Army - The Soldiers' Newspaper

Anzac Roll of Honour

We remember soldiers who have died on deployment in the past five years.

WO2 Graham Treloar (AUS)
WO2 Tony Walser (NZBATT)
LCpl Russell Eisenhuth (9FSB)
SSgt Billy White (NZBATT)
Pte Leonard Manning (NZBATT)
Cpl Stuart Jones (2 Cav Regt)
Pte Boyd Atkins (NZBATT)
Sgt Andrew Russell (SASR)
Pte Dean Johnson (NZBATT)

For 5/7 in EM proud tradition continues

By Cpl Belinda Mepham
THE fourth consecutive Anzac Day for AUSBATT in East Timor struck a note of pride and endurance for the soldiers on Operation Citadel.

At Gleno which is about 35km south-west of Dili, D Coy 5/7RAR talked about how the traditions and qualities of the Aussie soldier are as true as the mountains there are steep.

“I have the chance to remember and respect fallen heroes who have paid the supreme sacrifice an individual can pay basically for the sake of wellbeing for others,” he said.

“Although being here is not comparable to the brutality of the landings at Gallipoli, I am nonetheless proud to be a part of what I think is the finest army in the world and extremely proud to continue the legacy they have given to us.”

Pte Kent said patrolling through the steep, river entwined mountains around Gleno was a reminder of how hard other Australian soldiers fought for peace.

Cpl Mark Bransdon a section commander in D Coy, is doing his second tour and was in country on Anzac Day with INTERFET in 2000.

“We shared the day with the New Zealand group in AUSBATT – it was very emotional and significant,” he said.

Cpl Bransdon said the digger image and honour has lasted well beyond the shores of Gallipoli.

“A couple of weeks ago we went into a village and I was speaking to one of the locals and found out we were the first PKF patrol ever to visit that village.

“So we spent a couple of hours talking to the locals who were extremely happy to see us.

“This is different to landing on the beaches but we still carry the traditions they started and I’m proud to be a solider carrying on those traditions.”

Like those before him Cpl Bransdon knows his section and believes they share the typical Anzac spirit.

“Individuals reflect it in a different way. I’ve got blokes with a sense of humour – you know, the typical larrikin – and the blokes who are the hard guys. They really do carry on the tradition. The spirit is definitely alive in the section – you see it day to day.”

And as for Cpl Bransdon, he said Anzac Day was always a very important day for him, as a soldier, but over here it seemed that little bit more special.