Corporal
Mark Gregor Strang Donaldson, VC
For most
conspicuous acts of gallantry in action in a circumstance of great peril
in Afghanistan as part of the Special Operations Task Group during
Operation SLIPPER, Oruzgan Province, Afghanistan.
Corporal Mark
Gregor Strang Donaldson enlisted into the Australian Army on 18 June 2002.
After completing Recruit and Initial and Employment Training he was posted
to the 1st Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment. Having successfully
completed the Special Air Service Selection Course in April 2004, Corporal
Donaldson was posted to Special Air Service Regiment in May 2004.
On 2 September
2008, during the conduct of a fighting patrol, Corporal (then Trooper)
Donaldson was travelling in a combined Afghan, US and Australian vehicle
convoy that was engaged by a numerically superior, entrenched and
coordinated enemy ambush. The ambush was initiated by a high volume of
sustained machine gun fire coupled with the effective use of rocket
propelled grenades. Such was the effect of the initiation that the
combined patrol suffered numerous casualties, completely lost the
initiative and became immediately suppressed. It was over two hours before
the convoy was able to establish a clean break and move to an area free of
enemy fire.
In the early
stages of the ambush, Corporal Donaldson reacted spontaneously to regain
the initiative. He moved rapidly between alternate positions of cover
engaging the enemy with 66mm and 84mm anti-armour weapons as well as his
M4 rifle. During an early stage of the enemy ambush, he deliberately
exposed himself to enemy fire in order to draw attention to himself and
thus away from wounded soldiers. This selfless act alone bought enough
time for those wounded to be moved to relative safety.
As the enemy had
employed the tactic of a rolling ambush, the patrol was forced to conduct
numerous vehicle manoeuvres, under intense enemy fire, over a distance of
approximately four kilometres to extract the convoy from the engagement
area. Compounding the extraction was the fact that casualties had consumed
all available space within the vehicles. Those who had not been wounded,
including Corporal Donaldson, were left with no option but to run beside
the vehicles throughout. During the conduct of this vehicle
manoeuvre to extract the convoy from the engagement area, a severely
wounded coalition force interpreter was inadvertently left behind. Of his
own volition and displaying complete disregard for his own safety,
Corporal Donaldson moved alone, on foot, across approximately 80 metres of
exposed ground to recover the wounded interpreter. His movement, once
identified by the enemy, drew intense and accurate machine gun fire from
entrenched positions. Upon reaching the wounded coalition force
interpreter, Corporal Donaldson picked him up and carried him back to the
relative safety of the vehicles then provided immediate first aid before
returning to the fight.
On subsequent
occasions during the battle, Corporal Donaldson administered medical care
to other wounded soldiers, whilst continually engaging the enemy.
Corporal
Donaldson’s acts of exceptional gallantry in the face of accurate and
sustained enemy fire ultimately saved the life of a coalition force
interpreter and ensured the safety of the other members of the combined
Afghan, US and Australian force. Corporal Donaldson’s actions on this
day displayed exceptional courage in circumstances of great peril. His
actions are of the highest accord and are in keeping with the finest
traditions of the Special Operations Command, the Australian Army and the
Australian Defence Force.
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