16 DECORATIONS

NEW ZEALAND SOLDIERS

Military Cross.

GALLANTRY IN DEFENCE OF EGYPT

(Official War Correspondent, N.Z.E.F,) CAIRO, September 26. • Sixteen immediate awards for gallantry for the New Zealanders' part ,in the defence of Egypt were announced today, as follows:^— Distinguished Service Order. Major John Nesbit Anderson; wife, Mrs. C. F. AnderstHi, Auckland. Major Albert Ernest Lambourn; wife, Mrs. E. I. Lambourn, Petone.

Major Andrew Edgar Beyer; father, Mr. P.. Beyer, Yarraville, Australia. Second-Lieutenant Robert Edgeworth Horrocks; mother, Mrs. M. Horrocks, Parnell, Auckland. Lieutenant Leslie Edward McAneny; mother, Mrs. E. McAneny, Wellington. Major Hugh Murray Reid; wife, Mrs. W. J. Reid, Oamaru. Captain Ronald George Stevens; wife, Mrs. A. M. Stevens, Island Bay, Wellington. Lieutenant Reginald Douglas Troun* son; Mi-. V. Trounson, Maropiu, Dafga* viile (relationship not stated). Distinguished Conduct Medal. , Corporal Ronald Francis Garnionsway: father, Mr. F. Garmonsway, Bell's Junction, R.D., Taihape. Military Medal. I . Sergeant Allan Ernest Branks; wife,! Mr?. A. A. Branks, Invercatgill. j Lance-Corporal William John Clark; sister, Mrs. R. M. Daniel, Waikahae Beach. Lance-Sergeant Stanley Conway; father, Mr. H. Conway, Christchurch. Sergeant Andrew John Duckworth; father, Mr. A. Duckworth, Te Puke. Corporal Alan Riddell Hedley; father, Mr. A. G. Hedley, Wairoa. Driver Charles Frederick Robinson; Wife, Mrs. I. W. Robinson, Riccarton, j Christehurch. i Private James Henry Savage; mother, | Mrs. C. Hahn, Ahaura, West Coast. MINE LAYING UNDER SHELLFIRE. Some of the citations are as follows: — "Under the direction of Major i Anderson, 4000 mines were rapidly laid i at Minquar Qaim on June 27—a vitally j protective minefield—before the enemy j reached the New Zealanders' fof ward j defence lines. In spite of the intensity j of enemy shelling of his parties and the development .of the attack, the j mines were rapidly laid. Where the shelling was heaviest, Major Anderson encouraged his men arid he himself fused the mines. One tftifcklpad' was j exploded by enemy fire, causing many casualties. When mines had to be laid hear the burning ammunition truck, Major Anderson, showing complete disregard for his own safety* carried mines to the area. Just as this Work had been coftipleted he moved a wounded man to safety and, still under" heavy and accurate shellfire, continued to direct the work." ~,,-. , i Skilful handling of an artillery battery won for Major Lambourn his D.S.O. He was ordered to take his battery outside the divisional defensive area to harass the enemy's flank. He quickly deployed, the battery and brought effective fire on the enemy. A number of German tanks engaged, the battery and attempted ah outflanking movement. Major Lambourn skilfully leap-frogged a troop back to a rear position, from which the forward troop was covered by its fire and was Withdrawn. Major Lambourn's cleVer manoeuvring extricated the whole battery without loss. His battery put out of action three German tanks and damaged three others. , i "Throughout the campaign, says the citation, "Major Lambourn has shown resource and initiative in pushing his observation post well forward beyond the infantry defences, thus bringing effective fire on areas normally in dead ground. His aggressive conduct throughout the campaign has been an, inspiration to those under him.

ENEMY JFlftE MS&EGAItbED

Lieutenant McAneriy, under heavy mortar and small arms fire, led his machine-gun platoon to exposed positions on a ridge overlooking the enemy during the attack against El Mireir on July 5. New Zealand infantry were encaged by a heavy mortar which was partly concealed from view. With absolute disregard of his own safety, | Lieutenant McAneny stood up and laid each gun in turn on the target. He continued td direct the fire from .a standing position till he was wounded. The mortar was silenced. Lieutenant Stevens engaged enemy tanks with a two-pounder gun during the withdrawal from El Mireir on July 22 Though previously wounded in a minefield and with his sight impaired as a result of broken spectacles, he,! with the co-operation of two other guns under his corrimand, stopped .an ad-! vance of eight to ten tanks. Making excellent use of the ground, he sited ihis portion of the defilade to destroy the tank Which was leading the others. ( His coolness in the face of heavy odds inspired the men under him. The ct>-; operation of all three guns stopped the advance of the enemy tanks. Lance-Corporal Clark was one of the stretcher-bearers attached to the leading company in an attack made against a strongly-fortified position on July 3. On a forward slope 500 yards from the enemy forward defence lines, and while under intense machine-gun, antitank, and mortar fire, he conscientiously attended the men. as they were wounded.-. He carried on the work after he had been wounded himself. ACTiON IN WiiiOH V.C. -WAS WON, From the action wh.V:h won for Sergeant Keith Elliott, New Zealand's fifth V.C. in the war, comes another decoration to a meijaber of his platoon Corporal R. F. Garmonsway, Wellington Battalion, who has been awarded the D.C.M. Corporal Garmonsway was the man to whom tribute was. paid by the new V.C. whfen he modestly disclaimed his own part in this action, saying: "The corporal was the chap who should have got this." The story of his exploit is almost as thrilling as that of Sergeant Elliott's. His platoon evaded capture by enemy tanks at Ruweisat Ridge on July 15, and Cbr^ poral Garmonsway led a section of four men in an attack on a machinegun post over 400 yards in the face of intense fire. He and his section captured three machine-guns, one antitank rifle, one German officer and two Italian officers, one German sergeant, and about 60 other ranks* without casualty to his section. For the. re^ mainder of that day Corporal GaTmonswciy was commanding the remaining 16 men of his platoon. He held the positioii on Ruweisat Ridge till relieved at night. He served in Greece and Crete and in the last Libyan cam> paign.