Jugoslavs Honour Denvir

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27735, 12 August 1955, Page 11

Jugoslavs Honour Denvir

(Rec. 8 p.m.) BELGRADE, Aug. 11. A former New Zealand soldier, Mr John Denvir, now a West Coast miner, was presented today with four high Jugoslav decorations and promoted to the rank of major in the Jugoslav Army by Mr Miho Marinko, president of the National Assembly of Slovenia, the Tan jug News Agency announced. Mr Denvir was captured in Greece when serving with the 2nd N.Z.E-F. as a corporal escaped from a German prisoner of war camp near Maribor, in Jugoslavia, towards the end of 1941, and joined the partisan forces in Slovenia. He fought with the partisans for two years, rising to the rank of brigadier. By command of Marshal Tito and General Headquarters of the National Freedom Army, he was given the rank of lieutenant in the National Freedom Army and Partisan Detachments of Jugoslavia. Mr Denvir and his wife are visiting Jugoslavia as the guests of the Slovenian War Veterans’ Association. Mr Denvir has now been awarded the Partisan Memorial Badge, the Order of Brotherhood and Unity (first class), the Partisan Star (second class), and the Jugoslav Medal for Valour. He won the Distinguished Conduct Medal for gallantry in action with the partisans, and was awarded the Soviet Medal for Valour by the Russians.