Andre Maarten Coetsee was born on the 18th of December 1955 in Johannesburg. By January 1975 the young Andre reported at 2 Special Services Battalion to commence with his Basic Military Training. This led to a career as a Reserve Force Soldier that would only come to an end in 1991. During this period Andre served with Randburg Commando, Parys Commando and the Rand Light Infantry; saw service during Operation Disa and was stationed at Rundu on the SWA / Angola border.
Moth Andre Coetsee joined the Order during 1998 at Barrage Shellhole in Parys and immediately became involved in Shellhole and MOTH affairs. From 2000 until 2004 he served as the Shellhole Old Bill and from 2003 until 2006 as the Free State Provincial Adjutant. 2006 also saw him returning to serve as Shellhole Paybill, an Office he holds to this day. For the years 2008 and 2009 Moth Coetsee served as the Provincial Deputy Old Bill for the Dugout. For his service to the cause of MOTH-dom, Moth Coetsee has been awarded the Certificate of Comradeship during 2004 and the Certificate for Excellent Service in 2007.
Moth Coetsee became a member of the National Executive during 2011 and soon took over the portfolio of National Recruiting Officer. In this position he started and completed the process of transferring the Nominal Roll system into an electronic version, which formed the basis of the superb system that is being utilised today. To ensure the work was correctly completed within a specific time frame; Moth Coetsee travelled to Durban on many extended visits where he then worked from the MOTH Office.
By his own accord, research is one of his hobbies and he also used these visits to compile a series of articles from old Home Front Magazines that was circulated to all Moths under the title “Memory Lane.” Further Moth Coetsee employed a system of reporting where Provincial Dugouts were annually informed on a scientific basis of all losses that occurred during specific years. These reports have greatly assisted in stabilising membership numbers since 2014.
Moth Coetsee has also played an active role on Sub-Committees established to pave the way for the future of the Order. A quite individual by nature, Moth Coetsee is known by those who work closely with him for his intellectual prowess and analytical mind; in short, a man who’s ability to think differently more often than not led to breaking down deadlocks and has paved the way for new solutions.
Together with his better-half Maxime, Moth Coetsee is also fond of travelling and as such has played a major role with various MOTH Raider groups touring and visiting Shellholes throughout the country.
It gives the Full National Executive great pleasure to appoint 21679 Moth Andre Maarten Coetsee, Old Bill of the Order for the 2020/21 MOTH year.