PRAISE FOR TIMARU

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23413, 21 August 1941, Page 9

PRAISE FOR TIMARU

v - 'DEATH IN CRETE FOLLOWED

ACT OF BRAVERY

V TIMARU. August 20. ■' ■?Rributes to the'courage and bravery sfipwfl t»x. Driver G. Cox, of Timarij, who was killed during the fighting in Crete while attemptihg to hold up the advance of the enemy, are contained in letters which have been received from officers commanding the company to which he was attached. Driver Cox leaves a widow, Mrs O. Cox, of Barnard street, Timaru. Lieutenant R. E. Rawle, who commanded the infantry company, said that they were a composite company detailed for the defence of Galatos. On the first day, May 20, when the foremost gun on the tip of Ruin Ridge had to be manned. Cox volunteered-for the job- Durjng four and a half days and pights of intensive air and ground attack, he was outstanding for his spirit, high morale, and willingness, "In a counter-attack without bayonets (we had none) staged by our company on the fifth day, he was alongside me with his machine-gun, keen to do his best by assisting to silence enemy machine-gun nests,” Lieutenant Rawle said. “As it happened, the attack was so determined• that the enemy withdrew without firing a shot. “Tire same evening we moved to another position under cover of darkness and enemy fiFO-” continued Lieutenapt Rawle. "With 16 picked men, I was detailed to hold a ridge at all costs ,until dark on the sixth day. IVfay 25. We moved in about 2.30 a.m. The key position was a machine-gun pit about 200 yards from the enemy on one side, and 400 yards on the other v « “About 3 p.m., when the attack was increasing, Cox’s gun was jammed. To fix it it was necessary to go to ppother trench over a piece of ground beaten by enemy fire frojn three directions. Withput hesitating, Cox carried hi§ gun but and not only fixed if but enabled a> second gun, put out of action by enemy air strafingi to fire single shots. ’He then returned. This act earned him a recommendation for ap award.” ..

Jjiputepant Rawle went on to describe" the incident whjph led to Cox’s death and added that, fof historical purposes, it would be well to remember that Cox’s particular actjpps served materially to hold up the main attack of the whole enemy force driving on Galatos en route to Suda Bay on May 25. He was in the spearhead of the defence. Deep sympathy conveyed to Mrs Cor by Major N. M. Pryde, in a letter in which he said that Driver Cox died while performing an act of great gallantry, an" act which the writer was doing all in his power to bring to the notice of the higher authorities. Driver Cox was a very fine soldier and was very popular "with""all" in the unit, "he pdded.