Herbie and Sapper Darren Smith, 2nd Combat Engineer Regiment

Of the 41 Australian soldiers killed in Afghanistan, Sapper Darren Smith and his EDD Herbie were killed in action together on 7 June 2010.

Darren Smith was born in Adelaide, South Australia, in November 1984 and was the oldest of three children to Graeme Smith. Darren excelled in sport and music: he played soccer, cricket and Aussie Rules football at school, and played guitar in the Wirreanda High School band. To his family, Darren was always active and fun-loving, sometimes cheeky, but always well-mannered. A loving son, he was also a devoted ‘big brother’ to his sisters, Chavuanne and Crystal.

Darren always had an ambition to be a soldier. After completing year 12 in 2001, he enlisted in the Army Reserve and underwent basic training at Kapooka in New South Wales. Having completed recruit training, Darren was posted to 3rd Field Squadron, Royal Australian Engineers, at Warradale in South Australia, where he went on to complete his training as a combat engineer – a specialist in bridge-building, minefield clearance and demolition, amongst other things. In 2004, Darren transferred to the Regular Army and was posted to the 1st Combat Engineer Regiment in Darwin. While based in Darwin, he met Angela, whom he later married. The couple had a son, Mason.

Darren developed a passion for working with dogs after training as an Explosives Detection Dog Handler in 2006. After transferring to the 2nd Combat Engineer Regiment in Brisbane, Darren was paired with Herbie, a 2 year old Collie-cross, with whom he developed a very close working relationship. With the possibility of a deployment to Afghanistan approaching, Darren and Herbie trained closely for six months so they could serve side-by-side on deployment.

Darren and Herbie deployed to Afghanistan with Mentoring Task Force 1 in March 2010, conducting foot patrols out of Patrol Base Wali with Mentoring Team Alpha as part of a broader strategy to deny the Taliban access to the Mirabad Valley. Combat engineers such as Darren and Herbie regularly accompanied the Australian, Dutch and Afghan infantry on their daily patrols, sweeping ahead to counter the threat of Improvised Explosive Devices (IED).

On the morning of 7 June 2010, Mentoring Team Alpha conducted a routine foot patrol from Patrol Base Wali with the intention of disrupting the Taliban laying IEDs in and around the village of Sorkh Lez in the Mirabed Valley.  Herbie, Darren and Sapper Jacob Moreland were investigating metal signature on the footpad of a creek bed, when an IED was triggered. The blast killed Herbie, and mortally wounded both Darren and Jacob Moreland. According to those who were with him in his final moments, Darren’s final words were for his family, Angela and Mason.

Aged just 25 when he was killed, Darren was a very loving husband, father, son and brother. His wife Angela described him as ‘an absolutely remarkable human being. He was passionate about his job and understood the risks involved, but he was the sort of man who always put others first’. Darren continues to be sorely missed by his family and friends.

Darren Smith was buried at the Pinnaroo Lawn Cemetery and Crematorium in Brisbane, where it is believed Herbie’s ashes now reside.