Farewell to a hero

Nine RAA Warrant Officers Class 1 bear Sir Roden Cutler's casket on its final journey from St Andrew's Cathedral to South Head Cemetary in Sydney at the end of the state funeral which honoured the life of a soldier renowned for his humility and courage. More than 300 gunners from seven artillery units lined the road outside the cathedral. Photo by Bill Cunneen.

WHEN told of being recommended for the Victoria Cross (VC), Sir Roden Cutler, then a 25-year-old lieutenant from Sydney, is claimed to have said the last thing he wanted to do was walk around sporting a medal. Why? Because it would set him apart from the other chaps, of course.

Known for his humility, courage and valour as much as his dedication to duty and loyalty to this great nation, Sir Roden was awarded the VC for conspicuous and sustained gallantry during a period of 18 days in the Middle East campaign of 1941, the only Australian artilleryman to win the medal.

Born at the Sydney beachside suburb of Manly on May 24, 1916, Sir Roden grew up with an unrivalled passion for rugby and was educated at Sydney Boys' High School and the University of Sydney, where his military career began at the University Regiment while a student of economics.

On November 10, 1939, he was commissioned as a lieutenant in the Citizen Military Forces and on May 1, 1940, joined the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) and was posted to the 2/5th Field Regiment of the 7th Division Artillery.

Sir Roden first saw action in Syria in June 1941. During a battle that resulted in the Australians capturing the Syrian town of Merdjayoun, Sir Roden, as part of an artillery forward observation team, saved the lives of a number of his comrades by repeatedly risking his life in the line of enemy fire. This action caused him severe wounds and resulted in the amputation of one of his legs, a disability he did not let hinder his inner strength or resolve.

After returning to Australia, Sir Roden discharged from the AIF in December 1941 and began a diplomatic and political career that spanned five decades.

On June 11, 1942, he received his VC from the Governor-General in Sydney. In the same year he was elected NSW State Secretary of the Returned Soldiers', Sailors' and Airmen's Imperial League of Australia.

In the years after the WW2, Sir Roden served as Ambassador to the Netherlands, Delegate to the United Nations, Consul General in New York and High Commissioner to Pakistan, Ceylon and New Zealand.

In December 1965 Queen Elizabeth made Sir Roden a Knight Commander of the Order of St. Michael, St. George and St. John of Jerusalem. He was subsequently knighted twice more.

On January 20, 1966, he became Governor of NSW and did not retire from this post until January 19, 1981.

Sir Roden was the first WW2 veteran to become a member of Sydney Legacy, playing a significant role in assisting the development of the organisation as a member and later through his position as Governor of NSW.

President of Sydney Legacy Legatee John Cowper said Sir Roden was a great supporter of the organisation and gave his time and energy to assist Legacy in its care of families of deceased war veterans.

"He had a firm belief in the principles of Legacy and its future," he said.

"Sir Roden's valour in the war indicated he was a man with unflinching determination to reach a desirable objective in the interests of his country - he lay on the battlefield for 26 hours after being wounded in the Middle East before medical aid could be provided."

Mr Cowper said one of Sir Roden's most impressive gestures to Legacy was the establishment of the Sir Roden Cutler Fund.

"Legacy established the Sir Roden Cutler Fund in November 1998 - the royalties from the sale of Colleen McCullough's book Roden Cutler VC, The Biography went to the fund.

"The fund assists the educational advancement in life training and general well-being of junior Legatees who are special needs dependents.

"Sir Roden will be sadly missed by Legacy and we convey our sympathy to the Cutler family."

Sir Roden was a reluctant hero. At the end of her biography, Colleen McCullough summed up a man we, as soldiers in the Australian Army, should admire not only for the characteristics he displayed in battle, but for his continued contribution to the lives of Australians following the war.

"There are those who will read this book and … decide that I, the biographer, have conflated and exaggerated. But it is all as distinct as it is true: the heroism, the almost limitless willpower, the degree of intelligence and commonsense, the ability to control primal instincts, the uncanny knowledge of people and events, the warmth, the humour, the fidelity, and - most astonishingly of all - the humility."

Sir Roden married Helen Morris of Bellevue Hill in Sydney in 1946. She died in 1990 and in 1993 he married Joan Goodwin. He is survived by his second wife and four sons from his first marriage.

Sir Roden was one of the last three surviving Australian VC recipients before his death.

Sir (Arthur) Roden Cutler, May 24, 1916 - February 21, 2002.

By Pte Alisha Carr