Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Private Ashley Baker, 8514280; 19 years old from Gladstone in Queensland died from a single bullet fired from his own steyr rifle in Timor. Sources say the main lines of inquiry suggest an accident or suicide. Ashley who was with the Second Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment was in Timor less than a month. Days before his death Ashley made entries on his MySpace page describing patrols he had undertaken in East Timor. He described himself as a Scientologist and a fan of heavy metal, like AC/DC Metallica and Ramstein. His favourite films, Romper Stomper and American History X. Under Hero's he wrote, " Hero's Get People Killed " He was the 2nd Australian Soldier to die on operations in East Timor.
May Ashley's poor soul be at peace.
THE funeral was like no other seen in Calliope a solemn affair of a flag-draped coffin bearing a young man to the graveside on a gun carriage.

It seemed half of the Township of Calliope had turned out for the funeral service of Private Ashley Arthur Baker of 2 RAR Royal Australian Regiment conducted inside the Calliope RSL Hall.
It was a community mourning for one of its own. Tearful family members were ushered to their seats by soldiers. A strong contingent of military personnel, including a number of people who served with the young man in East Timor, ensured standing room only in the large hall. Inside, military chaplains Haydn Swinbourn and Al Lavaki led the service beginning with the hymn The Crimond (The Lord is my Shepherd) followed by the military tribute given by Captain Lachlan McKenna of 2 RAR.
Chaplain Swinbourn said the purpose of the service was 'not to mourn Ashley's death, but to celebrate his life'. 'Let us not talk about how he died ... but about how he lived.'
Outside the hall Sergeant Major Warrant Officer Second Class David Trill was putting the final touches in preparation for the funeral procession. 'Take three steps back,' he told a contingent of 2 RAR lined up at full attention outside the hall.
Then he was off to sort something out for the Brisbane-based Australian Army band waiting patiently at at ease for the end of the service before moving off again to look at something else that needed correcting.
The tap ... tap ... tap of a snare drum by a solitary drum signalled the emergence of the coffin carried by the soldiers of 2 RAR who, with ceremonial slowness, slid the casque bearing Ashley's body onto the gun carriage.
Then, led by the army band, the procession moved off to a private interment at the Calliope Cemetery.