R&R Pic That Says It All

This image of ‘rest and recuperation’ after Operation Modular in 1987 says it all. This is an image of Dave Mannall (centre in the foetal position) and his crew after Operations. These men had just days before been in intense combat in a Ratel Infantry Fighting Vehicle, and had witnessed and impacted severe destruction and death as part of 61 Mech. They had just witnessed the death and maiming of colleagues who where bombed in their Ratel from an overflying Mig – literally right next to them.

This image is powerful in that it is one of the rare images of the SADF that actually shows the high degree of emotional detachment caused by the stressors of combat. For many this is the onset of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) which while young is easily carried over by servicemen, but it’s when life throws a few more curve balls that PTSD becomes more pronounced in veterans in their later years. There is fierce debate in veterans circles as to how to deal with this now and very high criticism levelled at the old SADF structures as to how this would be managed and planned in future years.

On Remembrance Day 11/11, we as veterans of war remember, we remember the fallen and we remember the injured and especially we remember the mental scarring of war.
Picture Copyright Dave Mannall

R&R Pic That Says It All