Natural hazards faced by South African armour during the Border War. Crew of an #Eland-90 armoured car at work freeing their vehicle, after it bogged down in a flooded shona (flood plain) during the annual rainy season in Owamboland – South West Africa/Namiba.

Photo acknowledgement : Chris van der Walt, caption thanks to David Benedict Kiley

Tragic day during the Border War, this is the bombed out SADF #Buffel Armoured Personnel Carrier that signifies one of the heaviest days for the SADF.

On the 27th June 1988, a combined Angolan FAPLA-Cuban force launched an unexpected ground attack against the Calueque Water Scheme SADF positions, close to the South West Africa/Namibia and Angola…Read More

Looking every bit as deadly, South African Defence Force troops kept a very careful lookout for these iconic Soviet era attack helicopters. This rather surreal and dark image of a enemy Angolan Hind Helicopter operated by FAPLA taking off in Angola during the Border War in the late 1980’s.

The Mil #Mi-24 (???? ??-24, NATO reporting name: Hind)…Read More

South West Africa /Namibia cira 1982. A convoy of South African Defence Force #Buffel anti-mine armoured personnel carriers about to go out on patrol near the Angolan border. Clearly seen is the vehicle hull which is in a ‘V ‘shape designed to deflect blasts from land mines away and upward, also clearly seen is the basic configuration of wheels…Read More

Looking every bit the SADF Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) – and epitomising a very special and unique breed of men, feared and loved by the troops and NCO’s (and some junior commissioned officers) all at the same time. Easily identified by the South African crest worn behind a red patch on the sleeve. This is Seargent Major H.G. Smit – the…Read More

#Puma

SADF #Ratel IFV callsign Zulu 41 of Battle Group 49 – #61Mech, halted between Ongiva and Mupa in southern Angola during Operation #Askari – 1983. Note the battle damaged farmstead up ahead.

Famous image by Herman Potgieter of a South African Air Force DC 3 Dakota in 1979. An aircraft of World War 2 vintage the DC3 was known as the ‘vomit comet’ by the troops during the Bush War (partly due to low altitude hot air turbulence over Ovamboland). This DC3 is probably on it’s “milk run” ferrying troops and supplies from Grootfontein to…Read More

Enjoy this stunning image of perfect formation flight by 2 squadron South African Air Force’ in their then ‘new’ Mirage III’s in 1968 – still in their colour scheme of silver metal and red lightning flash, before changing to their bush war camouflage scheme – photo by Edward Dickinson. #MirageIII #2Sq

This is a SADF #Buffel Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) captured by #PLAN combatants (PLAN was the military arm of #SWAPO). Four Buffel APC’s were captured intact in different battles during the war. The picture was taken between September 1987 and March 1988 by Col K.A. Satenov, the Soviet military advisor to the 1st and 20th PLAN Brigade…Read More