Decorated war veteran Butler van de Vyver died at the age of 102 on Saturday, September 23, surrounded by his family.
Van de Vyver joined the army at the age of 19 and the role he played in World War 2 will forever be remembered.
He joined the Signal Corp in 1940, and after training in Pretoria, was sent to Libya.
In 1942, Springbok, as he was affectionately known, showed tremendous courage when he was tasked with surrendering to the German army at Tobruk on behalf of his company.
He gained his freedom in 1943 after he was hospitalised with malaria.
His many experiences during the war are documented in diaries in which he wrote down important details, as well as messages and poems by other soldiers.
His writings, held in high regard, are included in the Imperial War Museum in London as first-hand records of the war.
When he returned from war in 1945, he settled into a quiet farm life with his wife, Marjorie, whom he married in 1946. They had three children, William, Roslyn and Michael John, and he lived a happy life of fishing and gardening on Avoca farm, and watching his grandchildren play sport.
Marjorie passed away in 2021.
“He was a man from the old school of thinking where you feared God, worked hard, never complained, your word and your handshake were your bond, and you shaved every day,” his son William said.
“He never expected you to win all the time at sport, as long as you did your best and showed your heart. He was extremely loyal and committed to everything he set out to do. He was a colusses in our family and will be greatly missed.”
Much of his focus was on farming and he was a frequent winner at the Kei Road Stock Fair for his sheep and oxen.
He also had an avid interest in sport, having played rugby, cricket, and tennis for Kei Road in his youth. He played cricket for 50 years and had a reputation for smashing sixes over the Kei Road cricket pavilion into the neighbouring houses and even the police station on one occasion.
He remained active in his community until the very end. He regularly attended Moth meetings and other army functions.
“It is sad that the last person living in East London with a direct connection to World War 2 has passed away. The Border Historical Society was privileged to have him attend last year’s function to rededicate the Cambridge War Memorial,” the society’s chairperson William Martinson said.
