Flight SA406 – The Rietbok’s last flight

I have done extensive research in archival records to add details to the crew and passenger manifest. This article is a record of who they were.

On Monday, 13 March 1967, South African Airways flight SA406 took off from Port Elizabeth en route to East London with five crew members and 20 passengers. The Vickers Viscount aircraft, named Rietbok, with the registration ZS-CVA, crashed into the sea, off Kaysers Beach, while on approach to East London Airport. There were no survivors. The flight was a return from Johannesburg to Bloemfontein, East London, and Port Elizabeth.

That Monday, the Rietbok had two incidents on the flight down from Johannesburg. The first occurred immediately after take-off from Jan Smuts when the nosewheel refused to retract due to a malfunction. The crew aborted the flight, rectified the fault, and proceeded on its journey. On arrival at East London at 17:50, the weather was poor, but the crew landed without difficulty after an instrument approach. On take-off from East London at 18:15, the Rietbok struck a bird. The captain decided to press on to Port Elizabeth, where the aircraft was inspected and passed as serviceable. Flight SA406 to Johannesburg, with stops in East London and Bloemfontein, was readied for take-off. The aircraft reported at 19:09 to East London that it was “at 2000 ft seaward, with the coastline in sight.” One minute later, at 19:10, the aircraft struck the sea.

THE CREW
1) Captain Gordon Benjamin LIPAWSKY (48)
He was born on 17 July 1918 in Mowbray, the son of Adolph Bernard LIPAWSKY and Jessie FANSTONE.
His nickname was Lippy.
His last residential address was 32 Northridge Avenue, Sunnyridge, Germiston.
He married Rosemary June STEWART in 1949 in Durban. At the time, he was a pilot in the South African Air Force and lived in Randfontein. She was a florist.
Their children:
John Gordon LIPAWSKY
Jennifer Jessie LIPAWSKY
Heather Ann LIPAWSKY
His airline transport pilot’s license was No. 211A. He had 12,344 flying hours, of which 3,231 hours were on the Vickers Viscount.
During WWII, he commanded No. 1 Fighter Squadron in Italy, being awarded the DFC and bar. After the war, he joined the South African Air Force’s Permanent Force , based in Durban, in 1948 as the officer in charge of a detachment of Spitfires at Stamford Hill Aerodrome. With their withdrawal from service, he joined 35 Squadron and converted to Sunderland Flying Boats. He also served with the Flying Cheetahs during the Korean War, for which he was awarded the American Distinguished Flying Cross. On his return to South Africa, he joined SAA.

2) First Officer Brian Albert Richard TRENWITH (30)
He was born on 27 March 1936 in Flint, Michigan, USA, the son of Albert TRENWITH and Florence Hosking LEGGO.
His last residential address was on Third Avenue, Roodepoort.
He was unmarried.
He had a 1958 Morris Minor, registration TU 19628.
His airline transport pilot’s license was No. 393 A. He had 3,995 flying hours, of which 109 were on the Vickers Viscount. He was also a Grade 3 flight instructor. He joined SAA in 1953.

3) Senior Flight Steward Petrus Lukas BEZUIDENHOUT (26)
He was born on 21 April 1940 in Fort Beaufort, the son of P.N. BEZUIDENHOUT and Zacharia Elizabeth VAN SCHALKWYK.
His last residential address was 2 Sanview, Reynolds Street, Kensington, Johannesburg.
He married Johanna Dolphina GERICKE in Port Elizabeth.
They did not have children.
He had a 1956 Ford Consul and a Borgward motor car.

4) Flight Steward Zacharias Christiaan DE BEER (27)
He was born on 11 October 1939 in Boksburg, the son of Dewald Lambertus DE BEER and Anna Margaretha RICHARDS.
His last residential address was 1 Stephanie Court, Greyilla Street, Kempton Park.
He married Maria Elizabeth VAN DER MERWE in Pretoria.
They did not have children.

5) Air Hostess Alberta (Bertha) Petra VAN DER POEL (22)
She was born on 28 April 1944 in Pietermaritzburg, the daughter of Albertus Petrus Jonas VAN DER POEL and Emily Harbin FOUCHE.
Her last residential address was 2 Acapulco, West Street, Kempton Park.
She did not have a spouse.
Her sister: Catharina Maria VAN DER POEL (married ZIETSMAN)

THE PASSENGERS
6) Clifford Ross ANDERSON (55)
He was born on 07 October 1911, the son of David ANDERSON and Clementina Mitchell HUNTER.
He was a company director.
His last residential address was 43 Tyrwhitt Avenue, Melrose, Johannesburg.
He married Margaret Atholie STONE on February 4, 1941, at St Wilfred’s Anglican Church in Hillcrest, Pretoria.
Their children:
Ian Kilwa ANDERSON
Atholie ANDERSON

7) Joseph BLANKFIELD (47)
He was born on July 5, 1919, in Johannesburg. He was the son of Abraham Isaac BLANKFIELD and Ada Rachel FINKELSTEIN.
He was a company director.
His last residential address was 21 Primrose Drive, Victory Park, Johannesburg.
He married Myra Martha MORRIS in Johannesburg.
Their children:
Mark Ian BLANKFIELD (married JAFFE)
Robyn Rose BLANKFIELD (married LICHTER)
Paul Bernard BLANKFIELD

8) Professor Johannes Petrus van Schalkwyk BRUWER (52)
He was born on 23 September 1914 in Barrydale, the son of Abraham Petrus van Schalkwyk (Piet) BRUWER and Margritha Petronella Magdalena HAASBROEK.
He was the acting chairman of the Broederbond and vice-rector of the University of Port Elizabeth. He was en enroute to Johannesburg, catching the connecting flight from East London. He was due to be picked up by his daughter, Griet. He was heading to Pretoria to accept an appointment as a roving ambassador for African countries based in Zambia.
His last residential address was 1 Avon, Surbiton Street, Port Elizabeth.
He married Cornelia Dorothea GUTTER in Nyanje, Zambia.
Their children:
Bertha Magrieta BRUWER
Pieter Gutter BRUWER
Margaritha (Griet) Petronella BRUWER (married LE ROUX)
Johannes Petrus van Schalkwyk BRUWER (journalist)
Cornelia Dorothea BRUWER

9) Desmond Page CLEAR (43)
He was born on June 4, 1923, in Port Elizabeth. He is the son of Francis Phillip CLEAR and Gladys Florence PAGE.
He was a manufacturer’s representative.
His last residential address was 22 Skegness Road, Summerstrand, Port Elizabeth.
He married Audrey Joan Thurtell on July 8, 1950, in Port Elizabeth.
They did not have children.

10) Hans-Jurgen Willi DORN (22)
He was born on 23 March 1944 in East Germany, the son of Karl Friedrich Wilhelm DORN and Gerda.
He was a boilermaker.
His last residential address was Caravan Park, St George’s Strand, Port Elizabeth.
Anna ROTHER was also listed as a next-of-kin, living at 56 Drummond House, 59 de Villiers Street, Johannesburg.
He married Monika Ingrid PLOOG on 09 February 1967 in Port Elizabeth.
They did not have children.

11) Vernon Desmond EDKINS (39)
He was born on 27 April 1927 in Johannesburg, the son of Ernest Vincent EDKINS and Iris Doreen COOPER.
He was a manager.
His last residential address was Bevan Road, Rivonia, Johannesburg.
He married Alethea Rosalie HIND on February 4, 1950, in Germiston.
Their children:
Graham Vernon EDKINS
Robert Christopher EDKINS
Ernest Phillip EDKINS

12) Graham Edward EVANS (35)
He was born on 26 January 1932 in Port Elizabeth, the son of Thomas Richard EVANS and Verna Florence BREDELL.
He was a manager.
His last residential address was 8 Smeeton Road, Framesby, Port Elizabeth.
He married Beryl Maud MATTHEWS on 19 December 1959 in Port Elizabeth.
Their children:
Wayne Thomas EVANS
Reginald Graham EVANS
Garth Deon EVANS
Anthony Richard EVANS

13) Douglas Hudson LAMB (32)
He was born on 23 November 1934, the son of James Henry Hudson LAMB and Rose VAN DER RIET.
He was a sales manager.
His last residential address was 44 Ruth Street, Glenhurd, Port Elizabeth.
He married Diana Mary MANSFIELD at Hill Church in Port Elizabeth.
Their children:
Graham Hudson LAMB
Sharon Diane LAMB
Ian Peter LAMB

14) Lothar Wilhelm LAUE (45)
He was born on 07 January 1922 in New Hanover, Natal, the son of Hermann Frederik Johannes LAUE and Marie Anna Magdalena (Leni) KLINGENBERG.
He was a company director.
His last residential address was 2 Fourth Avenue, Parktown North, Johannesburg.
He married Hazel Millicent EDWARDS on 07 August 1948 at St Paul’s Church in Durban.
Their children:
John David LAUE
Mark Daryl LAUE

15) Max MELMED (54)
He was born on 28 June 1912 in Queenstown, the son of Meyer Itzak MELMED and Dora KAHANOWITZ.
He was a manufacturer’s representative for Anglo American.
His last residential address was 49 Windermere Road, Port Elizabeth.
He married Annette JANKELSON in Johannesburg.
They did not have children.

16) Archibald Richard Eaton MEGSON (53)
He was born on 19 July 1913 in Hove, England, the son of Archibald John Eaton MEGSON and Ada Eleanor WITTINGTON.
He was a chief engineer.
His last residential address was 279 Harley Road, Blackheath, Johannesburg.
He married Myrtle Ruth WEDDELL in Florida, Johannesburg. They did not have children.

17) Leslie Scott PEARSON (53)
He was born on 25 February 1913 in Port Elizabeth, the son of Paul Philip PEARSON and Hilda Jane SCOTT.
He was a company director.
He was unmarried.
His last residential address was 27 Milner Avenue, Sydenham, Port Elizabeth.
His siblings:
Philip Arthur Nelson PEARSON
Marion Gertrude PEARSON (married NILSEN)
Leonard Bruce PEARSON
Thelma Joyce PEARSON (married KOHLER)
Pauline Phyllis PEARSON (married CALDERWOOD)
Niels Peter PEARSON

18) Audrey Anne ROSENTHAL (27)
She was born in December 1939 in Detroit, Michigan, USA, the daughter of Samuel Allan FAREN and Dorothy SINGER.
Her sister: Lois FAREN.
She married Aaron Richard ROSENTHAL on 25 August 1959 in Multnomah, Oregon. They were later divorced.
She graduated from the University of Michigan and received her doctorate in history from the University of California. After university, she worked in London for two years as a consultant for children’s teaching aids.
In April 1998, her lover, Martin Chatfield LEGADDICK, a professor of history at the University of the Western Cape, said he had recruited her to work for the Defence and Aid Fund, a group run by Canon Collins, dean of St Paul’s Cathedral. They met in London in 1966. At the time, the group was trying to provide clandestine financial support for family members of the African National Congress and Pan Africanist Congress in South Africa. Prior to her death, she spent five weeks in South Africa gathering information for the Defence and Aid Fund. One of the last people to speak to her was the Eastern Cape journalist, Jimmy MATYU. He met her at Court Chambers in Port Elizabeth, just hours before the crash. He was one of the people she wanted to meet in Port Elizabeth. She walked into his office on the afternoon of 13 March, carrying a light brown briefcase. They then walked to a cafe at the bottom of Theale and Main Streets. He gave her the names and addresses of families of activists. They returned to the office and left in the late afternoon in a taxi to the airport.

19) Jurgen ROTHER (27)
He was born on 27 November 1939 in Germany, the son of Alfred ROTHER and Auguste.
He was a construction fitter/boilermaker.
His last residential address was 56 Drummond House, 59 de Villiers Street, Johannesburg.
He married Anna in Johannesburg.
They did not have children.

20) Mr. N. SUSNOW
Of London, England.
No further details found.

21) Julie Dora VENTURAS (24)
She was born on March 1, 1943, in Springs, the daughter of Panos VENTURAS and Helene.
She was a senior laboratory assistant.
She was unmarried.
Her last residential address was 201 Maubern House, 78 Third Street, Springs.

22) David Bertil WEST (32)
He was born on September 4, 1934, in Cape Town. He was the son of Lawrence Arthur WEST and Vera MELLSTROM.
He was a sales manager.
His last residential address was Hotel Majella, Pretoria.
He was unmarried.

23) Charles Dennis WILLIAMS (29)
He was born on 29 December 1937 in Johannesburg, the son of Alfred Dutson WILLIAMS and Gladys Mary.
He was a sales engineer.
His last residential address was 93 Central Avenue, Illovo, Johannesburg.
He was unmarried.
His siblings:
Peter Dutson WILLIAMS
Suellen Patricia WILLIAMS (married FORBES)
Melanie Ann WILLIAMS

24) Edith Verena Lavinia WOOD (62)
She was born on 20 September 1904 in Jamestown, the daughter of RICHARDSON and Martha.
She was a housewife.
Her last residential address was Uplands, Grahamstown.
She and her husband were on their way to go visit their daughter Ursula. She lived at 38 Cotswold Crescent, Willowvale, Ontario, Canada.
She married Victor Baden-Powell WOOD in Lady Grey.
Their children:
Ursula Verena WOOD (married ALLEN)
Valerie Elaine WOOD (married BOWEN)

25) Victor Baden-Powell WOOD (66)
He was born on January 4, 1901, in Riebeeck West. He is the son of William Thomas Wood and Emily Mary MARMETSCHKE.
He was a retired schoolteacher.
His last residential address was Uplands, Grahamstown.
He married Edith Verena Lavinia RICHARDSON in Lady Grey.
Their children:
Ursula Verena WOOD (married ALLEN)
Valerie Elaine WOOD (married BOWEN)

Note: This article was written on 19 June 2024