Australian Defence Force casualties in Afghanistan
Encyclopedia
Operation Slipper
is notable for the first Australian combat deaths since the Vietnam War
, and to date all casualties have occurred during operations in Afghanistan. 32 Australian soldiers have been killed and 213 wounded, the majority since October 2007. Another Australian was killed while serving with the British Army.Stuart Nash, 21, was a Rifleman in The Rifles
regiment, British Army
. Nash was born in Sydney and was killed in action in Nad e Ali District, Helmand province on 17 December 2008. He is not counted in the list of Australian casualties above. See
Operation Slipper
Operation Slipper is the Australian Defence Force contribution to the war in Afghanistan. The operation commenced in late 2001 and is ongoing...
is notable for the first Australian combat deaths since the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, and to date all casualties have occurred during operations in Afghanistan. 32 Australian soldiers have been killed and 213 wounded, the majority since October 2007. Another Australian was killed while serving with the British Army.Stuart Nash, 21, was a Rifleman in The Rifles
The Rifles
The Rifles is the largest regiment of the British Army. Formed in 2007, it consists of five regular and two territorial battalions, plus a number of companies in other TA battalions, Each battalion of the Rifles was formerly an individual battalion of one of the two large regiments of the Light...
regiment, British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
. Nash was born in Sydney and was killed in action in Nad e Ali District, Helmand province on 17 December 2008. He is not counted in the list of Australian casualties above. See
- Andrew Russell, 33, was a sergeant in the Special Air Service Regiment. On 16 February 2002, Russell was travelling through southern AfghanistanAfghanistanAfghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
with four other Australian soldiers when their patrol vehicle struck a land mineLand mineA land mine is usually a weight-triggered explosive device which is intended to damage a target—either human or inanimate—by means of a blast and/or fragment impact....
, severely injuring him. He was taken to a US military hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds. - David Pearce, 41, was the second Australian fatality in Afghanistan. Pearce, a trooper from the 2nd/14th Light Horse Regiment2nd/14th Light Horse RegimentThe 2nd/14th Light Horse Regiment is a regiment of the Australian Army and forms part of the Royal Australian Armoured Corps. The regiment was formed in 1952 though sentimentally traces its lineage to 1860...
, was killed while serving in Orūzgān ProvinceOruzgan ProvinceOrūzgān or Urōzgān , also spelled Uruzgan or Rōzgān , is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. It is in the center of the country, though the area is culturally and tribally linked to Kandahar in the south. Its capital is Tarin Kowt...
. - Matthew LockeMatthew Locke (soldier)Matthew Raymond Locke MG is a recipient of the Medal for Gallantry, awarded for bravery, the third highest award in the Australian honours system...
, MGMedal for GallantryThe Medal for Gallantry is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the Australian Defence Force. It recognises acts of gallantry in action in hazardous circumstances. The MG was introduced on 15 January 1991, replacing the Imperial equivalent. It is ranked third in the Gallantry Decorations...
, 33, was a sergeant in the Special Air Service Regiment (SASR). On 25 October 2007, Locke, who was serving a second tour of duty in Afghanistan, was engaged in a firefight with members of the Taliban militia, when he was injured in the chest by small armsSmall armsSmall arms is a term of art used by armed forces to denote infantry weapons an individual soldier may carry. The description is usually limited to revolvers, pistols, submachine guns, carbines, assault rifles, battle rifles, multiple barrel firearms, sniper rifles, squad automatic weapons, light...
fire. Other soldiers in his unit provided first-aid care prior to and during evacuation to a medical facility, where he died a short time later. GurkhaGurkhaGurkha are people from Nepal who take their name from the Gorkha District. Gurkhas are best known for their history in the Indian Army's Gorkha regiments, the British Army's Brigade of Gurkhas and the Nepalese Army. Gurkha units are closely associated with the kukri, a forward-curving Nepalese knife...
Lance Corporal Agnish Thapa, serving in the 1st Royal Gurkha RiflesRoyal Gurkha RiflesThe Royal Gurkha Rifles is a regiment of the British Army, forming part of the Brigade of Gurkhas. The Royal Gurkha Rifles are now the sole infantry regiment of the British Army Gurkhas...
, British ArmyBritish ArmyThe British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
was awarded the Military CrossMilitary CrossThe Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
for running 100 metres (109.4 yd) through enemy machine gun and RPG fire and extracted Locke by physically dragging him back to cover. Locke was killed while serving in Orūzgān ProvinceOruzgan ProvinceOrūzgān or Urōzgān , also spelled Uruzgan or Rōzgān , is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. It is in the center of the country, though the area is culturally and tribally linked to Kandahar in the south. Its capital is Tarin Kowt...
. During his first tour of duty, Locke had been awarded the Medal for GallantryMedal for GallantryThe Medal for Gallantry is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the Australian Defence Force. It recognises acts of gallantry in action in hazardous circumstances. The MG was introduced on 15 January 1991, replacing the Imperial equivalent. It is ranked third in the Gallantry Decorations...
. - Luke Worsley, 26, was a private serving with Special Operations Task Group. He was shot and killed by small arms fire on 23 November 2007 during an attempt to take a heavily defended Taliban position.
- Jason Marks, 27, was a lance corporalLance CorporalLance corporal is a military rank, used by many armed forces worldwide, and also by some police forces and other uniformed organizations. It is below the rank of corporal, and is typically the lowest non-commissioned officer, usually equivalent to the NATO Rank Grade OR-3.- Etymology :The presumed...
in the 4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment4th Battalion, Royal Australian RegimentThe 4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, was an Australian Army infantry battalion and part of the Royal Australian Regiment. The battalion was formed on 1 February 1964 and was renamed the 2nd Commando Regiment on 19 June 2009....
. He was killed after an intense firefight with Taliban insurgents, when a RPG landed near the patrol vehicle he was taking cover behind whilst reloading his weapon. The attack occurred 25 kilometres (15.5 mi) south of the Australian base at Tarin KowtTarin KowtTarinkot or Tarin Kowt is the capital of Orūzgān province in southern Afghanistan in Tarin Kowt District. It is a town of about 10,000 people, with some 200 small shops in the city's bazaar...
in Orūzgān ProvinceOruzgan ProvinceOrūzgān or Urōzgān , also spelled Uruzgan or Rōzgān , is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. It is in the center of the country, though the area is culturally and tribally linked to Kandahar in the south. Its capital is Tarin Kowt...
. Four other Australian soldiers were wounded in the attack. All five were flown to a nearby US military hospital, where the wounded were expected to fully recover. - Sean McCarthy, 25, was a signalman in the Special Air Service Regiment (SASR). He, two other SASR soldiers and a soldier from another country were wounded when the vehicle they were travelling in was attacked by a roadside bomb on 8 July 2008 during a patol in Orūzgān ProvinceOruzgan ProvinceOrūzgān or Urōzgān , also spelled Uruzgan or Rōzgān , is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. It is in the center of the country, though the area is culturally and tribally linked to Kandahar in the south. Its capital is Tarin Kowt...
. McCarthy died from his wounds after being evacuated to the SOTG's base at Tarin Kowt. He was on his 2nd tour of duty in Afghanistan. The two other Australians wounded in the attack returned to duty on 11 July. - Michael Fussell, 25, was a lieutenant in the 4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment. As he and his team were conducting a dismounted patrol on 27 November 2008 they were struck by an IED, killing Fussell. Two other soldiers received minor wounds, but returned to duty a few days later.
- Gregory Michael Sher, 30, was a private in the 1st Commando Regiment, Australian Special Operations Command.
- Mathew Hopkins, 21, was a corporal in the 7th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment7th Battalion, Royal Australian RegimentThe 7th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment is a regular infantry battalion of the Australian Army. It was originally raised in 1965 as part of Australia's commitment to the Vietnam War and it eventually served two tours in Vietnam in 1967 and 1971...
. He was attacked and fatally injured on 16 March 2009 while on patrol as part of a mentoring and reconstruction taskforce patrol operating with members of the Afghan National ArmyAfghan National ArmyThe Afghan National Army is a service branch of the military of Afghanistan, which is currently trained by the coalition forces to ultimately take the role in land-based military operations in Afghanistan. , the Afghan National Army is divided into seven regional Corps. The strength of the Afghan...
, near a village 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) north of Tarin KowtTarin KowtTarinkot or Tarin Kowt is the capital of Orūzgān province in southern Afghanistan in Tarin Kowt District. It is a town of about 10,000 people, with some 200 small shops in the city's bazaar...
. - Brett Till, 31, was a sergeant and explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) technician from the Incident Response Regiment. He was killed on 19 March 2009 while trying to defuse an improvised explosive deviceImprovised explosive deviceAn improvised explosive device , also known as a roadside bomb, is a homemade bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action...
. - Benjamin Ranaudo, 22, was a private with 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment is a regular light infantry battalion of the Australian Army. 1 RAR was first formed as the 65th Australian Infantry Battalion in 1945 and since then has been deployed on active service during the Korean War, the Malayan Emergency and the Vietnam War...
, serving with MRTF 2. He was killed on 18 July 2009 by an anti-personnel explosive device during an operation against a compound of interest in the Baluchi Valley. - Jacob Moerland, 21, a sapper with 2nd Combat Engineer Regiment2nd Combat Engineer Regiment (Australia)The 2nd Combat Engineer Regiment ' is an Australian Army modular engineer regiment trained for sapper/combat engineer operations. 2 CER's lineage is traced back to 7th Field Company . During World War I, this unit was renowned for action during the Battle of the Somme, Menin Road and the Hindenburg...
, serving with MTF 1. He was killed on 7 June 2010 by an improvised explosive device while participating in an Australian patrol conducting operations in the Miribad Valley region of Oruzgan province. - Darren Smith, 25, a sapper with 2nd Combat Engineer Regiment, serving with MTF 1. He was injured on 7 June 2010 by an improvised explosive device in the same incident as Moerland while participating in an Australian patrol conducting operations in the Miribad Valley region of Oruzgan province. He subsequently died of wounds after being evacuated to an International Security Assistance Force hospital. Also killed was his explosives detection dog Herbie.
- Scott Palmer, 27, a private with the 2nd Commando Regiment2nd Commando Regiment (Australia)The 2nd Commando Regiment is an Australian Army Special Forces unit, it is one of three combat-capable units within the Australian Special Operations Command. The regiment was established on 19 June 2009 when it was renamed from the 4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment...
, serving with SOTG. He was killed in the crash of a US UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter on 21 June 2010, during operations in the Shah Wali Kot. - Timothy Aplin, 38, a private with 2nd Commando Regiment, serving with SOTG. He was killed in the crash of a US UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter on 21 June 2010, during operations in the Shah Wali Kot.
- Benjamin Chuck, 27, a private with 2nd Commando Regiment, serving with SOTG. He subsequently died of his injuries following the crash of a US UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter on 21 June 2010, during operations in the Shah Wali Kot.
- Nathan Bewes, 23, a private with 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment is a motorised infantry battalion of the Australian Army. It was originally raised in Brisbane, Queensland, on 6 June 1965 and has since then served in a number of overseas deployments and conflicts including South Vietnam, East Timor and Iraq...
, serving with MTF 1. Private Bewes was killed and another wounded following an improvised explosive device on 9 July 2010 in the Chora Valley region. - Jason Brown, 29, a trooper with the Special Air Service Regiment. Brown was shot and killed on 13 August 2010 during a "disruption operation" in northern Kandahar.
- Grant Kirby, 35, a private with the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, serving with MTF 1. Private Kirby was killed by an Improvised Explosive Device after dismounting from a Bushmaster IMV in an overwatch position during an operation in the Baluchi Valley on 20 August 2010.
- Thomas Dale, 21, a private with the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, serving with MTF 1. Private Dale was killed by an Improvised Explosive Device after dismounting from a Bushmaster IMV in an overwatch position during an operation in the Baluchi Valley on 20 August 2010.
- Jared MacKinney , 28, a lance corporal with 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, serving with MTF 1. Lance Corporal MacKinney was shot and killed in Deh RahwodDeh Rahwod DistrictDeh Rahwod is a district in Oruzgan Province, southern Afghanistan, and the name of the town that serves as district seat. Deh Rahwod lies along the Helmand River...
, in the western part of Orūzgān Province, during the Battle of DerapetBattle of DerapetThe Battle of Derapet was fought near the village of Derapat in the Tangi Valley in Deh Rahwod, Orūzgān Province, southern Afghanistan, between a combined Australian Army and Afghan National Army patrol and Taliban forces on 24 August 2010...
on 24 August 2010. - Richard Atkinson, 22, a corporal with 1st Combat Engineer Regiment1st Combat Engineer Regiment (Australia)The 1st Combat Engineer Regiment is a combat engineer regiment of the Australian Army. Based in the Northern Territory and attached to 1st Brigade, it is a Regular Army unit of the Royal Australian Engineers and is tasked with providing mobility and counter mobility support.-Structure:* 1st Combat...
, serving with MTF 2. Corporal Atkinson was killed by an improvised bomb in the Tangi Valley, southern Uruzgan province on 2 February 2011. - Jamie Larcombe, 21, a sapper with the 1st Combat Engineer Regiment, serving with MTF 2. Sapper Larcombe and an Afghan man employed as an interpreter were shot in the Mirabad Region on 19 February 2011.
- Brett Wood, MG, 32, a sergeant with the 2nd Commando Regiment, serving with the SOTG. Wood was killed by an improvised explosive device on 23 May 2011, during his third tour of duty in Afghanistan.
- Andrew Jones, 25, a lance corporal was shot by a member of the Afghan National Army on his way to guard duty at a patrol base in the Chora Valley on 30 May 2011. Jones was from the 9th Force Support Battalion9th Force Support Battalion (Australia)The 9th Force Support Battalion is an Australian Army logistics battalion. Formed on 1 August 1998, following the amalgamation of a number of air despatch, military police, ships army detachments, personnel and transport units, it is based in Amberley, Queensland. 9 FSB is part the 17th Combat...
based in Amberley, Queensland. - Marcus Sean Case, 27, a lieutenant with the 6th Aviation Regiment6th Aviation Regiment (Australia)The 6th Aviation Regiment is one of the Australian Army's three Army Aviation regiments. The Regiment was formed in 2008 to command the Army's special forces helicopter squadron and its surveillance aircraft squadron...
. Case was killed when an Australian Chinook helicopter crashed east of Tarin Kowt during a re-supply mission in Zabul Province. This was Case's first deployment to Afghanistan. - Rowan Robinson, 23, a sapper from the Sydney-based Incident Response Regiment serving with SOTG. Robinson was killed in action on 6 June 2011 during his second deployment to Afghanistan.
- Todd Langley, 35, a sergeant from the Sydney-based 2nd Commando Regiment, serving with SOTG. Langley was shot and killed on 4 July 2011 during his fifth deployment to Afghanistan.
- Matthew Lambert, 26, a private with the Townsville-based 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (2RAR), serving with MTF 3. Lambert was killed by an improvised explosive device (IED) in the Khaz Oruzgan region on the 22 August 2011. It was his first deployment to Afghanistan.
- Bryce Duffy, 26, a captain with MTF 3 was shot and killed on 29 October 2011.
- Ashley Birt, 22, was a corporal serving as a Geospatial Technician. Birt was shot and killed on 29 October 2011.
- Luke Gavin, 27, a lance corporal with MTF 3 was shot and killed on 29 October 2011.