Daniels name appears on the
South African Special Forces Roll of Honour as well as the South African
Parabat Roll of Honour and until December 2012 on the 32 Battalion Roll of
Honour. To my, as well as others disappointment, Daniel’s as well as Jose
Ribeiro, Carlos Ribeiro and Ponciano Soeiro’s names were removed from that ROH
as well as the 32 Battalion Tree of Honour, the reasons for this development
had been well communicated to me by a former RSM of 32 Battalion and as I have
stated, while disappointed in the decision I had come to terms with it and
decided to respect the decision made.
While I may have made peace
with the decision my good friend and Portuguese SADF veteran, Mr. Manuel
Ferreira had not and on 26 August 2014 after having asked me to write a
motivation as to why Daniel, Jose, Ponciano and Carlos should in fact be
re-instated on 32 Battalions ROH, Manuel sent the following e-mail to the 32
Battalion Veterans association.
32
Battalion Veterans Association
Attention
Mr. Roy Marais, Secretary 32 VA
26 August
2014
Mr Roy
Marais,
I hereby
respectfully request that the following deceased Servicemen are posthumously
made members of the 32 VA:
S Sgt
Daniel Francisco Roxo HC "Paulo"
Force no
75014399 PN
Born
01/02/1933
Died
23/08/1976
S Sgt
Ponciano Gomes Soeiro
Force no
75014431 PN
Born
21/04/1941
Died
23/08/1976
Sgt José
Correia Pinto Ribeiro (Robbie)
Force no
76080159 PG
Born
24/12/48
Died
25/08/76
LCpl
Carlos Alberto Correia Pinto Ribeiro (Little Robbie)
Force no
75090423 PG
Born
25/11/50
Died
19/08/76
Supporting
Documentation:
Motivation
by Mr. Stephen Dunkley, supported and signed as well by WOI Paul J Els and
myself.
Statement
by Col J Breytenbach
Note that
in Col Breytenbach's statement, it is clearly spelled out that the servicemen
were deployed with and remained with 32 BN until their death.
Service
and Privation Allowance
I have
more documentation that can be made available.
Your
consideration to this application will be highly appreciated.
Yours
sincerely,
Manuel
Ferreira
The proposal to reinstate
the 4 men posthumously as members of 32 Battalion was put to the vote twice and
both times approved by the committee. Manuel was phoned a few minutes after the
second approval to be informed of the positive outcome. I was informed that Col
Breytenbach was approached before the vote and asked for his opinion on the
matter, which was positive and he also told Manuel at the formal dinner over
the weekend of 15-17 May 2015 that he had been very upset when told that the
names were no longer part of the 32ROH and that their names had been removed
from the tree.
On 17 May 2015 during 32
Battalions veterans association SAVATE day memorial service at Freedom park the
legendary, Colonel Jan Breytenbach unveiled the names of Daniel, Jose, Ponciano
and Carlos on the Tree of honour.
The Tree was at Buffalo base
from 1983 to 1989 when it was removed to Pomfret and here it
proudly bore the names of 32 Battalions dead from 1989 to 1997. In 1997 a
decision was made to move it to Zeerust and in 2009 it was moved to the Voortrekker
monument, Pretoria.
In his address prior to the
unveiling of the names on the Tree of Honour, Colonel Breytenbach gave a moving
and emotional speech about the four men being honoured that day. During
his speech Colonel Breytenbach said that those Portuguese who had joined the
SADF in 1975, had done so to defend South Africa from Communism after they
themselves had lost all in Angola and Mozambique and Guinea Bissau due to the
Communists or Chinese backed liberation movements. Colonel Breytenbach also
stated that the four were very committed to the SADF and miles ahead of any
South African soldier at the time, as they had been fighting terrorists for
more than a decade. Colonel Breytenbach also hinted that they had been
considered dispensable by the SADF, so that no harm fell on South African kids,
and in saying that Colonel Breytenbach became very emotional and began to cry,
as did a good number of those men and women present, many hardened 32 Battalion
or SADF border war veterans.
While I was unable to
attend both Manuel Ferreira, Paul Els and Carla Ribeiro (Jose’s daughter) were
present. All four men were presented with a framed 32 Battalions veterans
association commendation certificate and Manuel (on behalf of the Roxo family)
received Daniels from Colonel Breytenbach.
The certificate says Awarded to
Daniel Francisco Roxo HC; “for performing an act that distinguished you in
furthering and enhancing the aims and goals of the 32 Battalion veterans
association in an exceptional manner”
Perhaps it’s pertinent at this point to share a Faced book message that
Manuel received from Peter Williams soon after the weekend.
“This is
one of those epic moments of 32 Battalion Veterans Association (captured in the
blink of the lens) that stops our history in its tracks! This is especially
unsurpassed to me because it is a culmination of many hours, days and months of
lobbying for a cause we felt passionate about. The remembering of our hero
soldiers who willingly gave their yesterday that we can have and enjoy our
today and secure prosperity for our decedents in the future. This was a
heartrending weekend of activity in so many ways with an abundance of unique
one of a kind moments that most of us hardened 32 Battalion vets don’t even
realise. Some of those firsts include the following.
The Savate weekend was attended by the living Officer Commanding’s, a
set of red wines with the OC’s and RSM’s pictures and a commemorative knife was
launched; a new 32 Bn Chairman, Leon Grobelaar was appointed, two books “The
battle of Savate”by Piet Nortje and the Battle of Lomba by Dave Mannall were
released, a mystery security force legend attended; two children who had never
met their hero fathers attended for the first time; one received medals of his
fallen father; the operation Savannah, Bravo Group Portuguese 3 names were
unveiled on the roll of the Tree of honour by founding member Colonel
Breytenbach; a mother of a fallen son attended for the first time in 34 years
and the heart rendering memorial parade was attended by 259 people.
Thanks to all those veterans who went the extra mile all over the world
to make this a Savate that will go down in the annals of our 32 Battalion VA as
a great success (Peter Williams)
Thanks to Manuel’s tenaciousness, the lobbying of Colonel Jan Breytenbach and Peter Williams, as well as support of the 32 Battalion VA secretary, Colonel Roy Marias and its President General Gert Nel; Daniel, Jose, Carlos and Ponciano, the 4 Portuguese, Bravo Group comrades in arms have been give the recognition they not only earned but certainly deserve.
“Thank
you gentlemen for the time and effort you gave to ensure that Daniel as well as
his comrades in arms were made part of the 32 Battalion family once again”
Letter of
motivation to the 32 Battalions veterans association
There seems to be some debate regards Daniel Roxo, Jose Ribeiro, Carlos
Ribeiro and Ponciano Soeiro being members or founder members of 32 battalion or
not. This post by Manuel Ferreira on the 38th anniversary of their
deaths in the defence of South Africa and its citizens seems to have started
the debate afresh
“Was S Sgt
Daniel Roxo HC ever a member of 32 Battalion? Foi o 1º
Sargento Daniel Roxo membro do Batalhão Búfalo? This has
been a long hot contentious debate and seeing that the subject has now surfaced
in this group, herewith a few facts”:
Daniel
Roxo was a 1 Reconnaissance Commando Special Forces Operator who was seconded
to Charlie Coy of Bravo Group as a platoon Leader during Operation Savannah.
Daniel Roxo went on to serve with Bravo Group until the 23rd of August 1976,
the tragic day he was killed during an ambush (R.I.P.) It is important to
highlight that the white elements of Bravo Group, from its inception until the
formation of 32 Battalion, were seconded from several different SADF units. For
a period of time after the formation of 32 Battalion, many of the white
elements were still seconded from other SADF units.
32
Battalion was officially established on the 27 March 1976. The name change from
Bravo Group to 32 Battalion happened in October of 1976. My conclusion:
Despite Daniel Roxo being a member of 1 Reconnaissance Commando, by virtue of
service, he was also a founder member of 32 Battalion as well as a rightful
member of Buffalo Battalion.
I have been asked by Mr.
Ferreira and Mr. Paul Els to motivate as to why these men who gave their lives
for South Africa while serving for 32 Battalion should be posthumously
recognized as member of 32 Battalion. Please excuse my lack of military etiquette
as I was never in the SADF. My interest in this matter is due to my passion in
Southern African military and political history as well as over the last 9
years having researched the life of Staff Sergeant Daniel Roxo.
While I do not intend to
give you a history lesson regards how 32 battalion came to be I would like to
give you a brief synopsis as to Daniels as well as his 3 comrade’s movements
after arriving in South Africa mid-September 1974
After having arrived in Pretoria Daniel along with a number of other
Portuguese men that had escaped Mozambique were accommodated in the Union
hotel, Here Daniel met up with other Portuguese men, 6 from Mozambique, as well
as numerous others from Angola and Guinea Bissau. Men that had been identified,
as future candidates for the SADF amongst them Ponciano, Jose and Mourão. After
accepting conditions of employment they signed up to join the SADF. From
Voortrekkerhoogte they Daniel and the other Portuguese men were flown from Waterkloof airbase in
Pretoria to Rundu in South West Africa and from there transported to Fort
Doppies. Here Daniel Roxo, Jose Ribeiro, Ponciano Soeiro, Almarinda da Costa
and other former Portuguese servicemen as well as DGS operatives were brought
in to participate in a cross over course to teach them SADF methods of combat
as well as use of South African weapons, they would also have received training
in medical, demolitions, special weapons, and tracking. “Orientation and integration are I believe the
correct words used to describe the above”.
Sometime in March 1975 while still at Fort Doppies a few of the
Portuguese including Daniel were given “unofficial”
parachute training a fact that is confirmed in a letter that Daniel wrote to
his South African contact who he had last seen in LM during the LM coup, it’s
also dated March 1975 and gives one of the clearest insights as to what Daniel
had been doing since leaving Mozambique. (Translated from Portuguese), This
letter also shows Daniel was committed to the defence of Southern Africa as well
as his new Home South Africa.
“I trust
your health is well and that of your wife and children have my greatest wishes.
I am luckily also well, I give you my apologies for not having written sooner,
but as you must know the adaption to this new life always with new things to
learn, with the little time available has not allowed me to do so. I would like
to thank you for everything you have done for me and my family, for in the era
we now live in it is not easy to find a person who without self-interest will
do so much to whom he owes nothing. These are the people who honour their
country, their fatherland with dignity.
Because
of this I am ready to serve you whatever it is for, because I am certain that
when I serve you I am serving South
Africa . I have already done various courses
the last one was a paratrooper course, I already have 9 jumps now I am
convinced that a person is never too old, when there is a will. (Daniel was 41
years old). Everything will be used to be useful to a nation who helped me in the
most difficult moment of my life, South Africa which I now consider
as being my homeland. When I finish this course I don’t know what the General
will decide, but anything he may decide I will consider just and adequate.
I am only
sorry I cannot begin to give my contribution to South Africa because I am very
anxious to say thank you for everything that has been done for me. Assuring you
the wishes of good health I have the opportunity to present to you and your
family, my respect and thanks and best wishes.
Always
completely at your disposal
Daniel
Roxo
Daniel, Ponciano, and a number of other Portuguese as well as South
African’s started their selection course for 1 Reconnaissance Commando in July
1975, the course was held in Mtubatuba, Ngodweni, Sibaya in North Zululand all
the way to Ndumu game park where it ended.
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 amongst them Jose, Mourão, Ponciano
and Carlos were to become known as the “Dirty
Dozen” (Buffalo soldiers by Col Jan Breytenbach page 12)
Daniel was used expansively
during operation Savannah and was recommended for and awarded the HC for his
actions at Bridge 14 (The first non-South African to be awarded this
decoration). As you are aware Daniel and Ponciano died in an Ambush on 23
August 1976 with Jose dying 2 days later in an accident transporting wounded
from that ambush to Rundu. A week prior to that Jose’s younger brother Carlos
had also died in an Ambush.
It’s no secret that all
three of us believe that these men deserve to be considered members of 32
Battalion and as you can see by the supporting documentation attached to this
motivation. There can be no doubt that the 4 men where founder members of the
Battalion having been seconded from 1 reconnaissance Commando.
When Mr Paul Els, Mr.
Manuel Ferreira and I took the initiative to find their last resting place as
well as erect a headstone some 29 years after their deaths and after having
been disgracefully buried without honour or fanfare, many 32 Battalion members
not only generously contributed to the erection of the headstone and attended
its unveiling; many covering long distances.
To the haunting sound of
the Last Post, Major General Fritz Loots* unveiled the headstone and thereafter
wreaths where laid by General Nel, Barry Roper, Mrs Margarida Oliviera, Adelino
Pires and his wife Fiona as well as Paul Els, Manuel Ferreira and myself. All
present where then invited to place a white rose on the grave while a lone
piper played. The Homage ceremony was both dignified and a fitting way to say
Goodbye to Daniel, Jose and Ponciano and as Adelino Pires pointed out in his
speech “Finally honour is being paid
to these 3 valiant men who have been spared the ignominy of an unmarked grave.
Now Roxo, Soeiro and Ribiero can rest
in peace, they will never be forgotten”
Carlos Ribeiro who was killed during a contact between Luenge and
Coutada du Mucusso on or around 16 - 19 August 1976, Carlos was driving a
vehicle transporting explosives and the vehicle he was driving was hit during
an ambush by an RPG rocket, his body was never recovered, Paul, Manuel and
myself had an idea that we needed to also ensure the he had a place where his
name is written and would not be forgotten. Mr. Paul Els came up with the idea
of adding a small memorial/headstone to the original one erected 2 years
previously, so on 29 August 2007 a number of people gathered to unveil this
headstone.
It’s also interesting to
note that until the release of Piet Nortjes definitive book on 32 Battalion
“The Terrible Ones”, it was generally accepted that the 4 where part of 32
Battalion and first and foremost seen as Buffalo soldiers rather than
Reconnaissance Commandos
Even though the
Reconnaissance Commando was their home unit Daniel, Ponciano, Jose and Carlos
not only played an integral role in getting what was to become 32 Battalion off
the ground they paid the ultimate sacrifice while serving with the unit and
their adopted country, It’s our belief that even though their home unit was 1
Reconnaissance Commando they deserve to be remembered first and foremost as
Buffalo soldiers, having given their lives while serving under its banner,
hopefully this was not futile.
We trust that the 32
Battalion veterans associations will remember their contribution to the
founding of the unit as well as their sacrifice and consider honouring them by
posthumously granting them that honour.
Mr. Paul Els, Mr. Manuel
Ferreira, Mr. Stephen Dunkley
Follow the
lives of these as well as other brave Portuguese men who fought and in many
cases died for South Africa on this Facebook group that is dedicated to keeping
their memories and sacrifices alive. (Forgotten Heroes / The
Portuguese contribution to the defence of Africa)