SUBALTERN WINS D.S.O.

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23845, 14 January 1943, Page 2

SUBALTERN WINS D.S.O.

BRAVERY IN LIBYAN FIGHTING guided tanks through MINEFIELD (Official War Correspondent N.Z.E.F.) CAIRO, January 11. For the first time in the history of New Zealand’s overseas fi S ht ' ng h^°^ s a subaltern has been awarded the Dis tineuished Service Order. He is Lieutenant N F. Gardiner,' of the MachineGun Battalion, who before the war was well known as a New Zealand cham Dion surfer. His wife and two children Uve in New Plymouth. The story of his exploits makes another glowing page in the history of the 2nd N.Z.E,F. On the morning of October 24, Lieutenant Gardiner commanded a machinegun platoon at Metyina ridge which was under such heavy tank and small arms fire that other support weapons could not get forward. Siting his platoon in an indirect fire position he established an observation post in a derelict tank 150 yards inside a mmefioAl’lhough in the midst of a tank battle Lieutenant Gardiner held his position and after establishing wireless and telephone communication with me battalion his machine-guns were supporting he kept its command fully informed of the situation during the following day. When on October 2b the opportunity occurred to get support troops forward he organised local tanks for support. This necessitated his moving freely among tanks under heavy shellfire and during a bombing raid with utter disregard of his own safety. Lieutenant Gardiner assisted the advance of our own troops by a barrage shoot from his own machine-guns and those of a neighbouring machine-gun platoon, from an infantry mortar platoon and from hull down Bren carriers. Next morning a company of our infantry having become isolated and its officers casualties Lieutenant Gardiner reported their position and assisted in their extrication. He covered their withdrawal with both his own machineguns and that of neighbouring tanks. After silencing enemy machine-guns which were causing casualties to British engineers in a minefield on the night of October 24 Lieutenant Gardiner was informed that tanks were held , up by 88-millimetre guns and by uncertainty of a gap in the 1 minefield. Assisted by his knowledge of the gap his platoon lighted the gap, supplied a guide aboard the leading tank, and piloted the force through the minefield, T.he artillery barrage having by this tipre ceased, with complete indifference to heavy artillery now concentrated on his area, he supported the movement of the tanks through minefields by organising the firing of his guns at gunflashes and known anti-tank positions. During the whole four days’ fighting by his disregard of personal safety and his tireless energy Lieutenant Gardiner not only inspired his own platoon with confidence, but contributed greatly to the successful operations of infantry and tanks.

The official war correspondent is not correct when he says that for the first time in the history of New Zealand’s overseas fighting forces a subaltern has been awarded the Distinguished Service Order. Lielitenant-Colonel A. R. Cockerell, now commanding a battalion of the Southland Regiment in Canterbury, won the Distinguished Service Order as a second-lieutenant in the Otago Regiment at the Battle of Passchendacle in 1917. He was one of the very few subalterns in the whole British Army to receive the D.S.O. *