Australian Corporal Daniel Keighran awarded the Victoria Cross

[JPL]

Governor-General Quentin Bryce bestowed the honour on 29-year-old Corporal Keighran during a ceremony at Government House in Canberra.

He is the third Australian soldier to be awarded the VC for service in Afghanistan and the 99th Australian to receive the military's highest honour for gallantry.

Corporal Keighran, from Nambour in Queensland, was a member of the Mentoring Task Force 1 on Operation Slipper in the Oruzgan province of Afghanistan on August 24, 2010.

He was involved in a firefight between Taliban fighters and Australian and Afghan troops. He repeatedly broke cover to draw fire, allowing the enemy locations to be identified and neutralised.

In the citation it was noted the enemy fire was "accurate and intense''. He repeatedly exposed himself to life-threatening gunfire coming from multiple directions.

On one occasion he moved from cover to draw fire away from a team that was treating a casualty, and then assisted in clearing the landing zone for an evacuation. The Australian and Afghan forces sustained no further injuries.

Read the complete article and view photos and video: http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/national/victoria-cross-for-rar-soldier/story-fndo6ejf-1226508076952

Jean-Paul

[JPL]

Here is the link to the Official press release: http://www.gg.gov.au/media-release/corporal-daniel-alan-keighran-vc-invested-australias-99th-victoria-cross

Jean-Paul

[Chris Boonzaier]

It will be interesting to see if the Australian VC is becoming easier to get than the UK one.

No doubt he desrved his medal, but if that is the 3rd Aussie VC for Afghanistan, how many have the Brits awarded? Comparing the size of the contingents as well?

[Kevin R]

That's a very unfair thing to say Chris, Australian's have been dudded out of many a VC by the British that should have been awarded during the 2 world wars.

The first one to mind is Albert Jakka VC who in WW1 should have been awarded another if not 2 more Victoria Cross's for his outstanding Valour...

Then there was Capt Dacre Stoker who took his submarine AE2 through the greatly defended Dardenelles on the same day as the Gallipoli landing causing much panic to the turks....a VC for him..no

WW2 Capt Robert Rankin commanded the sloop HMAS Yarra in 1942 when he was escorting 3 merchant ships to Australia when in the distance was 3 Japanese heavy Cruisers and 2 Destroyers..Rankin ordered the 3 Merchant to scatter and run for it, did he run as well, no he turned his ship and headed straight for the enemy firing as he went trying to give the Merchants more time...of course he was blasted out of the water, Rankin going down with his ship and crew..only 13 survived.

A VC for him or any of his crew who's guns were still firing as it went down.....no and who wouldn't rubber stamp the awards...the British.

[TacHel]

I read most citations to Canadians during the Afghanistan campaigns of the past 12 years... IMHO, at least 4 should've received VCs. The problem is our officers and senior NCOs know darn near nothing of our award system except the old and horrible "aim low or risk getting nothing" regulation that is an abobination!