RSL Wanneroo

Smile with me this morning-Joy

On 20 September 1999, Australian personnel led INTERFET, the International Force East Timor, into Dili. Around 5,500 Australians served under Major General Peter Cosgrove's command, alongside forces from 22 nations. It was the largest Australian deployment since the Vietnam War, and the first time Australia led an international coalition.

The mission that began that day extended well beyond the initial INTERFET rotation. Over 18,000 Australians served in East Timor and Timor-Leste between 1999 and 2013. Six Australians died in service.

For many families in our community, East Timor is close to home. It is where a husband, a partner, or a child spent months, sometimes years. It is a place that we still talk about at home or with friends we catch up with. A place still remembered through the medals and photographs kept in a drawer and the memories that still live within us.

To those who served in East Timor and Timor-Leste, and to the families who stood behind them, we honour you today.

Lest we forget.

📷 INTERFET medic Private Tammy Smithson shelters a child during a medevac in Grotu, in the mountains of the border area of Southern East Timor. Photographer WO2 Al Green, V9920028. Image courtesy of the Department of Defence.

Lest we Forget.

Today marks the birthday of Private Joseph Piercy, born on this day in 1890.
Piercy was born in Magill, South Australia.

When he was still a young boy his family moved to Perth and took up residence in Guildford. Piercy was enrolled at the local primary school, before attending Perth Boys High School in James Street, Perth.

After school he was apprenticed for five years as a pattern maker with the locomotive department of the Western Australian Government Railways.

Between 1907 and 1910, Piercy served with the Citizen Forces in the 1st Battalion of the Australian Infantry Regiment, where he attained the rank of sergeant. He joined the AIF at Blackboy Hill on 2 September 1914, one month shy of his 24th birthday. He was placed with C Company of the 11th Battalion.

Find out more about his story at the National Anzac Centre by asking for his character card.

Book your visit now at nationalanzaccentre.com.au

Editor’s note: This post begins Joseph Piercy’s First World War story at the rank he held in 1914. His military career saw him progress to the rank of General.

Can anyone help 🙂

**Seeking photographs and information about Bryan Penney**

We have received a request from the family of **Bryan Lawrence Penney**, who served with **6 Platoon, Bravo Company, 3 RAR in 1971**.

Bryan recently passed away, and his son-in-law, Alexander Latham, is hoping to find photographs, memories or information about Bryan’s service to preserve for his grandchildren.

Bryan also has an entry on the Australian Virtual War Memorial. If you served with Bryan or have reliable information, photographs or recollections, please consider helping to expand and update his record:

Virtual War Memorial | Bryan Lawrence PENNEY

https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/826996

You are also welcome to leave a comment below or send the page a private message. Even a small recollection may mean a great deal to Bryan’s family and help preserve his story for future generations.

Please share this request among the 3 RAR and wider veteran community.

**Lest We Forget.**

Thank you for your Service

On 14 September 1947, four Australians became the world's first peacekeepers deployed into the field. Today, we honour their service and the thousands of Australians who have since served in peacekeeping operations around the world.

We remember the 17 Australian peacekeepers who made the ultimate sacrifice in the pursuit of peace and stability. Their courage and commitment to protecting vulnerable communities and supporting international efforts for peace reflect the values our nation holds dear.

We acknowledge all those who have worn the blue beret, and the families who have supported them through their service. Their legacy endures in our continued commitment to peace and humanitarian assistance.

📷: Defence Australia

We will remember them.

On 11 September 2001, the world changed. The terrorist attacks on the United States killed 2,977 people, including ten Australians, and profoundly altered the international security landscape. For Australia, the attacks also marked the beginning of a new chapter in our military history. Prime Minister John Howard was in Washington when the attacks occurred and, in their aftermath, invoked the ANZUS Treaty for the first time, committing Australia to support the United States. Within weeks, Australian forces were deploying to Afghanistan as part of the international response to al-Qaeda and the Taliban.

Australia remained involved in Afghanistan for two decades, with more than 39,000 Australians serving in or supporting operations there. Australian forces took part in combat, reconstruction, training and mentoring missions, particularly in Uruzgan Province. Forty-nine Australians were killed during the conflict, while many others returned home carrying physical and psychological wounds. The withdrawal of coalition forces and the fall of Kabul in 2021 brought the war to an end, but not the questions surrounding its legacy.

Twenty-five years on, the legacy of September 11 is complex. The War on Terror reshaped Australia's defence policy, its relationship with the United States and the experiences of a generation of Australian service veterans. Alongside these difficult chapters are the stories of courage, sacrifice, service and mateship. Australia's longest war is now part of our history, and remembering it means recognising both the reasons Australians went to Afghanistan and the experiences of those who served.

Read about those killed in the Afghanistan War here: https://vwma.org.au/explore/people?died_in_service%3F=true&history_events.conflict_id=18&t=1787113512801