Uubvlei!

Cherry (Alcock) · November 05, 2008, 06:15:39 PM

Mark Button - mining
Mark Bunyard - engneering

Bumped into Mark Button about 6 momths ago - can't remember where though - sigh! old age memory loss!

Hooter · November 05, 2008, 06:25:41 PM

Delia .
I believe that Jannie Smit , the auto electical foreman was murdered . Plse tell me if it 9is true ???

Delia · November 06, 2008, 06:18:58 AM

Hi Hennie - if it's the same Jan Smit I worked with at Uubvlei back in the early 80's then yes. Can't remember the exact year it happened - must've been mid/late 80's. Such a nice guy, i got on well with him and was saddened when it happened - whenever i think of him, i see him hurrying into our offices, clutching papers, always sort of bent forward in his haste to get somewhere, always with a smile on his face. There's another thread somewhere on the forum referring to his murder - can't remember where tho, sorry - you'll have to trawl thru them all.

Hooter · November 06, 2008, 06:18:13 PM

hi . Thank you so much for the info . Gielie Nieuwoudt - field services auto Electrical mechanician , during the years 1970 - 1989 , told me the story about about Jan Smit , ea that he was murdered , But Gielie did not know why , or the circumstances.
Gielie and wife Babs now a days stays near Van Rhynsdorp on the Gifberg , and is farming with sheep and Rooibos tea . their farm name is Taaibos dam .

Leon Sumter · December 12, 2008, 02:28:11 PM

Jannie Smit used to do commando camps with me and the commando gang in the middle to late 70's. We used to call him Jannie Lollie because he liked to drive the army Bedford trucks when we were on camp. "Hey Jannie jy ry nie jou pas se skaape hier agter" was the cry from us troepe in the back when he started driving too fast on the bumpy desert roads somewhere inland of luderitz. I believe he became Auto Electrical Foreman at Uubvley eventually. I am saddened to hear that he was murdered. How bizarre. Where is the 'thread' about this tragic incident on the OMD w/site?
BTW those army camps were great fun. Played soldiers in the desert with Lt Mike Burgess giving us all a hard time (all in great fun ofcourse). Lots of braais and beer each evening after a day's military exercises. Mike was the real professional soldier type. Where is he now?.
Leon

Alfred Boehme · December 12, 2008, 08:04:22 PM

Mike is still in Oranjemund

Leon Sumter · December 14, 2008, 04:50:16 PM

thanks Alfred.

Michael Alexander · December 17, 2008, 07:30:44 AM

Heard Mike is on his way next year!

Michael Alexander · February 22, 2012, 03:41:41 PM

er..... Uhm... Mike left... now lives in LuderitZ....

henniek · March 11, 2012, 08:13:05 AM

it took me years to find out what UUBVLEI means . original spelling Ub Flei - meaning underground vlei
I imagine a dry crust on the surface with mud deeper down . Georg - Help and correct me if Im wrong ?

Michael Alexander · March 12, 2012, 03:06:46 PM

Is'nt uub like uber.... above vlei...... like the vlei up above....?

Just my thought....

henniek · March 13, 2012, 08:11:15 PM

The German spoken in old SWA was quite different from the high , or plat Deutsch , as she was spoken in old Germany .
back to uubvlei - the boere thought it meant "oop" or open vlei .
but ref to Ub bahn = underground railway , or subway .

Michael Alexander · March 14, 2012, 05:01:13 AM

mmmh! Where's Georg when you need him.....

Barbara Eia (Brownless) · April 13, 2012, 10:11:32 PM

I posted a piece on here sometime ago about the word uubvlei and the meaning but cannot remember where..i will try and find it...