BATTLE HONOURS

Evening Post, Volume XCIII, Issue 128, 30 May 1917, Page 8

BATTLE HONOURS

LATEST DECORATIONS

WON BY NEW ZEALANDERS.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

LONDON, 20th April.

By a recent mail I was able to send intimation of the award of the Military Cross to Capt. A. C. Hubbard (Auckland Eegiment), Lieut, (temp. Capt.) J. E. H. Mewett (Auckland Regiment), Lieut. C. H S Senior (Auckland Eegiment), and Lieut. F. J. W. Stallard (N.Z.F.A., attached N.Z.T.M. Battery). But no details were then available as to the acts which merited the award. Now they are made known :—

Capt. Hubbard " displayed great courage and initiative in leading his company in the assault on the enemy front line. Later he was largely instrumental in rescuing several wounded men." Capt. Mewett, " during a raid on the enemy's trenches, led his men with great gallantry, and himself accounted for three of the enemy. Later, although se-. verely wounded, hel continued to direct the operations." Lieut. Senior, " although wounded, continued to lead his platoon with great gallantry, and he carried out the task allotted to him. He had previously done fine work."

Lieut. Stailard " remained, at great personal risk, in the open under very heavy fire, and passed from mortar to mortar, personally supervising repairs. He set a splendid example to his men, and kept his battery in action throughout the raid." Two New Zealanders in the British Army have just received ' the Military Oo SS —Lieut. Charles Gordon Kemp, M.8., R.A.M.C., attached to the Northampton Regiment, and 2nd'Lieut. Maurice Wm. Campbell Sprott, Norfolk Retriment. Lieut. Kemp, M.C.; is the youngest son of Dr. W. G. Kemp (one time well known in Wellington). He is an old boy of Wanganui College, and^ at the time war was declared he was in practice at St. Albans, Herts. We are told that he worked "unceasingly for two days under very heavy fire, and succeeded in evacuating a large number of wounded. He displayed great courage and determination throughout the operations."

2nd Lieut. M. W. C. Sprott, M.C., is the elder son of Bishop Sprott, a-nd a graduate of Victoria College, Wellington ; also B.A. of Cambridge. At the conclusion of his university course he was appointed assistant maste-r of Victoria College, Jersey. He was commissioned to the 9th Battalion, Norfolk Regiment, in November, 1914. It is on official record that "during a raid on the enemy's trenches he carried out the task allotted to him with conspicuous success, and showed great pluck in getting back the -wounded under very heavy fire." For acts of gallantry in the field the Military Medal has been awarded to the following Now Zealanders:— 23/1646 Cpl. W. E. Gordon, 2nd Battalion, Otago Regiment; 25/607 L.-Cpl. J. T. Clearwater, 2nd Battalion, Otago Regiment ; 9/919 Pte. L. R. Dickinson, 2nd Battalion, Otago Regiment; 10/1753 Tte. F. A. Brill, No. 2 Machine-gun Company; 2/2485 Sergt. A. J. Mason, 3rd Brigade, N.Z.F.A. ; 24/847 Sergt. W. J. Murray. N.Z.R.B. ; 24/865 Cpl. J. M'Quillan, 3rd N.Z.LIT.M. Batt.