Mark Gregor Strang Donaldson
Trooper, Special Air Service Regiment (SASR), Special Operations Task Group
VC
Living holder
- Award
- Victoria Cross for Australia
- Rank
- Trooper all Troopers →
- Unit
- Special Air Service Regiment (SASR), Special Operations Task Group all Special Air Service Regiment (SASR), Special Operations Task Group VCs →
- Date of action
- 2 September 2008, Battle of Khaz Oruzgan, Oruzgan Province, Afghanistan on this day → all of 2008 →
- Conflict / campaign
- War in Afghanistan (2001–2014) (War in Afghanistan (Operation Slipper))
- London Gazette
- 20 January 2009 on this day → all of 2009 →
- Born
- 2 April 1979 at Waratah, New South Wales, Australia
- Status
- Living holder of the Victoria Cross all living VCs →
- Medal held by
- On loan to the Australian War Memorial, Canberra (Hall of Valour) since February 2009
- Investiture
- 16 January 2009, Government House, Canberra, by Governor-General Quentin Bryce
Summary of the action
On 2 September 2008 Donaldson's joint Australian-Afghan-US patrol was ambushed by a much larger Taliban force in Oruzgan Province and suffered numerous casualties over a running fight lasting hours. Donaldson repeatedly broke cover to draw fire away from the wounded so they could be loaded onto vehicles. When the patrol withdrew, he saw a badly wounded Afghan interpreter had been left behind, and ran about 80 metres across open ground under heavy fire to reach him, then carried him back to the vehicles and gave first aid.
A summary in our own words; the official citation can be read in The London Gazette (link below).
Awarded after Alf's death. This entry was compiled by his family in 2026 from public sources so that the register remains complete. Sources: en.wikipedia.org, awm.gov.au
Places connected with Donaldson
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