page_title: Cameron Baird
section_title: Victoria Cross for Australia
hierarchical_section_title: Cameron Baird / Military career / Victoria Cross for Australia
caption_attribution_description: English: Cameron Baird memorial plinth in Burnie Park. The unveiling of the plinth can be seen in File:Memorial-unveilings-Burnie-20150331-013.jpg, File:Memorial-unveilings-Burnie-20150331-014.jpg and related photos.
context_page_description: Cameron Stewart Baird, VC, MG was a soldier in the Australian Army who was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for Australia, the highest award in the Australian honours system. Baird is the fourth person to receive the Victoria Cross for Australia during Operation Slipper.
context_section_description: In February 2014, Baird was awarded the Victoria Cross for Australia. Baird was killed in operations in Afghanistan on 22 June 2013. The citation for his Victoria Cross reads:
  For the most conspicuous acts of valour, extreme devotion to duty and ultimate self-sacrifice at Ghawchak village, Uruzgan province, Afghanistan, as a Commando Team Commander in Special Operations Task Group on Operation SLIPPER.
  On 22 June 2013, a commando platoon of the Special Operations Task Group, with partners from the Afghan National Security Forces, conducted a helicopter assault into Ghawchak village, Uruzgan province, in order to attack an insurgent network deep within enemy-held territory.  Shortly after insertion, Corporal Baird’s team was engaged by small arms fire from several enemy positions.  Corporal Baird quickly seized the initiative, leading his team to neutralise the positions, killing six enemy combatants and enabling the assault to continue.
  Soon afterwards, an adjacent Special Operations Task Group team came under heavy enemy fire, resulting in its commander being seriously wounded.  Without hesitation, Corporal Baird led his team to provide support.  En route, he and his team were engaged by rifle and machine gun fire from prepared enemy positions.  With complete disregard for his own safety, Corporal Baird charged towards the enemy positions, supported by his team.  On nearing the positions, he and his team were engaged by additional enemy on their flank.  Instinctively, Corporal Baird neutralised the new threat with grenades and rifle fire, enabling his team to close with the prepared position.  With the prepared position now isolated, Corporal Baird manoeuvred and was engaged by enemy machine gun fire, the bullets striking the ground around him.  Displaying great valour, he drew the fire, moved to cover, and suppressed the enemy machine gun position.  This action enabled his team to close on the entrance to the prepared position, thus regaining the initiative.
  On three separate occasions Corporal Baird charged an enemy-held building within the prepared compound.  On the first occasion he charged the door to the building, followed by another team member.  Despite being totally exposed and immediately engaged by enemy fire, Corporal Baird pushed forward while firing into the building.  Now in the closest proximity to the enemy, he was forced to withdraw when his rifle ceased to function.  On rectifying his rifle stoppage, and reallocating remaining ammunition within his team, Corporal Baird again advanced towards the door of the building, once more under heavy fire.  He engaged the enemy through the door but was unable to suppress the position and took cover to reload.  For a third time, Corporal Baird selflessly drew enemy fire away from his team and assaulted the doorway.  Enemy fire was seen to strike the ground and compound walls around Corporal Baird, before visibility was obscured by dust and smoke.  In this third attempt, the enemy was neutralised and the advantage was regained, but Corporal Baird was killed in the effort.
  
  Corporal Baird’s acts of valour and self-sacrifice regained the initiative and preserved the lives of his team members.  His actions were of the highest order and in keeping with the finest traditions of the Australian Army and the Australian Defence Force.
caption: Memorial plinth in Burnie.
exif: {"Image ImageWidth": "4008", "Image ImageLength": "2558", "Image BitsPerSample": "8", "Image Compression": "Uncompressed", "Image PhotometricInterpretation": "2", "Image Make": "Panasonic", "Image Model": "DMC-LF1", "Image Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Image SamplesPerPixel": "3", "Image XResolution": "300", "Image YResolution": "300", "Image PlanarConfiguration": "1", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image Software": "RawTherapee 5.2", "Image ExifOffset": "256", "GPS GPSVersionID": "[2, 3, 0, 0]", "GPS GPSLatitudeRef": "S", "GPS GPSLatitude": "[41, 2, 50798399/1000000]", "GPS GPSLongitudeRef": "E", "GPS GPSLongitude": "[145, 53, 61077/1250]", "Image GPSInfo": "2430", "EXIF ExposureTime": "1/800", "EXIF FNumber": "28/5", "EXIF ExposureProgram": "Aperture Priority", "EXIF ISOSpeedRatings": "200", "EXIF ExifVersion": "0230", "EXIF DateTimeOriginal": "2018:01:14 00:46:25", "EXIF DateTimeDigitized": "2018:01:14 00:46:25", "EXIF ExposureBiasValue": "0", "EXIF MaxApertureValue": "265/64", "EXIF MeteringMode": "Pattern", "EXIF LightSource": "Unknown", "EXIF Flash": "Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode", "EXIF FocalLength": "15", "EXIF SensingMethod": "One-chip color area", "EXIF FileSource": "Digital Camera", "EXIF SceneType": "Directly Photographed", "EXIF CustomRendered": "Normal", "EXIF ExposureMode": "Auto Exposure", "EXIF WhiteBalance": "Auto", "EXIF DigitalZoomRatio": "0", "EXIF FocalLengthIn35mmFilm": "70", "EXIF SceneCaptureType": "Standard", "EXIF GainControl": "Low gain up", "EXIF Contrast": "Normal", "EXIF Saturation": "Normal", "EXIF Sharpness": "Normal"}