TIRELESS UNDER FERE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 11, 14 January 1943, Page 2

TIRELESS UNDER FERE

j SUBALTERN'S SUCCESS j : MACHTS'E-GUX OFFICER'S WORK j j ( p JL> WELLINGTON, Wed. | j For tie second time in the his-j jto orßoers of higher rank. He Js i ! Machine-sun' SatSalSon. who before; ! the war was well known as _a New^ I His wife and two children live at i j New Piymouti. j On tie morning of October 24 last i I HicLsre., wßicii wbs urttisr sudi faBS-Tv j j support could not get for-1 ! direct fire petition, "he established an | 1 observation cost in a derelict tank j ? 150 vards inside a minefield. i battle, he - held his position, and after | ice situation. When, on October 28,1 ? an opportunity occurred to get sup-1 j port * iroops forward, he organised I iocal 2or ;?uppoi — a nt» ne\.e^~l ] tanks under heavy she'llnre and dur-1 \ ing a bombing raid with utter dis-1 iresard for his own safety. j | Lieutenant Gardiner assisted the 1 3 advance of our own troops by a • 1 barrage shoot from his own machine- j I guns "and those of a neighbouring J I f antrv mortar platoon and 'from hull-1 j down Bren carriers. Next, moming j Sa company of our infantry, having j j become isoiatec* and j | oorxed their position and assisted in j 1 their extrication. He covered their J j withdrawal with both his own j j machine-guns and those of neigh- i j On the night of October 24-25, j ! after silencing enemy machine-guns j which were causing casualties to j • British engineers in a minefield, he \ i was informed that the tanks were 1 held no by SSmm guns and by the 5 uncertainty of the gap in the mine-j | field. Assisted by his knowledge of ] I the gao. his olatoon lighted tie gap, supplied a guide aboard lie leading j and piloted the force through j the minefield. j I With complete indifference to the | 1 heaw artillery now concentrated on j J his area, he supported the movement Jof tanks through the minefield by j ! organising the firing of his guns at j gun Sashes and known anti-tank, positions. During the whole four days' fighting, by"his disregard for | personal safety and his tireless energy. Lieutenant Gardiner not I confidence, but contributed greatly Ito the successful operations of inI fantry ano tankt.