NEW ZEALAND V.C.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 46, 24 February 1942, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND V.C.

IN GERMAN HOSPITAL Sergt. Hinton Reports To Mr. Jordan Rec. 2 p.m. LONDON, Feb. 23. The New Zealand V.C, Sergeant J. D. Hinton, in a letter to Mr. W. J. Jordan, New Zealand High Commissioner in London, states that he has been in hospital in Germany for the last seven weeks after a long stay in Greece. He said: "I am just about my old self again." He added that he was thrilled at receiving Mr. Jordan's letter, which was the first since he was made a prisoner of war.

Sergeant Hinton, who is 33 years of age, is the son of Mr. and Mrs. W. G. Hinton, of Colac Bay, Southland. He left for overseas with the 20th Battalion, and participated in the Greek campaign.

On the night of April 28, 1941, a column of German armoured forces entered Kalamai and rapidly converged on large forces of British and New Zealand troops awaiting embarkation on the beach. When the order to retreat to cover was given. Sergeant Hinton shouted, "To hell with this. Who will come with me?" He ran to within several yards of the nearest gun. The guns fired and missed him, and he hurled two grenades, which completely wiped out the crews. He came on with the bayonet, folio-wed by the New Zealanders, and the Germans retreated to two houses. Sergeant Hinton smashed the windows of the houses, dealing with the garrison with the bayonet, and, as a result, until overwhelming German forces arrived, the New Zealanders held the guns.

Sergeant Hinton then fell with a bullet wound through the lower abdomen and was taken prisoner.