THE HIND MEMORIAL
During the campaign in 1987 in Southern Angola 61 Mech Battalion Group found a church bell on one of the battlefields. The origin of this bell is not clear as it was obtained from a FAPLA position. The brass bell is adorned with the inscription “Ano do Santo – 1950” and decorated with flowers and engravings, with the Chist crucifix. The bell was most probably removed from a church somewhere in Southern Angola in the aftermath of the Angolan War of Independence at the end of the Portuguese occupation.
FAPLA’s 47th Brigade, advancing south of the Lomba river, used this bell to send signals to its battalions and to activate its stages of preparedness. 61 Mech Battalion Group, during the attack on 3 November 1987 as part of Operation Modular, destroyed the 47th Brigade. This bell was taken back after the battle to Omuthiya, 61 Mech’s base in the then South West Africa, where it was placed next to the 61 Mech memorial needle, to commemorate this historical event.
The bell became a memorial and was named after second lieutenant Adrian Hind who was mortally wounded during the attack on 3 November 1987. Major Laurence Maree, Logistical Office of 61 Mech Battalion Group at the time, later told the British journalist and author of the books “The War for Africa” and “Cuito Cuanavale”, Fred Bridgland: “I can’t tell you how much courage it takes in a Ratel driver and gunner when a tank is charging towards them to summon up the will to stop still for long enough to stabilise their firing platform and get their round off.
Wreaths were laid at the 61 Mech memorial needle for all who paid the highest price while serving with and at the unit
A Ratel 90, unlike a T-54/55 tank, can only fire from a static position. Of course, as soon as they’d fired, off they sprinted like turbo-charged hares. One of our guys died that afternoon facing down a T-55 in his Ratel. A 100 mm shell from the tank skipped up from the sandy ground and went right through the turret.”
The Hind Memorial formed an integral part of the annual celebration of the Lomba battle. On 3 October every year, serving and past members of 61 Mech as well as neighbouring units would gather in the regimental mess. The bell would be given a place of honour on one of the tables, surrounded by shot glasses filled with black Sambuca. The history with the battle would be related and then the commanding officer would ring the bell loudly, the signal for all to move to the table and take up a glass. Then the commanding officer would then propose the toast.
Jaap Steyn, who commanded the unit in 1997 and 1998, and his team constructed the Hind Memorial at its new location
When the 61 Mech Veterans Association was appointed in 2010 as the custodian of the 61 Mech Battalion Group’s memorabilia, this responsibility included the Hind Memorial which was at that time located at the Combat Training Centre at Lohatla. Jaap Steyn, a former commander of the unit who resides in Postmasburg, volunteered to transport the clock to the National Museum for Military History in Saxonwold, Johannesburg with his own truck, and he stayed in Johannesburg for a week while he and his team of builders constructed the Hind Memorial at this new location.
A new tradition involving the bell was introduced from 2010. At the annual memorial parade the bell is sounded during a moment of silence for the fallen soldiers. The solemn sound of the bell vibrates through the air reminding all present of the fallen soldiers for whom the bell has tolled already.
