Remains of soldiers exhumed

The remains of eight South African and four British sol-diers were exhumed at Walvis Bay’s Mulderene cemetery this week and are due for reburial in the Swakopmund municipal cemetery’s acre of the war-dead on 12 November this year. The death of these soldiers occurred during the Second World War in the Walvis Bay area and at sea, as a result of accidents, drownings and illness. They were buried at Mulderene more than seventy years ago. The remains were placed in small white caskets, normally used for the burial of very young children.

Re-interned in the acre of the war-dead in Swakopmund on 12 November.

The remains of eight South African and four British soldiers were exhumed at Walvis Bay’s Mulderene cemetery this week and are due for reburial in the Swakopmund municipal cemetery’s acre of the war-dead on 12 November this year.
Five of the eight South African soldiers served in the S.A. Native Military Corps and will become the first black soldiers interned in the Swakopmund cemetery. The four British will also be the first British Commonwealth servicemen interned at Swakopmund.
Swakopmund’s municipal cemetery is the last resting place of 63 soldiers of the German Army and South African armed forces who died during the South West Africa Campaign (1914/15). The SWA Campaign ended German occupation of South West Africa and was part of the war effort in World War I (1914-1918) against Germany.
The exhumations in Walvis Bay were carried out under the supervision of a representative of the Commonwealth War Graves Association and was locally assisted by funeral house Avbob. Each grave was individually exhumed and the remains of each soldier placed in a separate white casket.
It was understood the remains are to remain in the safekeeping of Avbob until a military reburial takes place on 12 November, on Remembrance Sunday. Remembrance Sunday is observed in all Commonwealth on the first Sunday that follows on 11 November of each year, to commemorate this day in 1918 when the guns fell silent of World War I.
The soldiers are:
∙John Florence (22), a Stoker in the South African Naval Forces. He died on 10 January 1944 and was interned in the non-European section of Mulderene cemetery.
∙A. Khafela, a Private in the Native Military Corps of the S.A. Forces. He died on 27 April 1944 and was buried in the non-European section.
∙Mathews Motlhabane (26), a Private Native Military Corps, S.A. Forces. Died 16/07/1944, buried in the non-European section.
∙J. Murphy (25), Able Seaman, South African Naval Forces. Died 16 August 1942, buried in the non-European section.
∙Albert E. Ravens (30), Able Seaman, South African Naval Forces. Died on 31 March 1944, buried in the non-European section.
∙A. Haines (51), Staff Sergeant, Q Services Corps, S.A. Forces. Died on 24 August 1941. Buried in European section.
∙William Kerr (19), Air Mechanic, South African Air Force. Died on 13 April 1943. Buried in European section.
∙P.J. van Dalen (25), Gunner, South African Artillery. Died on 31 December 1941. Buried in European section.
∙Robert William Beale (38), Able Seaman, Royal Navy. Died on 4 November 1945, buried in European section of Mulderene cemetery. British naval archives give the cause of death as drowning. He served on the warship “Rochester Castle”.
∙Gordon Dixon (23), Petty Officer, Royal Navy. Died on 27 July 1942. Buried in European section. British naval archives: death by drowning, assigned to HMS “Rock Rose”.
∙Arthur William Leach (29), Leading Cook, Royal Naval Patrol Service. Died on 08 March 1943. Buried in European section. Archives: death by drowning. Assigned to HMS Coventry City.
∙Frederick Albert Summers (41). Engineman, Royal Naval Patrol Service. Died on 16 October 1941. Buried in European section. Assigned to minesweeper HMS “Balta”.