EIGHTEEN KILLED

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 77, 1 June 1943, Page 7

EIGHTEEN KILLED

THE 1937 SPRINGBOKS

CAPTAIN DIED BEFORE WAR

Eighteen of the famous Springboks team, which toured Australia anil New Zealand in 1937, have been killed in action since the outbreak of the war. Six have been permanently manned. This sad news was told me by A. T. Harris, one of the team's fiveeighths., who recently was repatriated from Italy. He is a captain in the South African Air Force, and won the D"S.O. and D.F.C. before being shot down. His was the first D.S.O. won by a South African. He had a leg amputated in Italy and an artificial arm fitted. Harris said: "There were 28 members of the team alive at the outbreak of the war—Philip Nel (captain) having died in 19:58 from heart failure. ''The Louw brothers, who Avere infanti'3* privates, were both killed in the same battle, shortly after Tobruk fell last June. "Howard Watt and F. G. Lochner. also infantry privates, were killed in Abyssinia in 1941, where Pierre de Villiers, who was a sergeant in the South African Engineers, also lost his life. "J. White,, lieutenant in the Engineers, won the Military Cross early in the Tobruk fighting. He was killed when Tobruk fell. "Ferdic Bcrgh, who was a captain in the Tank Corps, and L. C. Strachan who was a sergeant in the Field Artillery, were killed in the. Middle East in 1941. "The others killed,, all of whom were members of the. South African Force, were: Major D. H. Craven, Major Ben Du Toit (D.F.C.), Captain H. Martin and Lieutenant Cyril Jennings (three times mentioned in dispatches). They lost their lives at Alamein last year. "Major W. E. Bastard was killed in Abyssinia; also Major G. H. Brand (D.S.O.'), and Lieutenant Johnnie Bester (D.F.C.). They shot down '23 and 17 planes respectively before they were killed in combat. "Lieutenant A. D. Lawton (D.F.C) was killed in April 1{712; Lieutenant Owen Williams was killed above Tobruk the day the town surrend- 1 cred." 1 "Tony" Harris himself was shot down that day. Harris, continuing his narrative, said:— "Williams was flying beside me when he went down. We had only six Hurricanes left for the final" stage of the Tobruk battle, but there were hordes of German planes. Wc put out six, but the 'Jerries' soon got us. I saw Williams go then.

"I got ten machine gun bullets in my left leg and -six in the right arm. "I crash landed and was, taken " prisoner, and spent nine, months in Italy, where the leg was amputated and an artificial arm fitted. There is a plate in' it, but 1 will rejoin the South African Air Force if 1 can pass the doctors.' Harris-also said that Captain L. Babrow, of the South African Medical (Corps, was seriously wounded: Lieutenant J. W. Lot/, (artillery) lost a leg; Privates A. R. Sheriff and Vernon Geere, also Lieutenant George. Van Reenen (Tank Corps) were all seriously wounded. Captain S. R. Hofmeycr was. a sergeant-mfijor on the staff at Capetown. Of the whole team the only ones who could, play football to-day were Hofmeyer and non-service men in the persons of D. F. Van Der Vyver F. G. Turner and J. A. Broodryk (a policeman). Harris wound up his narrative in this strain: "None of us ever forget the wonderful time they gave us throughout New Zealand. Its tough to think that all those grand hoys have gone. I would. like to be remembered to my many friends." A. T. ("Tony'") Harris was regarded as the king-pin of the South African attack. He played lly-half, corresponding to the No. 1 fiveeighth position in tlie. New Zealand formation. The Springboks, after losing the lirst Test, 7-1 Ji, at Wellington (where New Zealand played with I f men lor most of the game, after D. G. Cobden was injured), won the second at Christehurch, 10-(5, and the third, at Auckland., 17-fJ. The only other loss on the tour was in the first big game at Sydney, where New South Wales was victorious, 17-G : . on a muddy . field.