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Sapper Smith & Explosive Detection Dog "Herbie"Print Page Print this page

Sapper Smith & Herbie Memorial : 30-05-2014
Sapper Smith & Herbie Memorial : 30-05-2014

Photographs supplied by Diane Watson

The monument commemorates Sapper Smith and his Explosive Detection Dog 'Herbie" .

Sappers Darren Smith and Jacob Moerland conducted a route clearance ahead of an Australian patrol in the Mirabad Valley in Afghanistan. Sapper Smith's border collie cross sniffer dog Herbie had detected an enemy bomb and, as the two soldiers from the Brisbane-based 2nd Combat Engineer Regiment, approached the improvised explosive device (IED) the still, summer morning was rocked by a massive explosion.

A Taliban insurgent had detonated the device by remote control killing Sapper Smith and Herbie and severely wounding Sapper Jacob Moerland who died later from his wounds. 


 

Location

Address:139 Wacol Station Road, RSPCA Animal Campus, Wacol, 4076
State:QLD
Area:AUS
GPS Coordinates:Lat: -27.585629
Long: 152.922239
Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate.
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Details

Monument Type:Monument
Monument Theme:Conflict
Sub-Theme:Afghanistan
Actual Event Start Date:07-June-2010
Actual Event End Date:07-June-2010
Link:http://www.dva.gov.au/consultation-…

Dedication

Actual Monument Dedication Date:Thursday 7th June, 2012
Front Inscription

In memory of Sapper Darren Smith & EDD Herbie

KIA Afghanistan  7 June 2010

 

Inscription in Proximity

Australian Defence Force Trackers and War Dogs Association

In memory of Sapper Darren Smith and his explosion detection dog "Herbie"  who, together with Sapper Jacob Moerland, were killed in action by an Improvised Explosive Device in Afghanistan , 7 June 2010. They were members of the 2nd Combat Engineer regiment RAE

Sapper Darren Smith is the first Australian Defence Force Military Working Dog handler to be killed in action while working an Australian Miltiary Working Dog on the battlefield.

Dedicated by the Australian Defence Force Trackers and War Dogs Association 7 June 2012
 

Source: DVA, MA
Monument details supplied by Monument Australia - www.monumentaustralia.org.au