61 Mech | 61 Mech

Mike Bond served at 61 Mech Battalion Group in 1980 as the gunner in commandant Dippies Dippenaar’s Ratel, the battle group commander’s command Ratel. Mike took part in Operation Sceptic when the unit attacked a complex of Swapo bases codenamed “Smokeshell” and explains how quickly an Eland armoured car which got stuck in the sand can be hitched to a Ratel for speedy extraction. Brian Snooke who served as a signals officer in the 1990’s joins the conversation and hears what if feels like when you make your first contact with the enemy