Border-Line Insanity. A National Serviceman's Story

Border-Line Insanity. A National Serviceman's Story
Author: Tim Ramsden
Publisher: Galago
Cape Town, 2009
ISBN 978-1-919854-24-3
Softcover, 17x24 cm, 352 pages, numerous photos

Border-Line Insanity. A National Serviceman's Story zeichnet anhand der Erinnerungen und Fotos von Tim Ramsden, wie der militärische Werdegang der jungen Südafrikaner, die zum Wehrdienst an der angolanischen Grenze eingezogen wurden, zwischen Langeweile, Grauen und tödlicher Gefahr verlief.

Description:

This is an insight into the life and times of a conscripted soldier in the ranks of the South African Army during the border war in Namibia and Angola.

It takes the reader through the training and explains the bonds of comradeship that developed between the members of Ramsden's platoon.

After the completion of basic training he experienced a spell of peacekeeping duty in a black South African township.

From there his platoon was deployed to the Namibian-Angolan border where they learned to live in the bush, where they saw death and the insanities that went with it.

1988, the author joined an armoured battle group that had been hurriedly formed to repel two Cuban armoured brigades that were threatening to invade Namibia east of Ruacana.

After the peace deal between South Africa, Cuba and Angola was being signed, Cuba withdrew its forces. This signalled the end of the Border War.

The book includes the SADF’s Roll of Honour listing 2,500 of its honoured dead killed on active service during the Border War and the complete roll of the SADF’s Honoris Crux awards for bravery.