Medal for Gallantry recipient among dead named on Knox Honour Roll in Ferntree Gully

ALISON Jones lost her son to war, but his memory will now live on at a Knox memorial that honours all soldiers from the area who died in battle.

Alison Jones

IN JULY 2006, Commando Sergeant Brett Wood was valiantly leading his platoon to clear enemy positions that were pinning down a US infantry company when he was hit in the foot with shrapnel.

After this act of bravery in Afghanistan’s Chora Valley — which would later earn him a Medal for Gallantry — he called his mother Alison Jones.

Typical of Sgt Wood, he didn’t mention a word about the incident.

As she was talking to her son, Ms Jones’ company phone rang, so she told him she would have to take the call.

It was the Australian Defence Force.

“They told me my son had been injured in battle,” Ms Jones said.

“I said, ‘What are you talking about? I just hung up on my son and he never said a word about being injured.’

“When he came home I had recently had an accident and he was more worried about me. He then told me something fell off a truck and hit him on the foot.

“It was only when I sat through the Gallantry medal presentation that I learnt more about Brett’s bravery. As soon as the proceedings were over, I walked outside and into a little corner because it was just so confronting.”

Five years later in May 2011, the 32-year-old was on a mission to clear Taliban insurgents in an Afghan valley when he was hit by an improvised bomb and died.

Ms Jones has opened up about her son’s bravery after the unveiling of the Knox Honour Roll in Ferntree Gully, which honours all soldiers from the area who have lost their life in battle, including Private Benjamin Ranaudo, also killed in Afghanistan.

Ms Jones, her two ­daughters Meryl and Sarah, and local federal MP Alan Tudge, were instrumental in creating the ­memorial.

“One day, Meryl and I went to see Alan Tudge, and Meryl explained to him she would like a life-size statue of her brother,” she said.

“(He) took that in good spirit and then Meryl said that she would settle for a plaque.

“Meryl and I were just blown away by the beautiful tribute to not only my son but all of those who have lost their lives in combat.”

Because of the secrecy involved with elite soldiers, Sgt Wood’s family never knew the true extent of his bravery until his death.

On that day in 2006, his platoon and a US company were sent to clear insurgents from a sanctuary in the Chora Valley, but the Americans were suddenly pinned down with rocket and gun fire.

Under heavy fire, Sgt Wood and his team swept through thick vegetation to get to the Americans before four rockets landed on them, wounding all six men.

Sgt Wood was known throughout Australian and American military circles as a go-to man.

Sgt Wood, who was born in Ferntree Gully and grew up on a dairy farm in Gippsland, always wanted to be a soldier and left school early to join the Reserves.

He was just 19 when he made it into the 4RAR Commando Regiment.

In his 15-year career, he toured Afghanistan three times and served in East Timor and Bougainville.

An exceptionally fit and tough soldier, he would continuously run on the 1000 Steps in Upper Ferntree Gully to prepare for a tour.

“He was quiet-natured,” Ms Jones said.

“If you met him, you would probably not expect that he did the jobs that he did.”