Commando News Edition 17 Dec2019

A REDEDICATION OF A MEMORIAL TO SGT IAN WARD
AUSTCIVPOL 12 NOVEMBER 2019
On 12 Nov 1974 a young Australian police -
man from Ryde NSW, a veteran of the
Vietnam War, was deployed on a humanita -
rian mission in war torn Cyprus.
Five days after arriving on the island, together with
his Australian colleague he was tasked with transport ing
a family of five Turkish Cypriot refugees from Ayios
Nicolaos over the Troodos Mountains to Lefke after a
second truce had been called following the Turkish
incursion into Northern Cyprus.
In the heavily mined area of what was then, and
remains today, contested territory, their Land Rover
struck an anti-tank mine, detonating a charge that
would end a 24-year-old’s life, as well as the life of 58-
year-old Abdullah Omer.
A rededication ceremony was held 45 years to the
day at the place where Sgt Ian Donald Ward and
Abdullah Omer lost their lives.
In attendance were Ian’s sisters, Rosemary Bond and
Barbara Teaken.
In attendance were the Australian High Com mis -
sioner to Cyprus – H.E. Mr Sam Beever, Deputy
Commissioner Jeff Loy, representing the New South
Wales Police, Commander Jennifer Hurst, Commander
for Europe, Middle East and North Africa for the
Australian Federal Police, MAJGEN Cheryl Pearce -
Force Commander of UNFICYP and the Commanding
Officer of Sector One, LTCOL Vitola (Argentinian Army).
H.E. Sam Beever, the Australian High Commissioner
to Cyprus gave (in part) the following address to those
assembled:
“On 14 September 1947, Australia was the first
country to deploy military observers to the Dutch East
Indies as part of UN Consular Commission.
Those first military peacekeepers were charged with
monitoring and reporting on the ceasefire between
Dutch and Indonesian nationalists.
Seventy years later, Indonesia has now become a
major UN peacekeeping contributor.
Australia was also a founding partner with the UN in
deploying civilian police as peacekeepers.
Police peacekeeping was born here in Cyprus.
And this year, we mark 55 years of Australian police
contributions to United Nations peacekeeping.
But it all began in May of 1964.
The City of Brisbane with its Qantas flying kangaroo
livery touched down in Nicosia carrying the first
Australian police contingent to be seconded to the
United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus.
SGT Ward was a member of the 11th Australian
contingent.
His would be followed by another one hundred
contingents before the Australian flag was lowered in
By MAJ John (Jack) Thurgar, SC, MBE, OAM, RFD (Retd.)
ACA National Secretary
MAJGEN Cheryl Pearce, AM, CSC, Force Commander UNICYP
giving her speech at the Rededication Service.
2017 bringing to an end our longest continuous con -
tribution to any civilian peacekeeping mission.
A contribution that spanned 53 years and involved
more than 1,600 police men and women.
Peacekeeping missions are not easy to compare
and contrast. And nor should they be.
They are products of their time, their place and their
mandate.
They have vastly different purposes and political
ends.
But what they do have in common, at least in our
experience, is a legacy of which all Australians can be
proud.
Australian peacekeepers have bequeathed to
Australia a reputation for getting things done in a
direct, compassionate, understated and empathetic
way.
That reputation, earned on the back of police
serving in dangerous locations across the globe, is one
of our nation’s great foreign policy and diplomatic
assets.
Police are the public face of security, to whom
people turn for protection and to feel safe.
At this time, I would also like to acknowledge the
police, fire service, ADF and volunteer personnel
working to protect lives and property from the
devastating fires tearing across four states in Australia
in catastrophically dangerous conditions.
Police peacekeepers can repair community faith and
trust in local authorities, build a sense of safety and
security, and lay the groundwork for long-term stability
and development.
And through our peacekeepers, the world gets to
know Australia.
COMMANDO NEWS ~ Edition 17 I 2019 63