The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of Squadron Leader Paul Stuart McCarthy, Health Services Flight, RAAF Base Pearce

The Last Post Ceremony is presented in the Commemorative area of the Australian War Memorial each day. The ceremony commemorates more than 102,000 Australians who have given their lives in war and other operations and whose names are recorded on the Roll of Honour. At each ceremony the story behind one of the names on the Roll of Honour is told. Hosted by Richard Cruise, the story for this day was on Squadron Leader Paul Stuart McCarthy, Health Services Flight, RAAF Base Pearce.

Squadron Leader Paul Stuart McCarthy, Health Services Flight, RAAF Base Pearce
Died in helicopter crash 2 April 2005
No photograph in collection

Story delivered 6 February 2015

Today we remember and pay tribute to Squadron Leader Paul Stuart McCarthy, who died in April 2005 while providing relief assistance to the people of Nias, Indonesia.

Paul McCarthy was born in Brisbane on 15 October 1974 to Haila and John McCarthy, and was the younger brother of Annie and David. He attended Mabel Park State School and the Anglican Church Grammar School in East Brisbane.

Paul attained high academic and sporting achievements at school. He competed in a range of sports, including athletics, basketball, cricket, rugby, rowing and powerlifting, and was a well-respected prefect and house captain.

He went on to study medicine at the University of Queensland, initially supporting himself by working part-time as a wardsman before joining the Royal Australian Air Force in 1995 as an officer cadet medical undergraduate. He completed his medical residency and internship at Nambour General Hospital in 1997 before being posted to RAAF Bases Richmond, Point Cook, and Williamtown.

Paul was an avid surfer and kite-surfer, and had been a life-saver and member of an Australian championship-winning surf boat rowing team. In 2001 he was granted leave from the RAAF to compete with fellow doctor Patrick Weinrauch in a trans-Atlantic rowing race. The pair finished second, completing the 5,500-kilometre crossing in 45 days.

In 2002 and 2003 Paul completed deployments to Kyrgyzstan, East Timor, and Iraq. He was promoted to squadron leader in December 2003 and was posted to Health Services Flight at RAAF Base Pearce in Western Australia, where he served as senior medical officer. Reportedly, it was the quality of the surf that drew him to the west.

On Boxing Day 2004 a massive earthquake and consequent tsunami killed over 230,000 people in 14 countries around the Indian Ocean. The Australian Defence Force relief effort, Operation Sumatra Assist, focused on the worst-affected area of Banda Aceh on the northern tip of Sumatra, providing medical care, engineering support, airlift of supplies, and evacuation of patients and displaced persons.

Paul led a small aero-medical evacuation team that worked amid almost unimaginable destruction and chaos. His able leadership and care for his team, the sound advice he provided, and the compassion and sensitivity he displayed to the local people gave confidence to his commanders and ensured the success of the mission.

Only days after returning to Australia Paul pressed his commander to allow him to return to Indonesia to participate in Operation Sumatra Assist II, which began when another earthquake on 28 March 2005 devastated the island of Nias, off the west coast of Sumatra. On 2 April the Navy Sea King helicopter in which Paul was travelling crashed and caught fire, killing the four crew members along with five of the seven passengers on board. The five passengers killed were all Defence medical personnel who were travelling to a village to assist the injured.

Known to his friends and colleagues as “Merv”, “Big Mac”, “Doc”, or just the “Gentle Giant”, Paul impressed all who met him with his professionalism, laid back attitude, laconic sense of humour, and genuine compassion and selflessness in his dealings with others.

He was 30 years old.

Paul McCarthy’s name is listed on the Roll of Honour to my left, along with the names of 102,000 other Australians who died serving their country in operations overseas. His photograph is displayed beside the Pool of Reflection.

This is but one of the many stories of service and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Squadron Leader Paul McCarthy, and all those Australians who have given their lives in the service of our nation.

Dr Steve Bullard
Historian, Military History Section

Sources
Email correspondence with Haila McCarthy

Interview with Paul McCarthy, Butterworth, 17 March 2005, Australian Army History Unit

ADF Performance Appraisal Supplementary Report, Wing Cdr G. Harland, 12 March 2005

Eulogy for Paul McCarthy, Air Cdre Tracy Smart

“Kanimbla condolences list”, RAAF website, archived at archive.org.