BRAVERY ON THE FIELD

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 112, 5 February 1919, Page 6

BRAVERY ON THE FIELD

DISPLAYED BY NEW ZEALAND

SOLDIERS

DECORATIONS AWARDED

'^(Special,'from■■■the Official War Corres- ■ ..ij ■..,,-.; . .;;-...,■,.,.p'ondent.) \ ' . ; ' • ■■■•' . '■• January 30. 'There-is published this morning what . i'-^ii;probably',^- the,fi^, fighting list of honours,and awards made by Pield-Mar- ; .ehaliSir ■Douglas Hftig to' members of tho 'New Zealand Division.- . ■ [ '' Colonel Jardine, commanding the 2nd f' ! . ■ 'Battalion Rifles, gets a bar to the D.S.O. 1 , -' •'' for his .resource and skill in fighting'a), ' '"';JJei' Quesnby. On November i the enemy, -.Who was'holding.a-railway embankment ', , -"•in.front of tho-city,-brought such heavy ; maohine-gun fire to bear that our at- : ■' tack was temporarily held up. Colonel '■■■ : '■'' • jardine used Ms reserves'with euoh sue- '•• ' cess, promptitude, and skill that the ad- : vance could be ■ continued. _ The enemy ■ also held strong conimanding positions on the ramparts, using field gui;s, niin- ' '■■/ nenwerfer, machine-guns, and rifles on ■■■ our attacking troops, but Colonel Jar- '.•:.■■ dine went, under fire, 'from company to S ■• company, directing operations, and push- ['-.. ''ing his men. from" position to. position unK .'■ outmanoeuvred the enemy and subi ,6ued the~fire, thereby, materially helping ; to bring about.the fall of the io\t». i •'■: Three bars'to Military Crosses are I , awarded, one to Lieutenant M'Minn, of i : the Rifles, who : on October 31 did fino ' .'■ . work irith' a patrol in locatins the en- (.■-■ emy positions near LeQues'noy; This small !.■/. patrol of six all told found forty Gerij' mans , occupying a railway'cutting, and ij. ; fired on them with rifles, and enfiladed '■'.- ' them with Lewis guns. Lieutenant , 'M'Minn, realising the seriousness of tho ', position should the enemy attack, rushed ..along the railway for , two hundred yards •■■ .' : and, singlehande-d, fell upon the enemy, .. ..killing several and thoroughly disorgan- ! '.ising .the others. By this sudden. and ' ...gallant action his'little party effected ; - -the', surrender of one 'officer and thirty-

seven of other ranks. ' j ,'■..: Captain Greenish, of the 3rd Battalion 'Eifles, while pressing; .'• forward with hie company to a second objective on No- ■', vember 4, came into country' devoid of 'cover and swept by enemy machine-guns ' commanding, the positions. Fearlessly he !led Ms men forward,; putting, some of ":the,eneniy. to flight and capturing the others, whereby the second objective was ■.■•gained.' '. . . • \ ''' A' third bar ■to the Cross was; gained • I>y .Lieutenant Hugh..Johnston', of the. ■ Ist Canterburye, for his gallant lead■er6hip.. Near.Mormal Forest on Novera■her .5 he led a rush forward "and captured .:■ a'maohine-gun, mid at one time, when his company was surrounded; he fouprht his .way out and drove the enemy off. He then reorganised and led his company (forward, capturing the objective in th<* face of heavy machine-gun and : shell fire. Like many others he showed in this, determined'fighting an absolute disresard. for hi*' own, eafety. .: . Twenty-two Military Crosses.are awardfed, one to Padre Hobsou; of the Ist Canterburys, for work under heavy shell ';■ fire; amongst tha wounded, in. the vicinity : of'.llormal Forest. : After' the battalion, had been relieved he remained behind ./the whole day under veiv heavy shell fire, to bury itsdead, a'tasjc that was ;-not completed till darkness fell. Ma-chine-gunners are .among'thofe.who have I gained Military Crosses. One of the : most ' conspicuous is Lieutenant A. H. wjio did fine work with his Vkkers gun ih-Mormal Forest. When approaching the forester's house his section came into a barrage of gas and high explosive, and finding the road blown up in ■'Beveral, places anjl the ground in a boggy condition, they man-handled their limbers off the road through scrub to a sound position. ' Lieutenant Curtis, with fine initiative, later made good and exposed .the flank and silenced the enemy ma-chine-guas that were shooting at our consolidating-troops.' Auckland, CanterTrary, Wellington, and Otago Infantry officers figuro in thli list for acts of gallantry, skill and. initiative that led to .■ the death; of; many. Germane, the capture ;';nf prisoners... and.field and.machine-gune ■ .The list.will -reach-you. in due course ■from'the High Commissioner's Office. One V;-of the recipients', is , . Lieutenant Harold ■ -.-Itomigan, of the Ist Otagos, who, -in conii iriand, ~o£ I'-.A , Company, advanced a thousand yards in the dusk over unknown ground, crossed- the Esaillon River, east of Beaudignies, established bridgeheads, ■ aad made "good 'on" the high ground a thousand yards beyond. At one stage he turned an enemy position, capturing ■'three- officers and-'■ seventy-five of other ranks, and seven : machine-guns. • Having ..made good on high. ground ■he pushed patrols forward another thousand yards, nnd, receiving no news of Us patrols for Borne time, his runners, unknown to"ln'm, ■tavintr been killed, he, himself, went for- • .traid to them and established touch with ~the,unit on.his:flank.' All through the -fao' days of :thie'advance this young nfScer, with a heavy responsibility of the icompany "command, displayed intrepidity ' landjeadership, of a.' high order. ' Fifteen.h.c.o.'s and men have won the , D.O.M. ,■ ... .. ~,.. ..-•;■.... Among those wEo gained a bar to the D.S.O. for courage and leadership in reRent fighting was Lient-Colonel Robert 'Allen,' of the Auckland Eegiment, who . was attaohed to the Ist Battalion of the Rifle Brigade. In an attack at Crevecoeur early in October, he displayed Temartable courage under fife, and (jreat Weill. in command of Ms Dur- •' ".Jμ the attack his hendquaTters was heavMy shelled, and all -Im offiners enve one . .Berame ■.casualties.'■Hβ■ himself was : 'founded, yet remained.to superintend the : evacuation of the other -wounded. At Le Quesnoy on I. although conBrantly under hiMvvy prtillery and ma-chine-gnn fire, he moved from company to company throughout'the attack, .perfßonallv directing the operations. He wo« I iVoundod in the leg, but carried on till nil' objectives were taken.. He and his fcother are well known throughout the 'division.for their great daring and able , :leßdorship. Each. liik benn woundeij four - Jimes.and by all ordinary ln.wg of chance fflch .Rhoiiia have-been killed before the .ejpd 6f : the campdiun. ■, ■ ■ Lient.-Colonel M'Quarrie. who from '■' the Gallinoli days onward has had a distinguished career in the. Artillery, has been awarded tho D.S.O.