More Defence news: 29 September - 05 October 2008
| 2008 Defence Force Air Show – 4-5 October – RAAF Base Amberley | Repatriation of Private David Fisher from Vietnam | Bike patrols in East Timor | International Peace Day celebrations | ADF Joins Five Power Defence Exercise Bersama Lima in Malaysia and the South China Sea | 91 Years On: Re-Dedication of Private Storey’s Headstone in Belgium | Preparing To Lay the Pheasant Wood Fallen To Rest | HMAS Stuart Welcomed Home | Remediation of the Belconnen Naval Transmission Station | Australian soldiers injured in motor vehicle accident in East Timor | Gold ARIA Award for ‘Salute to the Aussie Digger’ | Hercules Fleet Returns to Normal Flying Operations | |
2008 Defence Force Air Show – 4-5 October – RAAF Base Amberley
03 October – This year’s Air Show is set to be the most exciting and feature filled show ever. Taking place at RAAF Base Amberley, there’s an extensive line up of displays. Visit the Air Show website for more details on who and what is attending this year. More: Image Gallery | Website |
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Repatriation of Private David Fisher from Vietnam
03 October – Australia’s last missing soldier from the Vietnam War will be repatriated to Australia, Minister for Defence Science and Personnel, the Hon. Warren Snowdon MP, announced today. Private David Fisher will be escorted home by his family and former members of the Special Air Service Regiment (SASR). The official party is to depart to Hanoi next week, where Private Fisher’s remains will be formally handed over. A departure ceremony will take place on 9 October. Private Fisher of the SASR fell from a rope beneath a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) helicopter on 27 September 1969. He died as a result of this fall and was buried by enemy soldiers. His remains were recovered in August this year. More: Media release | Image Gallery 1 | Image Gallery 2 | Repatriation from Vietnam | Repatriation to Australia | Biography |
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02 October - The Bicycle Infantry Mounted Patrol (BIMP) is a new initiative by the Timor-Leste Battle Group 4 to improve the flexibility of field patrols in East Timor. The concept of using bicycles in military operations is not new – they have been used successfully during WWII, Vietnam and recently by the United Kingdom in the Middle East. The BIMPs offer many positive selling points – they are inexpensive, adaptable to the local environment and are able to provide a midpoint between slow moving foot patrols and the faster vehicle patrols, which can be hampered by terrain and urban density. Importantly, BIMPs also allow the patrols to more easily engage with the local Timorese people, especially the children. More: Image gallery |
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International Peace Day celebrations
02 October – Australia’s Commander of the International Stabilisation Force (ISF), Brigadier Mark Holmes, was recently called upon to release a white dove as a symbolic gesture of peace during the United Nations’ International Peace Day celebrations in East Timor. Brigadier Holmes joined the Prime Minister of East Timor, Xanana Gusmao, and other distinguished guests from around the world in front of a crowd of 2,000 people. The celebrations were held in Dili, outside East Timor’s Parliament building, which provided an ideal setting for the celebrations. International Peace Day has been celebrated since September 1982 under the auspices of the United Nations General Assembly. Its enduring focus is on commemorating and strengthening the ideals of peace within and among all nations and peoples. More: Image gallery |
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ADF Joins Five Power Defence Exercise Bersama Lima in Malaysia and the South China Sea
01 October – Australian warships, aircraft and soldiers are joining with air, ground and naval forces from Singapore, Malaysia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom for Exercise Bersama Lima, to practice inter-operability between the nations. The exercise is conducted annually and this year will be held in various locations across the Malaysian Peninsula and the South China Sea from 8 October to 24 October. The Royal Australian Navy’s HMAS Anzac, Yarra, Norman and Sirius will participate alongside Royal Australian Air Force aircraft and personnel. More: Media release | Image gallery |
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91 Years On: Re-Dedication of Private Storey’s Headstone in Belgium
01 October – On September 30 1917, 21-year-old Australian soldier Private George Richard Storey fell in the Battle of Polygon Wood. 91 years later, his family has been able to pay their respects at his gravesite on the anniversary of his death. Minister for Defence Science and Personnel, the Hon. Warren Snowdon MP, attended the Buttes New British Cemetery, Belgium, where the headstone ‘Known unto God’ was today re-dedicated to Private Storey. During the intimate ceremony, the celebrant officially dedicated Private Storey’s headstone, and the Australian Army’s Major General Mike O’Brien recited the Ode following a moving rendition of the Last Post. The service complemented the full-military funeral which took place when Private Storey’s remains were re-interred, along with four of his comrades’, last October. More: Media release | Image gallery |
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Preparing To Lay the Pheasant Wood Fallen To Rest
30 September – Today, the Minister for Defence Science Personnel, the Honourable Warren Snowdon MP, met with Fromelles residents and dignitaries, and thanked them for their ongoing support in honouring the remains of up to 400 Australian and British First World War soldiers. The Minister paid his visit to the Pheasant Wood site where the soldiers lie buried together after the Battle of Fromelles in July 1916. More: Media release | Image gallery |
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30 September – The Minister for Defence, the Honourable Joel Fitzgibbon today welcomed home the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Anzac Class Frigate, HMAS Stuart following a six-month deployment to the Middle East Area of Operations as part of Operation Catalyst. HMAS Stuart ship’s company of 185 men and women were greeted by family and friends at a traditional ceremony, which was also attended by the Commander of Australian Fleet, Rear Admiral Nigel Coates AM RAN. More: Media release |
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Remediation of the Belconnen Naval Transmission Station 29 September - The Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Support, the Hon Dr Mike Kelly AM MP, confirmed over the weekend that the Department of Defence is committed to remediating the former Belconnen Naval Transmission Station (BNTS). Dr Kelly stated that the Government would not transfer any Defence property for housing developments unless it had been successfully remediated and confirmed safe for future residents. Previously, the site had been used for radio transmission purposes, and has contamination arising from a variety of sources. The former BNTS was decommissioned in 2005. A remediation plan has been prepared by the Department of Defence based on independent consultant reports, and work is expected to begin later this year. “The Government takes its environmental and remediation responsibilities seriously. A Remediation Action Plan has been prepared by the Department, and we intend to ensure that it will result in a site that is safe for housing before it is disposed of,” Dr Kelly said. More: Media release |
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Australian soldiers injured in motor vehicle accident in East Timor 29 September - Two Australian soldiers serving in East Timor with the International Stabilisation Force (ISF) have suffered serious injuries after being involved in a single motor vehicle accident on Friday, 26 September 2008. The soldiers were travelling in a water tanker, approximately 50km west of Dili, when the vehicle rolled down a 15 metre embankment. An Aero Medical Evacuation and Emergency Response team provided first aid on site, and both soldiers were stabilised. They were then evacuated by helicopter to the ISF Medical Facility in Dili, where they underwent additional medical examinations and minor medical treatment. The soldiers are expected to make a full recovery. Both will be placed on restricted service until they are able to resume their normal duties. More: Media release |
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Gold ARIA Award for ‘Salute to the Aussie Digger’
29 September – On Friday, the Australian Army Band received its first ever Gold ARIA Award. The award was presented during a ceremony at Victoria Barracks in Sydney. The award was from the Australian Record Industry Association (ARIA), which recognised the national distribution of over 38,000 copies of the compact disc, Salute to the Aussie Digger. Following extensive research, script writing and music composition, the album was recorded over several months in 2004 by the Australian Army Band. “With all of the elements of the project being completed ‘in-house’ from scripting and recording to sound engineering and graphic design, the CD is a very special achievement by members of the Australian Army Band Corps,” MAJ Grey said. The album was launched at the Sydney Town Hall in November 2004 by leading historian Dr Jonathon King. The album is a moving portrayal of Australia’s proud military history narrated by Jack Thompson and brought together by modern-day soldiers, musicians, and historians More: Media release | Image gallery |
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Hercules Fleet Returns to Normal Flying Operations 29 September - The Air Force’s fleet of C-130 Hercules aircraft has returned to normal flying activities. A restriction on flying operations was imposed as a precautionary measure following an incident with a C-130H Hercules aircraft during a training flight on 15 September. The aircraft encountered a fault with its nose landing gear, and returned safely to RAAF Base Richmond. Defence immediately launched an investigation into the fault and limited the Hercules fleet to all but essential flights. More: Media release |
