New Zealand war hero Lance Corporal Rory Malone finally honoured with public memorial

A memorial for fallen Afghanistan veteran Lance Corporal Rory Malone was finally held today, more than 12 years after he was killed serving his country.

Malone was killed on August 4, 2012, during what became known as the Battle of Baghak in the Bamiyan Province.

The 26-year-old was posthumously awarded the NZ Gallantry Medal for his actions during the ambush attack, which saw him drag his wounded commanding officer to safety.

Lance Corporal Rory Patrick Malone was killed during an incident in the northeast of Bamyan Province, Afghanistan. Photo / Supplied

Lance Corporal Pralli Durrer was also killed in the fighting.

Unlike most of those who died in service to New Zealand, Malone doesn’t yet have a presence on any of the hundreds of war memorials dotted across the country.

The New Zealand Remembrance Army – a charity which maintains and restores memorials to those who served –had planned to remedy that.

Rory Malone’s mother and brother at Riverhead War Memorial Park today. Photo / Jason Dorday

It had secured the blessing of Malone’s family to place a plaque in keeping with those for other fallen soldiers at the gates to the Riverhead War Memorial Park where Malone had played rugby in his youth.

Remembrance Army founder and fellow veteran Simon Strombom said the plaque was a modern continuation of the practice, which saw the names of the fallen on memorials in the towns from which they came.

The return of Lance Corporals Pralli Durrer and Rory Malone to New Zealand. Photo / Supplied

The memorial has the support of the Pt Chevalier RSA, who advised Auckland Council of the plan.

Strombom and others assumed the process was in train until an email was sent in late February from the council parks specialist charged with supporting the Rodney board.

That email told Strombom that Veterans’ Affairs had “advised that there is an existing memorial plaque for Rory Malone at Manukau Memorial Gardens” which was an Auckland Council reserve.

It continued: “Given this new information, a second plaque at Riverhead may not be appropriate.”

At Riverhead War Memorial Park today, a final farewell was held for Corporal Rory Malone – killed in Afghanistan in 2012. Photo / Jason Dorday

The memorial to which the council referred was Malone’s grave and headstone.

In early March, the Herald reported that Rodney Local Board chair Brent Bailey had cast doubt on the chances the memorial and ceremony would go ahead today.

He said the memorial would need to be researched and a report produced for board members.

“It’s a public space and there are protocols and rules,” he said.

Rory Malone in Afghanistan.

However, it emerged that the “protocols and rules” said Malone did not have a memorial – his grave did not tick that box – and the process for including a plaque on an existing memorial didn’t need anyone to vote for it.

Veterans Affairs acting chief Alex Brunt was quick to clarify once the misunderstanding emerged and confirmed there was not a memorial as such for Malone.

He also threw Veterans Affairs support behind the project.

Strombom, with input from the Auckland RSA, ironed out the misunderstanding, clearing the way for today’s event.

Malone’s family attended the service today, with Minister for Veterans Chris Penk.

“Any person who died for their country should be afforded recognition on a public monument,” said Strombom.

Anna Leask is a Christchurch-based reporter who covers national crime and justice. She joined the Herald in 2008 and has worked as a journalist for 18 years with a particular focus on family and gender-based violence, child abuse, sexual violence, homicides, mental health and youth crime. She writes, hosts and produces the award-winning podcast A Moment In Crime, released monthly on nzherald.co.nz