by Sandra Lee
‘Explosive Detection Dogs to Be Honoured’, Australian Government, Department of Defence media release, CPA 336/072, 6 September 2007
CHAPTER 15
‘We will find you . . .’
Major General Tim McOwan, Australian Government, Department of Defence, press conference, Canberra, 11 December 2008
‘Afghanistan’s deadly double whammy’
Tom Hyland, ‘Afghanistan’s deadly Double Whammy’, The Sunday Age, 22 June 2008
‘misplaced and even counterproductive’
Tom Hyland, ‘Hearts and Minds Not Won’, The Sunday Age, 22 June 2008
‘. . . died from a single shot . . .’
D. K. Connery, Inquiry Officer’s Report Into The Death of Lance Corporal Jason Paul Marks and the Wounding of Australian Soldiers in Afghanistan on 27 April 2008 (Marks Inquiry), unclassified, 3 June 2008
‘. . . Private Luke James Worsley died . . .’
P.J. Short, Inquiry Officer’s Report Into The Death of 8265028 Pte L.J.Worsley in Afghanistan on 23 Nov 07, unclassified, 18 December 2007
‘. . . SAS Sergeant Matthew Locke was shot . . .’
S.G. Durward, Inquiry Officer’s Report Into The Death of 8229246 Sergeant M.R. Locke In Afghanistan on 25 Oct 07, unclassified, 22 January 2008
‘He was one of these guys . . .’
Brendan Nicholson, ‘You Think I’m Brave? Meet My Mates: Ben Roberts-Smith’, The Australian, 23 April 2011
‘. . . absolutely loved the army . . .’
Heath Gilmore, ‘We Said Our Brave Son was Invincible’, The Sydney Morning Herald, 28 October 2007
‘In October 2007, David Pearce . . .’
S.G. Durward, Inquiry Officer’s Report Into The Death of 8298024 Tpr D.R. Pearce and Injury to [unnamed] in Afghanistan on 8 Oct 07, unclassified, 22 Jan 08
‘The enemy . . . [is] aggressively targeting . . .’
US Department of Defense, news briefing, 24 June 2008
‘They’re burning schools . . .’
US Department of Defense, news briefing, 24 June 2008
‘The people that they’re killing . . .’
US Department of Defense, news briefing, 5 September 2008
‘I’ll wait for your nine potatoes . . .’
Bing West, The Wrong War, p. 8
‘once outside the wire . . .’
Special Operations commander Major General Tim McOwan, ‘Update on Special Operations in Afghanistan’, Australian Government, Department of Defence press conference, Canberra, 11 December 2008
‘These deaths, on the same day we welcomed . . .’
Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, ‘Australian Troops Assist Improvised Explosive Device Victims’, Australian Government, Department of Defence media release, MECC 230/08, 16 July 2008
CHAPTER 16
‘They’re a major asset . . .’
Sean Rayment, ‘British Soldier and his faithful friend die side-by-side in Afghanistan’, The Telegraph (UK), 27 July 2008
‘. . . SAS Corporal Mark Donaldson . . .’
Rob Maylor and Robert Macklin, SAS Sniper, p. 267
‘We’ve just been hit by an IED.’
Rob Maylor and Robert Macklin, SAS Sniper, p. 267
‘that thing saved my life’
Mark Dodd, ‘VC Hero Tires of PR and Goes Back to Afghanistan’, The Australian, 23 July 2010
Material about the death of SAS Signaller Sean McCarthy was drawn from various Australian Government Department of Defence press releases and the official unclassified Inquiry Officer’s report on Signaller McCarthy’s death of August 2008, as well as other references cited.
‘He [McCarthy] was badly injured on both legs.’
Jamie Walker, ‘Botched Medivac as Digger in Afghanistan lay dying’, The Australian, 26 July 2008
‘the “golden hour” . . .’
Jamie Walker, ‘Botched Medivac as Digger in Afghanistan lay dying’
‘. . . due to bad weather.’
‘SOTG Soldiers Wounded in Uruzgan IED Blast’ Australian Government, Department of Defence media release, MSPA 255/08, 12 August 2008
‘If the injuries had been life-threatening . . .’
Sarah Smiles, ‘Injured Soldiers Wait Six Hours’, The Age, 13 August 2008
‘. . . a third rescue attempt was attempted six hours later . . .’
Mark Dodd, ‘Push For Diggers To Get Medivacs in Afghanistan’, The Australian, 13 August 2008
‘botched helicopter rescue’
Mark Dodd, ‘Push For Diggers to Get Medivacs in Afghanistan’, The Australian, 13 August 2008
‘a string of bad luck’
Philip Coorey, ‘Forces Stuck with Borrowed Choppers’, The Sydney Morning Herald, 13 August 2008
‘. . . specialised medical helicopters . . .’
Mark Dodd, ‘Push For Diggers to Get Medivacs in Afghanistan’
CHAPTER 17
The reconstruction of the ambush has been drawn from Sergeant D’s recollections of the day and from various sources cited below and in the bibliography. There were twelve Australians and each fought his own battle that day. Each saw different action and has a unique perspective.
‘highly targeted operations against insurgent . . .’
Major General Tim McOwan, Australian Government, Department of Defence, press conference, Canberra, 11 December 2008
‘[Jacko] was Greg’s best companion . . .’
Mark Ranzenberger, ‘Rodriguez to be buried in Arlington’, The Morning Sun, 8 September 2008
‘. . . had successfully wiped out thirteen . . .’
Major General Tim McOwan, 11 December 2008
‘. . . sneak into Taliban leader Ahmad Shah’s compound . . .’
Major General Tim McOwan, 11 December 2008
‘We had clobbered them . . .’
Peter Pedersen, ‘Recock and Refigure, Trooper Mark Donaldson, VC, speaks’, Wartime: Official Magazine of the Australian War Memorial, Issue 46, 2009, p.14
‘Kill them, kill them all.’
Rob Maylor and Robert Macklin, SAS Sniper, p. 285
‘Some of those were air burst . . .’
Peter Pedersen, ‘Recock and Refigure, Trooper Mark Donaldson, VC, speaks’, p.13
‘It’s combat and it’s war . . .’
Howard Gipps, A Current Affair, Nine Network, 16 January 2009
‘A non-commissioned SAS sergeant leapt up . . .’
Major General Tim McOwan, 11 December 2008
‘The effect of the initiation . . .’
‘Australian Army Awarded the Victoria Cross for Trooper Mark Gregor Donaldson’ [official citation], Australian Government, Department of Defence, 16 January 2009
‘I honestly didn’t think . . .’
Mark Donaldson, ‘For Most Conspicuous Acts of Gallantry’, Defence, Issue 1, 2009
‘It’s a funny thing, they were pretty staunch . . .’
Philip Clark, Summer Radio, ABC702 Radio, 14 January 2011
‘We need your assistance . . .’
Rob Maylor and Robert Macklin, SAS Sniper, p. 288
‘They do have very tight rules . . .’
Ian McPhedran, ‘Dutch left soldiers for dead in Afghanistan’, The Daily Telegraph, 22 October 2010
‘. . . using his own body as a shield.’
Major General Tim McOwan, 11 December 2008
‘On several occasions, enemy bullets . . .’
Major General Tim McOwan, 11 December 2008
‘If you see them in trouble out there . . .’
Howard Gipps, A Current Affair
‘It all comes back to the training.’
Howard Gipps, A Current Affair
‘You look back on it now and think . . .’
Philip Clark, Summer Radio
‘This soldier deliberately exposed himself . . .’
Major General Tim McOwan, 11 December 2008
‘He liked justice. If it wasn’t right . . .’
‘Gregory A Rodriguez’
, The Detroit News, 6 September 2008
‘. . . the 501st American soldier to have lost his life . . .’
Mark Berman, ‘A Loyal Soldier Is Mourned’, The Washington Post, 16 September 2008
‘He told me Arlington . . .’
Mark Ranzenberger, ‘Rodriguez to be buried in Arlington’, The Morning Sun, 8 September 2008
CHAPTER 18
‘I was hesitant to look . . .’
Rob Maylor and Robert Macklin, SAS Sniper, p, 294
‘was pretty heavy and pretty accurate . . .’
Howard Gipps, A Current Affair
‘I suppose it was like looking at a puddle . . .’
Philip Clark, Summer Radio
‘There was a mate of mine . . .’
Philip Clark, Summer Radio
‘That’s how lucky we are . . .’
Peter Harvey, ‘Our Valient Few’, 60 Minutes, Nine Network, 24 April 2009
‘This is the largest number of casualties . . .’
Jonathan Pearlman, ‘Nine Australian soldiers hurt in Taliban ambush,’ The Sydney Morning Herald, 4 September 2009
‘It is important to note . . .’
‘Special operations Task Group soldiers Wounded in Afghanistan Update’, Australian Government, Department of Defence press release, MSPA 295/08, 10 September 2008
‘in areas in which coalition soldiers . . .’
Mark Colvin, ‘Australian soldiers wounded in Afghanistan’, PM, 3 September 2008
‘engaged in a vital mission’
Mark Colvin, ‘Australian soldiers wounded in Afghanistan’
‘A lot of the guys did feel it’
Jessica Johnston, ‘Sarbi the Army wonder dog found safe in Afghanistan’, Perth Now, 12 November 2009
CHAPTER 19
‘morale is high’
‘Special operations Task Group soldiers wounded in Afghanistan Update’, Australian Government, Department of Defence press release, MSPA 295/08, 10 September 2008
‘. . . Afghan guards had shooed her away.’
Mark Dodd, ‘Long-lost sniffer dog returns to duty with fellow Diggers’, The Australian, 13 November 2009
‘. . . developed a good relationship with the villagers . . .’
Anna K. Perry, ‘Reconstruction efforts spawn hope in Southern Afghanistan’, US Federal News Service, US Army Special Operations Command press release, 10 September 2008
‘An Afghan version of a lost-and-found notice . . .’
‘Rescue plan for Digger dog’, The Australian, 8 June 2010 ‘You have cradled life in your arms . . .’
Ian McPhedran, ‘Training was key to survival’, The Daily Telegraph,
17 January 2009
‘I don’t see myself as a hero, honestly . . .’
Mark Dodd, ‘VC winner Mark Donaldson drew enemy fire, saved a mate and fought on’, The Australian, 17 January 2009. See also, Ian McPhedran, ‘Nation salutes a true war hero’, The Daily Telegraph, 17 January 2009
‘Oh, look, I don’t know . . .’
Howard Gipps, A Current Affair
‘Plans were prepared to retrieve her . . .’
‘Rescue plan for Digger dog’, The Australian, 8 June 2010
‘It’s a game we used to play . . .’
‘Paws in the War: How Sabi [sic] the bomb dog’s on the ball’, The Sydney Morning Herald, 13 November 2009
‘When you know some of these dogs . . .’
‘Keeping Our Four-Legged Forces Healthy,’ Seattle Kennel Club
CHAPTER 20
‘The staff spotted the intelligent . . .’
Bianca Clare, ‘Furry friend killed in conflict’, The Sunshine Coast Daily, 29 October 2009
‘There was no noise . . .’
Ian McPhedran, ‘Scars, scares and death in Afghanistan’, The Daily Telegraph, 15 August 2009
‘You can see it now . . .’
Misha Schubert, ‘Sniffing around the real Sabi [sic] story’, The Age, 13 November 2009
‘Inadequate resources will likely result . . .’
Stanley McChrystal, Comisaf’s Initial Assessment, report to Robert M. Gates, US Secretary of Defense, 30 August 2009
‘She showed no signs of stress . . .’
Katharine Murphy ‘Sabi [sic] come home—Dog’s year in the desert’, The Age, 13 November 2009
‘loyal daughter of Australia’
‘Bomb Dog Sabi [sic] back on duty’, The Daily Telegraph, 12 November 2009
‘It may seem quite small, but in fact . . .’
Brendan Trembath, ‘Handler never gave up on lost army dog,’ PM, ABC Radio, 12 November 2009
‘Churchill is drunk . . .’
Amanda Meade, ‘The Diary’, The Australian, 16 November 2009
‘Sarbi’s the last piece of the puzzle . . .’
Mark Dodd, ‘Long-lost sniffer dog returns to duty with fellow Diggers’, The Australian, 13 November 2009
CHAPTER 21
Information about the RSPCA Australia Purple Cross was drawn from the RSPCA’s website.
The author also attended the Purple Cross presentation ceremony for Sarbi at the Australian War Memorial on 5 April 2011.
‘Murphy, the donkey that ferried soldiers . . .’
‘Kirkpatrick, John Simpson (1892–1915)’ Australian War Memorial
‘Give back our hero dog’
Ian McPhedran, ‘Give back our hero dog’, The Daily Telegraph, 22 November 2010
EPILOGUE
‘The remainder of us received shock over-blast effects . . .’
George Hulse, ADFT WDA, Interviews with War Dog Operatives, Series 4, Profile 3—Afghanistan: Sapper Brett Turley—Royal Australian Engineers
‘We were both back on patrol duty . . .’
George Hulse, ADFT WDA, Interviews with War Dog Operatives
‘. . . the first multiple fatalities suffered . . .’
‘Two Australian Soldiers killed by bomb on first tour of Afghanistan’, The Age, 8 June 2010
‘training and conditions’
‘Sapper Darren Smith, one of two soldiers killed in Afghanistan, is laid to rest’, The Courier Mail, 20 June 2010
‘. . . one of the boys . . . everyone looks after him . . .’
Chris Masters, ‘A Careful War’, Four Corners, ABC TV, 12 July 2010
‘[It’s] just great morale . . .’
Chris Masters, ‘A Careful War’
‘. . . regarded by his fellow Diggers as one . . .’
Chris Masters, ‘A Careful War’
‘If only we had a troop full of Snowys . . .’
‘Sapper obituaries, Lest We Forget’, Australian Sapper, 2010, p. 52
‘disturbing fashion sense’
‘Sapper obituaries, Lest We Forget’, p. 52
‘Even though it was one of many bangs that we heard . . .’
Leigh Sales, ‘Defence mourning after tremendous loss’, Lateline, ABC TV, 8 June 2010
‘The first five minutes after it happened . . .’
Chris Masters, ‘A Careful War’
‘Jacob and Darren were the epitome . . .’
‘Fallen Australian Soldiers commence final journey’, Australian Government, Department of Defence press release, MECC 214/10, 10 June 2010
‘At the end of the day, Herbie saved lives . . .’
‘Herbie Finally Home To Rest In Peace’, Australian Government, Department of Defence press release, 30 June 2010
‘It’s nice to finally leave them both to rest together.’
‘Herbie Finally Home To Rest In Peace’
‘He was very passionate about his job . . .’
Ia McPhedran, ‘Diggers Darren Smith and Jacob Moerland killed in Taliban bomb trap’, The Daily Telegraph, 9 June 2010
‘I call the photo “the bond” . . .’
‘A memorial
for Australia’s Explosive Detection Dogs killed in action in Afghanistan’, Australian Government, Department of Defence news release, 5 July 2011
Bibliography
BOOKS
Nick Allen, Embedded with the World’s Armies in Afghanistan, Spellmount, Stroud UK, 2010
Anonymous, Hunting al-Qaeda: A Take-No-Prisoners Account of Terror, Adventure, and Disillusionment, Zenith Press, Minneapolis MN, 2005
John C. Burnam, A Soldier’s Best Friend: Scout Dogs and Their Handlers in the Vietnam War, Union Square Press, New York, 2008
Shane Bryant with Tony Park, War Dogs, An Australian and His Dog Go To War in Afghanistan, Pan Macmillan Australia, Sydney, 2010
Sarah Chayes, The Punishment of Virtue: Inside Afghanistan After the Taliban, Penguin, New York, 2006
Anthony Cordesman and Emma Davies, Iraq’s Insurgency and the Road to Civil Conflict, Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Washington DC, 2008
Stanley Coren, How to Speak Dog: Mastering the Art of Dog–Human Communication, Free Press, New York, 2000
——The Pawprints of History: Dogs and the Course of Human Events, Free Press, New York, 2002
——Why We Love the Dogs We Do: How to Find the Dog That Matches Your Personality, Fireside, New York, 1998
Brian Dennis, Kirby Larson, Mary Nethery, Nubs: The True Story of a Mutt, a Marine and a Miracle, Little, Brown and Company, London, 2009
Tracy L. English, The Quiet Americans: A History of Military Working Dogs, Office of History, Lackland Air Force Base, Lackland TX
David W. Gaier, Guidelines for Roving Security Inspections in Public Venues Using Explosives Detection Dogs, American Society of Civil Engineers, 2010
Genelle Guzman-McMillan, Angel in the Rubble, Inspired Living/Allen & Unwin, Sydney, 2011
Sandra Lee, 18 Hours: The True Story of an SAS War Hero, HarperCollins, Pymble NSW, 2006
Michael G. Lemish, War Dogs: A History of Loyalty and Heroism, Potomac Books, Dulles VA, 2008
M is for Mate: Animals in Wartime from Ajax to Zep, Department of Veterans’ Affairs and The Australian War Memorial, Canberra, 2009
Peter Haran, Trackers: The Untold Story of the Australian Dogs of War, New Holland, Chatswood, NSW, 2000
Alexandra Horowitz, Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know, Scribner, New York, 2009
Seth Jones, In the Graveyard of Empires, W.W. Norton and Co., New York, 2009 Konrad Lorenz, (translated by Marjorie Kerr Wilson), Rout-ledge
