Danny Roxo

Staff Sergeant Francisco Daniel "Danny" Roxo (1933–1976) was a legendary Portuguese soldier from Mozambique. Born in Portugal, he moved to Portuguese East Africa as a civil servant, before working as a big game hunter in the Niassa Province. During his military career, Roxo distinguished himself in in several counter-guerrilla actions against FRELIMO insurgents and was decorated by the Portuguese government for his valour.

Early Life
Daniel Roxo was born in Mogadouro, Trás-os-Montes, on 1 February 1933. As a young man he migrated to Niassa Province in 1951, where he settled as a professional hunter and safari guide. When the Mozambican War of Independence broke out in 1964 Roxo formed his African trackers, servants, and European acquaintances into a private militia, hunting FRELIMO combatants for government bounties.

Disillusioned by Portugal's promise to hand Mozambique to Samora Machel's incoming government, Roxo supported an abortive coup d'etat by anti-FRELIMO forces in Lourenco Marques on September 7, 1974. He emigrated to South Africa the following November, joining the South African Defence Force. After completing Special Forces selection, Danny was seconded to Bravo Group (later 32 Battalion).

Operation Savannah
Daniel was awarded the Honoris Crux for bravery during Operation Savannah for an action during the Battle of Bridge 14 at -11.05°N, 15.0822°W, an engagement during which he single-handedly killed eleven enemy soldiers.

Bridge 14 was situated on the Nhia River, en route from from Cela to Quibala. South African mechanized contingents deploying to the south had routed a FAPLA unit some time prior, and the retreating Angolans had demolished the existing structure. However, since Colonel Jan Breytenbach could not actually ascertain this from his forward positions, he ordered Roxo to conduct a more thorough reconnaissance. Roxo subsequently arrived at the river with four Eland-90 armoured cars; his patrol came under heavy mortar fire from an opposite bank and two of the vehicles withdrew, leaving Roxo's platoon to retire on foot. Having scouted the bridge alone and determined it was no longer intact, he inadvertently walked into a FAPLA ambush but managed to dispatch his attackers. Two escaped South African prisoners later claimed that aside from the Angolan casualties, four Cuban troops were reported killed in the encounter.

Death
Roxo's exceptional courage is evidenced by the manner of his death some months later. During a patrol near the Okavango river, his personnel carrier struck a landmine and overturned, killing one man and crushing Roxo beneath it. The rest of the vehicle's crew tried to lift it free, but it was too heavy. Breytenbach wrote:

Danny Roxo, in keeping with his dauntless character, decided to make the best of things, lighting a cigarette and smoking it calmly until it was finished, then he died - still pinned beneath the Wolf. He had not complained once, nor uttered a single groan or moan, although the pain must have been excruciating.

Thus Sergeant Danny Roxo died, a man who had become a legend in the Portuguese Security Forces in Mozambique, and who had rapidly become another one in the South African Special Forces. (They Live by the Sword, pp. 105)