GALLANT AMERICAN

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 118, 21 May 1945, Page 6

GALLANT AMERICAN

NEW ZEALANDERS RESCUED

BRITISH MEDAL AWARDED

P.A.' WELLINGTON, Sunday. The Governor-General, Sir Cyril Newall, has been advised that the King has approved the immediate award of the Military Medal to Technician (Fifth Grade), F. J. Gudeyro, United States Army. The medal was presented yesterday in a field at Luzon by the senior British officer attached to General Mac Arthur s headquarters in the Philippines, Lieu-tenant-General C. H. Gardner. It is the first British operational award conferred upon a United States serviceman in the Pacific upon < the recommendations of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. The citation states: Outstanding courage was displayed by this soldier, who was responsible for saving the life of a pilot of the R.N.Z.A.F., whose aircra't was burning furiously following a crash on Bougainville on August 18, 1944. Arriving on the scene a few minutes after the crash, Gudeyro, with disregard of his own safety, ran to the aircraft, where the pilot was trapped with a broken back and grave head injuries. The navigator was on the ground near the aircraft severely injured and Gudeyro promptly dragged him clear. He then climbed into the aircraft and attempted to pull out the pilot in spite of the fierce blaze. "Although partially overcome by smoke and heat, and by flames which singed his face and hair, Gudeyro persisted -in his endeavours and got the pilot partly out, when he was assisted by another American soldier and they jointly completed the rescue."