Australian soldier is awarded a rare Victoria Cross

AFP/Canberra

An Australian Department of Defence photo of Prime Minister Julia Gillard (left) and Governor-General Quentin Bryce posing with Corporal Daniel Keighran after the investiture ceremony at Government House in Canberra

An Australian soldier who repeatedly braved enemy fire in Afghanistan to save his colleagues during an ambush was awarded a rare Victoria Cross yesterday for his actions. Corporal Daniel Keighran, 29, was bestowed with the honour after breaking cover on multiple occasions to draw intense enemy fire during a ferocious three-and-a-half hour battle. He is only the third Australian soldier to be awarded the country’s highest military honour since Australia began its deployment in Afghanistan more than a decade ago. The citation said Keighran showed great bravery when a joint Australian-Afghan patrol came under attack in the village of Derapet in Uruzgan province on August 24, 2010. Defence force chief David Hurley said Keighran “deliberately and repeatedly” drew intense enemy fire away from other members of his patrol, one of whom was killed. “Despite the enemy bullets biting into the dirt at his feet he returned fire and provided critical information about the insurgents’ positions,” he said, adding that Keighran helped turn the fight in Australia’s favour.Hurley added that the battle at Derapet was among the most intense Australian forces have witnessed in Afghanistan. “Corporal Keighran joins an esteemed group of Australians, revered for their courage and conduct,” he added. Keighran said he was “extremely proud” and paid tribute to his fellow soldiers. “I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for the boys with me that day. The support that they provided me was excellent,” he said. “It’s as much theirs as it is mine.” Australia is a close ally of the US and its Afghan deployment began in 2001. It announced this year that it would begin withdrawing its forces in 2013, earlier than planned due to significant security gains. Most of the 1,550 Australians in Afghanistan are based in Uruzgan, with a focus on training and mentoring Afghan National Army soldiers. They have lost 39 troops in the protracted conflict.