Leon Kristopher Smith, (24 July 1978 – 28 September 2011) was a

New Zealand Army , image = New Zealand Army Logo.png , image_size = 175px , caption = , start_date = , country = , branch = ...

soldier who was posthumously awarded the

New Zealand Gallantry Decoration The New Zealand Gallantry Decoration (NZGD) is the third level military decoration of the New Zealand armed forces. It was instituted by Royal Warrant on 20 September 1999 as part of the new indigenous New Zealand Gallantry system. The medal, wh ...

and the

Charles Upham Charles Hazlitt Upham, (21 September 1908 – 22 November 1994) was a New Zealand soldier who was awarded the Victoria Cross (VC) twice during the Second World War - for gallantry in Crete in May 1941, and in Egypt, in July 1942. He was the mo ...

Bravery Award for his actions when attempting to resuscitate a mortally wounded colleague, while responding to an insurgent attack on the British Council Offices in Kabul, Afghanistan in 2011. Smith, who was a member of the

New Zealand Special Air Service The 1st New Zealand Special Air Service Regiment, abbreviated as 1 NZSAS Regt, was formed on 7 July 1955 and is the Special forces unit of the New Zealand Army, closely modelled on the British Special Air Service (SAS). It traces its origins to ...

, was himself mortally wounded during a later operation in Afghanistan.

Background

Smith was born on 24 July 1978 and grew up in

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...

, New Zealand, before moving to

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with his work. He enlisted into the

Royal New Zealand Navy The Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN; mi, Te Taua Moana o Aotearoa, , Sea Warriors of New Zealand) is the maritime arm of the New Zealand Defence Force. The fleet currently consists of nine ships. The Navy had its origins in the Naval Defence Act ...

on 14 January 1997 and was allocated the service number T1002840. Smith served with the Royal New Zealand Navy as a

commissioned officer An officer is a person who holds a position of authority as a member of an armed force or uniformed service. Broadly speaking, "officer" means a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer, or a warrant officer. However, absent context ...

and was subsequently released in the rank of

ensign An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diffe ...

on 12 January 1999. Between 2000 and 2004 Smith worked in various roles for the Malaghan Institute. He also worked for NZ Post as a postie in Khandallah (Wellington) from 2003 leaving in late 2006 for the

(NZSAS) selection course.

Army career

Smith enlisted into the Territorial Force of the New Zealand Army on 19 August 2005 as a

rifleman A rifleman is an infantry soldier armed with a rifling, rifled long gun. Although the rifleman role had its origin with 16th century hand cannoneers and 17th century musketeers, the term originated in the 18th century with the introduction o ...

, and qualified on the NZSAS selection course in 2006. After completing further training he was accepted and 'badged' into the NZSAS on 8 September 2008 as a fully qualified SAS Operator, he had recently returned after conducting training in the United Kingdom with other international special forces and had received additional training in advanced patrol paramedic techniques. Smith was operationally experienced having first served in Afghanistan in 2010, and spent almost 11 out of the previous 24 months before his death on operations. He was promoted to the substantive rank of lance corporal on 28 January 2011.

Attack on British Council Offices

On 19 August 2011 the British Council Offices in Kabul were attacked by insurgents, resulting in a number of diplomatic staff being trapped inside a 'safe room'. The Afghani Crisis Response Unit (CRU), accompanied by five NZSAS 'mentors', initially attempted to assault the compound via the main gate in an attempt to regain control of the compound. However, they were forced back by the insurgent fire and were forced to find another way in. During the preparation phase of a plan to assist the CRU in clearing the compound, NZSAS trooper Corporal Douglas Grant was mortally wounded by insurgent fire. Initially, it was unclear where Grant had fallen, so Smith "with no concern for his personal safety", and despite receiving a significant volume of insurgent machine gun and rifle fire, moved into a position to enable him to confirm Corporal Grant's exact location. After being ordered to wait to receive a ballistic shield, Smith leapt over a wall and moved across exposed and open ground to the position where Corporal Grant had been shot. He then commenced treating Grant using his additional advanced medical skills until he could be evacuated from the compound. Smith then returned to the fight operating with the other NZSAS personnel to blow a hole in a rear wall, allowing the CRU to storm the compound from a neighbouring building and rescue the hostages.

Wardak operation

On 28 September 2011, the NZSAS were mentoring the Afghani Crisis Response Unit on a high risk arrest operation in Wardak Province, located approximately 35 kilometres south-west of Kabul in order to disrupt an insurgent operation targeting Kabul. The operation was planned over several days, before time sensitive reporting indicating that a suspected suicide bomber, weapons and suicide vests were located within a compound was received. Smith was assisting with establishing a cordon around the compound, when he climbed a ladder to enable him to observe the compound. At this point an exchange of gun-fire occurred with an insurgent in the compound and he suffered a gunshot wound to the head. Smith was extracted by helicopter to a nearby United States base but did not survive his injuries.

Repatriation and funeral

Smith's colleagues conducted a ramp ceremony in Afghanistan, which included a fierce haka, before his body was carried onto a

Boeing C-17 Globemaster III The McDonnell Douglas/Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a large military transport aircraft that was developed for the United States Air Force (USAF) from the 1980s to the early 1990s by McDonnell Douglas. The C-17 carries forward the name of two ...

of the

Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...

, before being transferred to a flight back to New Zealand. The NZSAS held a funeral service for Smith at

Papakura Military Camp Papakura Military Camp is a New Zealand Army military camp located in the Auckland suburb of Papakura North, in northern New Zealand. It is the home of the New Zealand Special Air Service. Geography The camp was established on the outskirts of ...

on 6 October 2011, which was attended by approximately 300 people, including the

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and members of the military. A family funeral was held on 7 October 2011 at the St Johns Anglican Church, Johnsonville, Wellington before he was interred at the Whenua Tapu Cemetery, Porirua. Smith was single with no children and left behind his mother, grandmother and two brothers in Wellington and his father and grandparents in Tauranga.

Honours and awards

In July 2012, Smith was posthumously awarded the

Bravery Award for his actions when responding to the insurgent attack on the British Council Offices and the medical assistance he subsequently provided to Corporal Doug Grant, performing in the opinion of the Upham's trust, the most outstanding act of heroism during the two previous years. In the Special Honours List of 20 April 2013, it was announced that Smith had also posthumously been awarded the

for his act of gallantry. On 2 April 2012 the family of Leon Smith were presented with the New Zealand Memorial Cross by the

, in recognition "that it is not only the soldiers themselves that make sacrifices in the service of New Zealand, but also their families".

Medal ribbons

Smith's medal ribbons, as they would appear on the left breast of his uniform, are:

New Zealand Defence Service Medal ribbon

From left: The

, the

New Zealand Operational Service Medal The New Zealand Operational Service Medal (NZOSM) is a New Zealand campaign medal for award to New Zealanders who have served on operations since 3 September 1945. Eligibility for the NZ OSM commences the day after the final eligibility date (2 Se ...

, the New Zealand General Service Medal for Afghanistan, the

NATO Medal The NATO Medal is an international military decoration which is awarded to various militaries of the world under the authority of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). It is manufactured by Eekelers-Centini Intl, of Hemiksem, Belgium. Ba ...

(for service with ISAF) and the New Zealand Defence Service Medal.

Citation

The citation for The

reads:

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Leon Kristopher 1978 births 2011 deaths Burials at Whenua Tapu Cemetery New Zealand Army soldiers New Zealand military personnel of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) Recipients of the New Zealand Gallantry Decoration Royal New Zealand Navy personnel New Zealand military personnel killed in action Military personnel from Wellington City 20th-century New Zealand military personnel Military personnel from Auckland