SA Border War Archive

In the 80s, a group of former Rhodesian Army soldiers joined the SADF - many of them recruited by Col. Jan Breytenbach to serve under 44 Parachute Regiment as Pathfinders. Among them were British and American troops too. They were at that time humorously referred to as 'The Philistines' because they were foreigners.

The founding members of the 44th Pathfinder Platoon

Ystervark crew from 32 Battalion with a MiG-23ML's external 800-liter fuel drop tank which they shot down

2 members of 32 Battalion Recce Wing in 1981 — founder of PMC Executive Outcomes, Eeben Barlow, on the right

The tracking of SWAPO insurgents was an important part of bush patrol

32 Battalion