Euverard Coetzee died on Sunday, 21 June at the age of 93.
Euverard was born on 13 August 1921 in Malteno.
At the age of six his family moved to Johannesburg where Euverard attended school.
He left school in 1938 and did odd jobs in the motor industry until July 1938, when he joined the 1st Battalion Transvaal Scottish.
His brother, who was serving in the South African Air Force, convinced Euverard to sign up.
While on medical leave, he married Sergeant Audrey Smith of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Service on 6 June, 1942.
In 1944 he volunteered for a secret mission at Port Fuad, Egypt to work on five landing barges that were converted into smoke screen barges to be used in the Normandy landings.
His squadron was also involved in dropping food, arms and ammunition to Polish partisans trapped in Warsaw by the SS. After the war ended, they flew and distributed pamphlets over former enemy lines to enemy soldiers who did not know the war had ended.
When Euverard returned to SA, he was accepted into the permanent force and worked in Durban harbour, until he was posted back to 73 Air School Voortrekkerhoogte where he became an instructor. In 1948 he was posted to 68 Air School Lyttleton as an instructor and joined the Memorable Order of Tin Hats (MOTHs) where he was a member for 67 years. At the time of his death he was also a member of the South African Legion, as well as the Transvaal Scottish Regimental Association.
In 1954, after 16 years of service, Euverard was discharged from the military.
He worked in the private sector in the harbour until the early 70s when he opened his own business in Toti. In 1978 he became a volunteer for the Red Cross Ambulance Service, leaving the business to be run by his oldest son Rodney. His youngest son Dave joined him in the ambulance service in 1979.
Euverard became an emergency medical assistant and an instructor, before opening the First Aid School in Lagoon Centre in Toti.
In 2002 when Audrey died, he moved from Doonside to Illovo Beach. At the age of 89, Euverard retired.
In 2012 he moved to the MOTH residences in Malvern, until his death.
Euverard is survived by his children Rodney, Cheryl and Dave, grandchildren Nicole, Kerry, Mark, Andre, Tanya and Warren, and great grandchildren, Emily, Caleb, Joshua, Seth, Kiara, Chante, Christopher, Schyala, Hannah, Rebbekka, Aidan, Andrew, Thomas, Caitlyn and Dane.
There will be a service and ash scattering at the Mills Bomb Shellhole in Warner Beach on Saturday, 4 July at 10.30am.
