An important documentary highlighting an overlooked part of New Zealand’s military history is screening on major channels this coming Anzac Day.
Back to Timor follows the journey of four Kiwi military veterans who return to East Timor 25 years after serving as peacekeepers there. The big question for them – did they make a difference?
The documentary will screen on TV3 just after 5pm on April 25. At the same time, it will be available on the Radio New Zealand video platform, and their YouTube channel.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/video/back-to-timor/video
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3lS2qVBadNPfyxNcggZbVqmCm3UmLwbD
RNZ will also feature audio elements of Back To Timor as part of its Anzac Day morning coverage.
Following the journey is veteran journalist Mike McRoberts, also making a return after reporting for TV3 News in Timor Leste during the troubles.
For the Kiwis, Timor was a mission tinged with tragedy, six of their number died, including Private Leonard Manning - shot dead in an enemy ambush.
A key part of the visit was to remember and commemorate him. His platoon commander was haunted by the death, and needed to revisit ambush site Point 799 to exorcise his demons.
Nick Marfell is a lead character in the documentary as are Rachael Collins, Mark (Fabs) Fabiano, and Richard (Muddy) Heather.
Rachael was 45kg paramedic who carried a rifle. She provided local Timorese children and adults with basic medical care. Another of her jobs was to be part of the armed ambush teams waiting to engage with the anti-Government militia.
Fijian-born Mark Fabiano was part of the “soul patrol,” a group who were embedded in local villages to befriend local and help protect them from marauding militia. You can feel the joy as “Fabs” goes back to the village of Salele where he meets his old friend Simone and his family.
Richard (“Muddy”) Heather wanted to emulate the career of his grandfather, who served with the 28th Māori Battalion. Timor Leste was his first overseas posting, and he learned how tough it was – helping protect remote villages from the threat of the militia. He went on to join the Special Air Service (SAS) and served with distinction in Afghanistan, where he was involved in confrontations and gunfights with the Taliban, including the recapture of the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul.
SAS members rarely talk to the media. We have exclusive access to four of them including two trackers who used their skills to trace the routes used by the militia who roamed the Timorese countryside and attacked Manning’s group. Their information helped New Zealand troops set ambushes and successfully take on and kill members of the militia.
Two other SAS members spoke of their role in the rescue of 43 refugees holed up in a United Nations compound in West Timor. Many were injured and in fear of the lives – until the New Zealand helicopters flew in.
We hear the perspectives of the commanders – Major General Martyn Dunne (Ret) who commanded the first deployment of Kiwi troops to East Timor. Major General Evan Williams (Ret) led the response after Manning’s death. The first action was to get retrieve the body and return it home, followed swiftly by a tracking operation to find and deal with the attackers.
The documentary follows the group as they revisit a young independent country as it works hard to rebuild after years of occupation and conflict. They are given exclusive meetings with the country’s President, Jose Ramos Horta, and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao.
They visit their old bases, in the remote countryside, catch up with old friends, and see for themselves if they really have made a difference. All Black legend and National RSA president Sir Wayne (Buck) Shelford accompanied the group across, and talks about the value of trips like these.
Technical:
The doco is a commercial hour, funded by various branches of the Returned Services Association, Community Trust South (Te Pou Arataki Pounamu O Murihiku) and the Ara Foundation. It was edited by Paho Films in Christchurch, and the on-line editor was Richard Lord of Caravan Media in Christchurch.
Producer: Jeff Hampton
Narrator/Journalist: Mike McRoberts
Director of Photography: Lt-Commander Leander Scott-Donelan
Military Adviser: Former Corporal Aaron Horrell (veteran of Afghanistan and East Timor)
Original Music: Matt Parkinson.
