| Place | Africa: Namibia |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | REL/22063 |
| Collection type | Heraldry |
| Object type | Uniform |
| Physical description | Cotton |
| Maker |
Unknown |
| Place made | Namibia |
| Date made | c 1989 |
| Conflict |
Namibia (UNTAG), 1989-1990 |
Koevoet T-Shirt : Captain Ian Bottrell, 2nd Australian UNTAG Contingent, 8 Construction Troop, 17 Construction Squadron, Royal Australian Engineers
Description
Khaki t-shirt with short sleeves. Printed on the front in yellow is a map of Namibia and a bust of the commander of Koevoet, Major General in a circle, the word "KOEVOET" above the map and the place names "OSHAKATI / RUNDU / OPOWO" on the map. On the back, also in yellow, is "KOEVOET / 1979-1989 / 3590 / KEERVOOR KOMESHO".
History / Summary
This shirt was given to members of the para-military police unit “Koevoet” to celebrate its 10th anniversary. Koevoet was a South Western African Police unit of black Africans commanded by white South African Police. They operated on the border between South West Africa (Namibia) and Angola. They were a highly mobile counter-insurgency force which used heavily armed armoured vehicles to pursue and capture or kill South West African Peoples Organisation (SWAPO) guerrillas who crossed the border from Angola.
On the back of the shirt is printed the number ‘3590’ underneath the dates – it is the number of kills the unit achieved to that date ie how many insurgents they had killed. The words ‘Keervoor Komesho’ are from the Oshivambo language, which is the native tongue of the Owambo people who inhabited certain regions of the North West of South West Africa (Namibia).
The shirt was collected by Australian army Captain Ian Bottrell who served in the 2nd Australian Contingent to UNTAG, in command of 8 Construction Troop.