Australian soldier killed by bomb explosion

An Australian soldier was killed today, 22nd August 2011, when a bomb exploded near his patrol unit. This was his first deployment to Afghanistan but he had previously served in East Timor.

The soldier, serving with the 2nd Battalion Royal Australian Regiment, had been in Afghanistan since June and was on a night-time patrol about 85km north-east of Tarin Kowt when the incident occurred.

Update: soldier named as - Private Matthew Lambert

Australian Commando Sergeant Todd Langley

Sergeant Todd Matthew Langley, age 35, from the Sydney-based 2nd Commando regiment, was killed in action during a battle with enemy forces in southern Afghanistan on 4th July 2011. He died on the battlefield from gun shot wounds to the head.

Sgt. Langley was on his fifth deployment to Afghanistan and had previously deployed twice to East Timor. He had been awarded two Commendations for Distinguished Service in 2002 and again in 2008. In 2006 he was awarded a Unit Citation for Gallantry

Sgt. Langley was born in Western Australia in 1976. He joined the Army in 1993 and served with 1 RAR. In 2004, he completed the Commando selection course and was posted to the 4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (Commando), now 2nd Commando Regiment.

He leaves his wife Reigan, three daughters, one son and his parents Val and Neville.

Australian Sapper Rowan Robinson

Sapper Rowan Robinson, a combat engineer with the Australian Army was killed in action overnight during an operation in Helmand province, Afghanistan, involving the destruction of a weapons cache including guns, RPGs and explosives.

The extensive arms cache had been discovered earlier by the joint Australian-Afghan patrol. During the operation, the unit came under heavy fire from insurgent forces which resulted in the 23-year-old soldier being shot and killed.

Sapper Robinson, on his second deployment to Afghanistan, was evacuated to a field hospital but died of his wounds.

Lieutenant Marcus Case

Lieutenant Marcus Sean Case, aged 27, was killed on 30th May 2011 when an Australian Chinook helicopter crashed in Zabul province during a re-supply operation.

Lt. Case served with the Sydney based 6th Aviation Regiment an was on his first deployment to Afghanistan. He was a Heron Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Operator.

Prior to his deployment in Afghanistan, Lt. Case had served in East Timor in 2007 and assisted in the Queensland floods in January 2011.

In 2003, Lt. Case was posted to 1 Commando Regiment. In 2008, he transferred to the Australian Regular Army and trained as a pilot at the Army Aviation Training Centre.

Lance Corporal Andrew Jones

Australian Army Lance Corporal Andrew Gordon Jones, aged 25, died during operations in Afghanistan on 30th May 2011 after being shot by an Afghan soldier.

L-Cpl. Jones, serving with the 9th Force Support Battalion was on his first deployment to Afghanistan.

Born in Melbourne, Victoria in 1986, he joined the Army in 2004. After recruit training, he completed his initial employment training as a cook and was posted to the Catering Platoon of the 1st Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment. He was posted to the 9th Force Support Battalion in 2008.

Australian Commando, Sergeant Brett Wood

Australian Special Forces Sergeant Brett Wood, aged 32, was killed in southern Afghanistan on 23rd May 2011 when a bomb was detonated while Sgt. Wood and his unit were conducting clearance operations.

Sgt. Wood, from Victoria, served with the elite 2nd Commando Regiment. With over 15 years military service, he had served in Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Iraq. This was his third deployment to Afghanistan. In 2006 he was awarded the Medal for Gallantry.

Australian Chief of the Defence Force Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston described Sgt. Wood as a "decorated warrior."

Australian soldier killed in bomb blast

An Australian soldier has been killed and five others were wounded during two separate attacks in Afghanistan.

The dead soldier has been named as Sergeant Brett Wood, aged 32, who was killed while conducting clearance operations in Afghanistan.

An improvised explosive device detonated, killing Sergeant Wood and seriously wounding two others.

Three more soldiers were wounded in a separate incident during an engagement with insurgents.

Australian soldier, Jamie Larcombe, killed in action

Jamie Larcombe and partner, Rhiannon

An Australian soldier and Afghan interpreter have been killed in Afghanistan overnight.

Defence Force Chief Angus Houston said that the pair had been shot and despite immediate first aid, could not be saved.

The incident happened during an unpartnered patrol in an area to the south-east of patrol base Wali.

The Australian casualty is 21-year-old Sapper Jamie Ronald Larcombe, a South Australian from a Darwin regiment.

It's understood to be the second death from the same regiment in as many weeks.

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Read Jamie's family tribute

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Australian engineer, Cpl. Richard Edward Atkinson

An Australian soldier has been killed and another wounded by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, the Australian Defence Department has announced, upping the number of Australian troops killed in the conflict to 22.

Corporal Richard Edward Atkinson, 22, was killed on Wednesday while on patrol in Uruzgan's Deh Rahwod - a region of southern Afghanistan at the heart of the Taliban-led insurgency.

Corporal Atkinson, a member of the Darwin-based First Combat Engineer Regiment, was on a foot patrol with Afghan soldiers at the time of the incident.

Australian fatalities - list updated

We have updated the full list of Australian military fatalities from 2002 to 2010 and will continue adding individual detail about each incident as soon as we can.

If you can help us by supplying information and photos, please contact us

Click here to view the list

Australian Jared MacKinney killed in action

Lance Corporal Jared MacKinney, 28, of the Brisbane-based 6^th Battalion the Royal Australian Regiment, was killed in action during an engagement with insurgents in the Deh Rawud region last Tuesday (24 August 2010).

He was deployed to Afghanistan on Operation Slipper as part of the 1st Mentoring Task Force.  

Click to read report

Click here to see listing of all Australian military fatalities

Two Australian Soldiers Killed in Action

Two Australian soldiers serving with the 1st Mentoring Task Force in Afghanistan have been killed in action when they were struck by an improvised explosive device (IED).

Private Thomas Dale, 21 and Private Grant Kirby, 35, were killed in action when they were struck by an IED. Both of their families have been notified and they have agreed to the release of names.

Grant Kirby (L) and Thomas Dale

Two other Australian soldiers were wounded in action in the explosion. Their wounds are not life threatening and the soldiers have contacted their families.

All of the soldiers involved in the incident are from the Brisbane based 6th Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment.

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Click here to see listing of all Australian military fatalities

Australian soldier killed in action

Trooper Jason Brown has become the 18th Australian soldier to lose his life during operations in Afghanistan.

Twenty-nine year-old Trooper Brown from the Perth-based Special Air Service Regiment died as a result of multiple gunshot wounds sustained during an engagement with Taliban insurgents early on Saturday August 14, Australian-time.

Trooper Jason Brown, SAS

Members of his patrol provided immediate first aid and he was evacuated by helicopter to the major coalition medical facility in Kandahar. 

Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of his mates and the coalition medical staff, Trooper Brown died from his wounds.

No other Australian or Afghan soldiers were wounded in the engagement.

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Click here to see listing of all Australian military fatalities

Australian soldier, Private Nathan Bewes

Pvt. Nathan Bewes

The Australian Defence Force has announced the death of Private Nathan John Bewes during operations in Afghanistan.

Private Bewes was serving with 1st Mentoring Task Force when he tragically lost his life from an Improvised Explosive Device on Friday 9 July, 2010.

Twenty-three-year-old Private Nathan Bewes was from the Brisbane-based 6th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment.

Click here to see listing of all Australian military fatalities

Australian Commandos killed in Afghanistan

THREE Australian soldiers killed in a chopper crash in Afghanistan have been named.

Privates Tim Aplin, 38, Ben Chuck, 27, and Scott Palmer, 27, were killed when a chopper crashed in southern Kandahar province yesterday.

All three were from the Sydney-based 2nd Commando Regiment.

L-R: Ben Chuck, Tim Aplin, Scott Palmer

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Click here to see listing of all Australian military fatalities

Australian killed by IED

The Australian Defence Force announces the death of Sapper Darren Smith during operations in Afghanistan.

Sapper Smith died as a result of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated on 7 June, 2010. 

Sapper Smith, 26, was from the Brisbane-based 2nd Combat Engineer Regiment.

His deployment as part of 1st Mentoring Task Force (MTF-1) was his first operational deployment. He deployed in March 2010. As part of his tour he has been awarded the Australian Active Service Medal with Clasp International Campaign against Terrorism (ICAT), NATO Service Medal, and the Afghanistan Campaign Medal. Sapper Smith has also been awarded the Australian Defence Medal. 

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Click here to see listing of all Australian military fatalities

Australian sapper killed by IED

Jacob Moerland

Sapper Jacob Moerland died as a result of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated on 7 June, 2010.  Sapper Jacob Moerland, 21, was from Brisbane-based 2nd Combat Engineer Regiment. 

He enlisted on 9 July 2007 and completed his Initial Recruit Training at 1st Recruit Training Battalion in (1RTB) in October 2007.

After completing his driver courses and the suite of Combat Engineer Courses in May 2008, Sapper Moerland was posted to 2nd Combat Engineer Regiment (2CER), Brisbane. 

2CER was his first posting as a Combat Engineer. Whilst at 2CER, he went on to complete a number of courses including: Protected Mobility Vehicle Driver course in April 2009 and Combat First Aider in August 2009. His deployment as part of 1st Mentoring Task Force was his first operation, deploying in January this year.

As part of his tour he has been awarded the Australian Active Service Medal with Clasp International Campaign against Terrorism (ICAT), NATO Medal and the Afghanistan Campaign Medal. Along with the awarding of his AASM. 

Sapper Moerland leaves behind his fiancéé, Kezia who lives in Brisbane.

He was 21-years-old and was born in Cairns, Queensland.

Australian soldier killed by IED

Australian Private Benjamin Ranaudo was killed by an anti-personnel explosive device in Afghanistan on 18 July, 2009.

Private Ranaudo was a member of the Townsville-based 1st Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment. He was a member of the Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force in Afghanistan and was killed while on operations north of Tarin Kot.

Private Benjamin Ranaudo

He enlisted into the Australian Regular Army on the 19th of May 2006. After completing his Recruit Training he was allocated to the Royal Australian Infantry Corps and commenced his Initial Employment Training at Singleton, New South Wales. 

At the completion of his Initial Employment Training in Nov 2006, Private Ranaudo was posted to the 1st Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment. During his service with 1 RAR, Private Ranaudo deployed to East Timor as part of Operation Astute, and to Afghanistan as part of Operation Slipper. 

After returning from East Timor in October 2007, Private Ranaudo completed the 1 RAR Basic Reconnaissance course and was posted to Reconnaissance Platoon in May 2008. As part of lead up training for Afghanistan in late 2008, Private Ranaudo completed a Combat First Aider course and a Protected Mobility Vehicle Drivers course. He deployed as a Rifleman with 2 Platoon, Combat Team A for Operation Slipper. 

For his service in East Timor and Afghanistan, Private Ranaudo was awarded the Australian Active Service Medal with International Coalition Against Terrorism clasp, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Australian Service Medal with Timor-Leste clasp, Australian Defence Medal, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation - International Security Assistance Force Medal, the East Timor Solidarity Medal, the Infantry Combat Badge and the Return from Active Service Badge.

Australian sergeant killed by IED

Sergeant Brett Till, a highly-respected Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician from the Incident Response Regiment in Holsworthy, New South Wales, was killed by an explosion that occurred during a route clearance task in Southern Afghanistan on Thursday, 19 March 2009.

Sergeant Till, age 31, lived in Sydney with his wife and two children. His immediate family is currently receiving support from Defence representatives.

Sergeant Till enlisted in the Australian Army in 2001 and was allocated to the Corps of Royal Australian Engineers following recruit training. Sergeant Till trained as a Combat Engineer and served with a number of units, including the 1st Combat Engineer Regiment and the School of Military Engineering.

The Chief of the Defence Force, Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, paid tribute to Sergeant Till and his extraordinary bravery.

“Sergeant Till’s selfless act to protect his mates and innocent civilians is a mark of the character of the man,” Air Chief Marshal Houston said.

“My thoughts and prayers are with Sergeant Till’s loved ones at this difficult time. His sacrifice will never be forgotten.”

Australian soldier killed by small arms fire

It is with deep regret the Australian Defence Force announces the death of Corporal Mathew Hopkins during operations in Afghanistan.

Corporal Hopkins was serving with the Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force (MRTF) in Afghanistan when he was killed while conducting a patrol near Kakarak when he and his team were engaged by a group of around 20 Taliban on Monday 16 March, 2009.

Twenty-one-year-old Corporal Hopkins was a valued member of the Darwin-based 7th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment.

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