare photo of Ponciano "Silva" Soeiro 

Amongst the casualties were Ponciano Soeiro, who was critically injured and Daniel who had just recently been promoted to Staff Sergeant who was pinned to the ground from the waist by the Wolf. I believe that an attempt was made to try and lift the vehicle off Daniel, but as can be imagined due to its weight as well as the survivors coming under fire   this proved extremely difficult.

While I have not seen any medical reports or been able to personally speak to a single person who was at the scene at the time of Daniels death and with the extent of his Internal injuries, it is doubtful that this action, if successful would have helped to save Daniels life. Both Daniel and Ponciano were made as comfortable as possible, under the circumstances and due to the fact that the Radio had been damaged, Jose made the decision to run back down the road to get assistance from the rest of the column, who one would think had heard the explosion and subsequent small arms fire.

While this was happening legend has it that Daniel apparently asked for  a cigarette and when he had finished smoking it died, it is said that the whole time that Daniel was pinned under the Wolf he did not once call for assistance even though he must have been in excruciating pain. Altogether 6  men died in this incident.

When the OC of Woodpecker, Charlie Hochhapfel was informed  what had occurred, Commandant Breytenbach was immediately informed and he in turn ordered Charlie to arrange a helicopter and have dead and wounded casavaced at all costs. To make matters worse during this period an Antanov plane had begun circling the ambush site and was dropping bombs from the tailgate, luckily missing the wolf and the immediate area around it. The chopper pilot arriving at the scene with bombs falling from the sky refused to land anywhere near the contact area and would only land some distance away from the ambush site.

Even after the Antanov had left the scene Charlie and the survivors had to struggle through 2-3 kilometres of swamp and reeds several times in a Makoro (dugout canoe) carrying across the dead and the wounded. While this was happening a Land Rover driven by Amilcar Quiroz, arrived from Woodpecker and Ponciano having survived his cumbersome evacuation was placed on the back and transported across bumpy fields to the helicopter. Charlie was apparently so disgusted and upset with the chopper pilot that he sent him back to Rundu with an empty chopper. Daniel, Silva and the other 3 slightly wounded men where then transported by road to Woodpecker by road. On the way back Ponciano and the wounded were was taken to the mission hospital Andora between Dirico and Woodpecker (Pica Pau) and here they attempted to save Ponciano’s life but he died on the way back to Pica Pau. The mood at Woodpecker as can be expected  was somber when the Land rover arrived back and news of Daniels and Ponciano’s deaths filtered through to the men.

The week however was to get worse for Bravo Group and the Recce’s. On the 25^th Jose was given leave to go and inform his mother of her youngest son’s death. He was also asked to transport a number of wounded men from the ambush to  the hospital in Rundu.

The vehicle that Jose Ribeiro was driving.

6 lightly wounded men from the ambush as well as  2 national serviceman who were being given a lift as well Jose climbed into the Land Rover and headed towards Rundu They never made it as he and the other 8 passengers died when their vehicle was involved in a fatal accident with a SADF convoy travelling on the same road. The driver of the truck that caused the accident, a Lieutenant was charged and convicted to 4 years in jail. The mangled Land Rover was  mounted on oil drums outside of Rundu camp as per instructions from the area Commander as a reminder to all that used the road to drive safe.

The death of Daniel “Paulo” Roxo, Jose “Robbie” Ribiero and Ponciano “Silva” Soeiro and Carlos “Little Robbie” Ribeiro` was a big blow not only for 1 Reconnaissance  Commando and 32 Battalion but also for the SADF in general, as within less than a week they had lost 4 of their top Portuguese speaking operators and with them a wealth of combat experience, especially Daniel who had in a short space of time established himself as a legend amongst his comrades in arms. Major General Loots who was very fond of his Portuguese recruits told me that he had been saddened to hear of their deaths and like many other South African soldiers was  devastated by the loss of these men,  this period was to become known as “Black August”  

Stephen Dunkley
10 March 2013
Port Elizabeth