NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather forecasts

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
    • The Great NZ Road Trip
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
    • Cooking the Books
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • What the Actual
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Families of slain soldiers speak

APNZ
6 Aug, 2012 05:02 AM5 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

The fallen soldiers - Pralli Durrer (left) and Rory Malone. Photo / supplied

The fallen soldiers - Pralli Durrer (left) and Rory Malone. Photo / supplied

The families of the two New Zealand soldiers killed in Afghanistan over the weekend have both spoken of the important work the two men felt they were doing during their first stint in the war-torn Bamiyan province.

Lance Corporal Pralli Durrer and Lance Corporal Rory Malone, both 26-years-old, died on Saturday night (NZT) about half-way through their deployment with the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Bamiyan.

Lance Corporal Durrer, who was from Christchurch, had an aunty and grandfather as next-of-kin, as both his parents are dead.

This afternoon, Corporal Durrer's grandfather, Jack declined to comment.

A family friend said he was upset at the news.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

A statement released by the family said they were going through a very difficult time.

"Support we are receiving from our wider family, friends and Pralli's Army family has been encouraging and we are thankful that Pralli will be home with us soon.

"We are thankful for the 26 years we had with Pralli and are proud of all that he accomplished in his short time with us. He has had a rewarding career as a soldier and we know that he had a positive effect on all those he worked alongside throughout his time with the NZ Army,'' the statement said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Corporal Durrer joined the Army in June 2004 as a rifleman.

In September 2009 his trade was changed to crewman with the Royal New Zealand Armed Corps and he was posted to the Queen Alexandra's Mounted Rifles, then in Burnham in Christchurch.

He had been previously deployed to Timor-Leste in 2006/2007.

Corporal Malone was from Auckland. His mother is separated from his father, and lives overseas.

Discover more

World

NZ soldiers killed in Afghanistan

04 Aug 10:52 PM
New Zealand

NZ mourns two fallen soldiers

05 Aug 06:45 AM
New Zealand

Our deadliest day in 40 years

05 Aug 05:30 PM
New Zealand

New details about killed NZ soldiers

05 Aug 11:20 PM

A brother was listed as Corporal Malone's next-of kin.

A statement from his family said they were very saddened by the loss.

"Rory's family is extremely proud of his service to the NZ Army. Rory went to Afghanistan to do what he considered an important job which contributed to the greater good of the region. He did his job with honour and pride. Rory will be dearly missed by his family.

Corporal Malone joined the Army Reserve Force in November 2002 and transferred to the Regular Force as a rifleman where he was posted to the 2nd/1st Battalion Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment, based in Burnham.

He had previously been deployed to Timor-Lest in 2006 and again in 2007, and was promoted to Lance Corporal just last month.

Both men were deployed to Afghanistan in April.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Their bodies are now at the Bagram Air Force Base while arrangements are being made to bring their bodies back to New Zealand, Chief of Defence Force Lieutenant General Rhys Jones said.

The bodies were expected to be back in New Zealand by mid-week.

Both men are shot, but not by sniper fire.

Lance Corporal Malone was shot as he was going to assist a company commander who had been injured, General Jones said.

He was killed instantly.

Lance Corporal Durrer was a crew commander of a light armoured vehicle and was also shot. He died during the evacuation.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

At the time of the attack New Zealand forces were helping the Afghan Special Police who had been ambushed as they went to arrest an improvised explosive device bomb-maker.

Four New Zealand teams were deployed at the site, in the north-east of the Bamiyan Province, south of the township of Do Abe.

Soon after midday (Afghan time) the New Zealand forces moved to higher ground to provide protection for the Afghan police who would start evaluating the operation.

But the troops moving in that area came under attack and both men were killed within the first three minutes of the attack, General Jones said.

A further six New Zealand personal were injured during the battle.

Five of those men were either being transferred to a hospital in Germany, or were about to be transferred.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The sixth man, who was the most seriously injured with a gunshot wound to the neck, would be transferred to Germany when his condition improved.

It was likely that at least three of the men would return to New Zealand.

General Jones said some insurgents were killed in the exchange but it would probably never be known how many.

Last night members of the PRT came under fire from small arms and rocket propelled grenades in the village of Do Abe, General Jones said.

"This was just a show of force to show they [insurgents] are still in the area,'' he said.

The attack ceased within an hour and no one was injured.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"We have begun reviewing this attack, which will feed into our picture of the security challenged in this part of Bamiyan,'' General Jones said.

It was not yet known when funerals for the two men would happen.

The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the initial attack, but the New Zealand Defence Force were yet to have that confirmed.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

New Zealand

How to address stranger danger with your children effectively

08 May 07:50 AM
New Zealand|politics

Why National's pay equity overhaul caught MPs by surprise

08 May 07:35 AM
New Zealand

Girl left with ‘large scar’ and ‘life-long’ trauma after dog attack at Auckland park

08 May 07:06 AM

One tiny baby’s fight to survive

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

How to address stranger danger with your children effectively

How to address stranger danger with your children effectively

08 May 07:50 AM

Two alleged child abduction attempts occurred in Auckland this week.

Why National's pay equity overhaul caught MPs by surprise

Why National's pay equity overhaul caught MPs by surprise

08 May 07:35 AM
Girl left with ‘large scar’ and ‘life-long’ trauma after dog attack at Auckland park

Girl left with ‘large scar’ and ‘life-long’ trauma after dog attack at Auckland park

08 May 07:06 AM
Two Canterbury teens missing for 11 days, police appeal for sightings

Two Canterbury teens missing for 11 days, police appeal for sightings

08 May 06:46 AM
Connected workers are safer workers 
sponsored

Connected workers are safer workers 

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP