Photographs supplied by Diane Watson

Memorial 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.

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.
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