Cpl Neil Ruskin, 5/7RAR, winner of the 2003 Harry Burton Award.Photo by Pte Jamie Osborne, 1JPAU(P) The winning photo, selected by Eve Burton, sister of the late Harry Burton. Pte Hintz listens to the radio during a combined Recon/Snipers patrol in East Timor, taken February 14, 2003, during 5/7RAR's deployment on Op Citadel. Photo by Cpl Neil Ruskin, 5/7RAR

The Harry Burton Memorial Award

Courage of the lone soldier

5/7RAR's Cpl Neil Ruskin wins with a photo 'almost martyr-like'

By Sgt Troy Rodgers
This year's Harry Burton Memorial Award for photography in the ADF has been won by Army's Cpl Neil Ruskin from 5/7RAR in Darwin.

A high standard of photography from all ranks of the ADF made this year's competition difficult to judge.

The award is in memory of Australian photographer Harry Burton who, with three other journalists, was sadly murdered by Taliban forces in Afghanistan on November 19, 2001.

The Taliban stopped the vehicle in which Harry and his fellow correspondents were travelling.

At gunpoint the four were ordered to get out of the vehicle. Clearly identified as non-combatants, the four journalists were led down to the rocky creek bed nearby and shot.

A member from Harry's family judges The Harry Burton Memorial Award. This year, Harry's sister Eve judged the competition.

Eve, who lives in Townsville and studies art at James Cook University, said it was an honour to be the judge for this year's competition and was amazed that CDF Gen Peter Cosgrove had asked the competition be named in Harry's memory.

Gen Cosgrove first met Harry and Harry's partner Joanne Collins in East Timor in 1999. Harry and Jo were filing stories for Reuters when Australian and international forces first arrived in East Timor and continued to file stories after INTERFET left East Timor when the UN took command in 2000.

Eve said this year's winning photo reminded her of her brother Harry on the last day he was seen alive. She was very moved by the winning image of a lone soldier walking into the unknown.

"The photo is almost martyr-like, with the courage of the lone soldier giving all for the freedom of the masses," she said.

"These were the same characteristics of my brother Harry."