Download - Royal Australian Navy

Courage
Mr Petar Djokovic
Courage is the strength of character to do what is right in the face
of adversity.
Navy Values: Serving Australia with Pride 1
Service at sea is inherently dangerous and demanding. Unsurprisingly, the Royal Australian
Navy (RAN) expects its members to display courage at all times. But what exactly does this
mean? The motto of the RAN Fleet Air Arm’s 850 Squadron, Vincit Omnia Virtus – ‘Courage
Conquers All’, clearly offers an all-inclusive if somewhat idealised view. 2 Yet the concept
of courage can be somewhat ambiguous and may mean many different things to different
people. The traditional view of military courage, a singular act of bravery in the face of near
impossible odds, is only part of the story. Courage is not just about physical bravery, and it
can manifest in ways which are not always obvious. For instance, it often requires courage
to stand up for our own beliefs and morals, to take responsibility for our own decisions,
and to recognise the weaknesses in our own habits and attitudes. Whether physically or
mentally, courage is about taking charge and operating in difficult or dangerous situations.
Courage is also not about the absence of fear; it is about recognising that the job to be
done is more important than fear. There can be little doubt that the first Australians
to see action in World War I (WWI) would have been frightened. Few had experienced
physical combat before. Every man engaged, nevertheless displayed ‘coolness and levelheadedness’.
3 Largely made up of inadequately trained naval reservists, a detachment
from the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force was sent ashore in German
New Guinea on 11 September 1914 to destroy the wireless station at Bita Paka. They
soon encountered stiff resistance from some 500 German and native troops who had
prepared a series of well positioned defences along the main road.
The Australians suffered casualties, but bold action and bluff saw them win. One officer,
Lieutenant Thomas Bond, RANR, executed a manoeuvre remarkable for its sheer audacity.
Having moved ahead of the main force, with just two other Australians and a German
prisoner in company, Bond came across a police barracks manned by 8 German and 20
native troops. Bond immediately ordered the enemy to surrender. This they refused, but
while the Germans threatened continued resistance, Bond, careful to keep them positioned
between himself and the New Guineans, simply walked up to the Germans and plucked
their pistols from their holsters one-by-one. The Germans were too surprised to react and,
left with no choice, the whole body then surrendered. By maintaining his nerve, Bond’s
action was both successful and had saved needless bloodshed. For his courage, he received
the Distinguished Service Order, the first bravery award for an Australian in WWI.