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| Trooper’s sad return By Capt Cameron Jamieson Edition 1162, March 22, 2007 |
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With his casket borne on the shoulders of his comrades, Tpr Porter was carried down the ramp of the C-130 Hercules that had flown him from Noumea to RAAF Base Richmond on March 13. Slowly the bearers marched in silent tribute towards Tpr Porter’s widow and family members, who were fighting back the tears of grief yet grateful that Joshua had been brought home to them. Earlier upon hearing the news that Tpr Porter’s remains had been recovered, a family spokesperson said the ADF had done a fantastic job. “The family is relieved and very pleased that Joshua’s remains have been found,” the spokesperson said. “The ADF has kept us informed and up to date ever since the tragic incident occurred and we really appreciate this.” Tpr Porter died on November 29 last year when the Black Hawk he was travelling in crashed into the sea near Fiji. He was part of a Special Operations team operating from HMAS Kanimbla, which was part of an Australian task group on standby to evacuate Australian nationals from Fiji in the event of a security breakdown following a military coup. The Black Hawk pilot, Capt Mark Bingley, also died as a result of the accident. SOCAust Maj Gen Mike Hindmarsh said he was thankful for the success of the combined US and Australian Navy operation that recovered Tpr Porter’s remains. “The loss of a member of Special Forces is always felt very keenly as we are a very close-knit community,” he said. “The recovery of Josh Porter’s body is an important step in providing the opportunity for his mates to pay their respects and for his wife and family to say goodbye. Our thoughts are with them.” Tpr Porter’s remains and a substantial portion of the Black Hawk wreckage were recovered in 2900m of water by the Defence Maritime Services vessel MV Seahorse Standard, which was fitted with US Navy Supervisor of Salvage equipment. The Seahorse Standard then sailed to New Caledonia where Tpr Porter’s remains were transferred to a RAAF C-130 and flown to Australia. |
