Image Gallery 2009
29 May 2009
Dare Memorial
Engineers from 1st Combat Engineer Regiment, Robertson Barracks, attached to East Timor Battle Group Five, have recently been personally treated to a special 'thank you' by local school children for completing the design and construction of a new Memorial in Dare, outside of Dili.
In 1969, a Memorial was built and a plaque was presented by the 2/2nd Independent Commando Company to the East Timorese people, in recognition for their assistance to Australian servicemen (including both the 2/2nd and 2/4th Independent Commando Companies), during WWII, at the time of the Japanese occupation in 1942.
The original Memorial was built close to the busy main road, and it had slowly deteriorated over time. Several renovations later, it was time for a complete make-over.
The Dare Memorial site was ‘re-dedicated’ on ANZAC Day this year and the event incorporated the opening of the nearby Fatunaba School, Cafe and Memorial Museum.
Less than two weeks after the official ‘re-dedication’, the engineers who had contributed to the refurbishment were formally invited to return and were presented with traditional Tais scarves as a ‘thank you’ for their efforts.
School children from the Fatunaba Memorial Primary School sang and danced for the soldiers in what was a very moving event for them in the last few weeks of their eight month tour of East Timor.
| 20090504adf8115142_014 Soldiers from the 1st Combat Engineer Regiment take in the historical significance of the Dare Memorial. A short movie explains the role and relationship between the 2/2nd and 2/4th Independent Companies and the East Timorese "Creados", who assisted them. (Date taken: 04 May 2009) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
 |
| 20090504adf8115142_053 Soldiers from the 1st Combat Engineer Regiment are entertained by wonderful songs and dances performed by the children of the Fatunaba Memorial Primary School, at the Dare Memorial complex. (Date taken: 04 May 2009) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
 |
| 20090504adf8115142_059 songs and dances performed by the children of the Fatunaba Memorial Primary School, at the Dare Memorial complex. (Date taken: 04 May 2009) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
 |
| 20090504adf8115142_064 Sapper Shane Gibbs (21) of Brisbane, QLD, is presented with a traditional Tais scarf by the children of the Fatunaba Memorial Primary School. Sapper Gibbs had assisted with the refurbishment of the Dare Memorial in East Timor. (Date taken: 04 May 2009) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
 |
| 20090504adf8115142_076 Sapper Dallas Livermore is presented with a traditional Tais scarf by the children of the Fatunaba Memorial Primary School. Sapper Livermore had assisted with the refurbishment of the Dare Memorial in East Timor. (Date taken: 04 May 2009) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
 |
| 20090504adf8115142_081 Sapper Greg Brice (33) of Canberra, ACT, is presented with a traditional Tais scarf by the children of the Fatunaba Memorial Primary School, as engineers of the 1st Combat Engineer Regiment watch on. The engineers, attached to East Timor Battle Group Five, had assisted with the refurbishment of the Dare Memorial, which was re-dedicated on ANZAC Day. (Date taken: 04 May 2009) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
 |
| 20090504adf8115142_085 Students from the Fatunaba Memorial Primary School perform a traditional East Timor song for the soldiers of the 1st Combat Engineer Regiment, who had rebuilt the Dare Memorial in East Timor. (Date taken: 04 May 2009) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
 |
| 20090504adf8115142_117 Students from the Fatunaba Memorial Primary School present soldiers from the 1st Combat Engineer Regiment with flowers, thanking them for rebuilding the Dare Memorial. (Date taken: 04 May 2009) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
 |
| 20090504adf8115142_152 Soldiers from the 1st Combat Engineer Regiment are entertained by wonderful songs and dances performed by the children of the Fatunaba Memorial Primary School, at the Dare Memorial complex. (Date taken: 04 May 2009) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
 |
| 20090504adf8115142_163 Soldiers from the 1st Combat Engineer Regiment, attached to East Timor Battle Group Five, with the students from the Fatunaba Memorial Primary School at the Dare Memorial site in East Timor. (Date taken: 04 May 2009) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
 |
| 20090504adf8115142_191 Lance Corporal Paul Waddell (26) of Tamworth, NSW, helps one of the Fatunaba Memorial Primary School students get started on the swing. The East Timor Battle Group Five engineers built the swing and assembled it at the Dare Memorial site, adjacent to the school. (Date taken: 04 May 2009) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
 |
| 20090504adf8115142_220 Sapper Brad Chilcott (25) of Wangaratta, VIC, gets some speed on the swing set, courtesy of the children from the Fatunaba Memorial Primary School. Sapper Chilcott was one of the engineers who had refurbished the Dare Memorial, and presented the school with the swing set. (Date taken: 04 May 2009) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
 |
| 20090504adf8115142_225 Sapper Tim Rollinson (23) of Canberra, ACT, hands out lollypops to some keen students from the Fatunaba Memorial Primary School, at the Dare Memorial site. (Date taken: 04 May 2009) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
 |
| 20090504adf8115142_244 Soldiers from the 1st Combat Engineer Regiment, attached to East Timor Battle Group Five, hand out some treats to the children of the Fatunaba Memorial Primary School. The children sang and danced for the soldiers, thanking them for their efforts in refurbishing the Dare Memorial, and for building a swing set for the school. (Date taken: 04 May 2009) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
 |
| 20090504adf8115142_247 Sapper Shane Anderson, (22) of Gold Coast, QLD, proves popular with the Fatunaba Memorial Primary School students, especially when holding a bag of lollies. (Date taken: 04 May 2009) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
 |
