S2E26a – Daniel Keighran, VC - Courage Under Fire - a podcast by Ben Pronk, DSC & Tim Curtis

Daniel Keighran, VC was born in Nambour, and grew up in Lowmead; a small town approximately 80km from Bundaberg in regional Queensland. His upbringing was anything but normal; Dan describes it as ‘pretty rough’, with a loving mother but an absent father challenging his teen years and where his one male constant was his Grandfather- himself a World War II veteran.

Indeed, the first-person Dan ever saw shot was his father.

Dan then enlisted in the Australian Army at 17 and served his country for 11 years seeing operational service in East Timor, Iraq and Afghanistan. He was awarded the Victoria Cross for Australia for his role in the action at the Battle of Derapet. The citation for the Victoria Cross reads:

 

‘For the most conspicuous acts of gallantry and extreme devotion to duty in action in circumstances of great peril’.

 

In 2011, Dan discharged from full-time Army service and commenced work in the mining industry. Initially working in exploration drilling throughout Western Australia and then as an underground shotfirer (blaster) in a gold mine outside of Kalgoorlie.

It was in his cottage in Kalgoorlie that he received notification that the Chief of Army was coming to visit him. In the tiny lounge at Kalgoorlie Airport, the Chief of Army handed him an envelope…. The contents of that envelope would change his life.

In 2015, Dan returned to his home state of Queensland and completed his MBA- we talk about this and life with a VC, but beyond the military.

 

 

Intelligence Summary (INTSUM)

00:00        Dan Keighran’s citation for his award of the Victoria Cross

06:00        What an opening line to Dan’s new book! A sizzling start!

06:40        Dan talks about his Dad, Mum and Grandfather- including on the topic of love in the family.

11:30        Dan’s discussion with his Grandfather on service.

14:30        Stories from the family ‘home’ at Lowmead ….. basic and hard living, that would prepare him well for life in the infantry!

17:00        Comparing life as a kid…. to life in the military…..

17:50        Impressions on joining the Army- why yelling Corporals, long hours and sleeping in the dirt didn’t phase Dan!

19:30        Dan joins the 6th Battalion of The Royal Australian Regiment.

20:13        1st deployment into East Timor ....

23:03        2nd deployment into Iraq ….

25:15        Under fire in Iraq.

27:29        Improvised explosive devices versus direct fire.

29:44        What it’s like to be blown up by a roadside bomb…..

30:10        Into Afghanistan to support the Special Operations Task Group

32:15        Dan explains the tempo of special operations

 

Music

Thanks to all our artists who allow us use of their music. In this episode:

 

The Externals – available on Spotify

 

Further episodes of The Unforgiving60

Further podcasts by Ben Pronk, DSC & Tim Curtis

Website of Ben Pronk, DSC & Tim Curtis