FOR BRAVERY.

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 12, 13 July 1918, Page 7

FOR BRAVERY.

AWARDS & DECORATIONS

NEW ZEALANDERS HONOURED

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

LONDON, April,

Last December, -Ma4or R. C. Wickens, W.Z.F.A., was awarded file .8.5.0. It is'recorded now that when a gunpit was set ou fire, causing an explosion which killed one man, he set to work personally to localise! the fire. As men arrived he organised them into a fire party, and eventually succeeded in. extinguishing the fire, thereby! saving the other gun and ammunition and probable loss of life. Hence the D.S'.O.

At the same time a ban to the M.C. was announced to 2nd Lieutenant G. R. Park, M.C., N.Z.F.A. Official details now tell that Lieutenant Park was caught in a heavy barrage while taking his guns forward, and many casualties were sustained by men and animals. He was himself wounded in three places, but continued at his worit and' got the guns to the required positions, when he collansed.

"When the battalion to which Captain P. R. Woodhouse, M.0., 8.A.M.0., was attached, was formed up in the assembly area, all the battalion medical staff except himself were wounded. Captain Woodhouse earned the medical haversacks all day and tended the wounded under fire. He was (slightly wounded, but continued to work single-handed for two days. For this he was awarded a bar ta his M.C. "Captain Woodhouse is well known in Dunedin. and Wellington. A. second bar to the M.C. has been gained by Captain (Acting-Major) S. R. "Wason, M.C, R.A., who made a most difficult reconnaissance and brought back most important intelligence, wliicli proved of the utmost value in arranging the artillery support for an infantry attack. Captain Wason is a son of Mr. Eugeno Wason, M.P. Brigadier-General A. W. Andrew, Indian Army (Cliristchurch), has" had the C.M.G. conferred upon him in connection with iho campaign in Mesopotamia. Ho has been commanding the 50th. Brigade, Mesopotamian Field Force. BrigadierGeneral Andrew won, in 1887, the first Imperial competitive commission in the British Army, and he has served for many years in India, where he is regarded as one of the best authorities on musketry in that country. 'MILITARY CROSS DETAILS. When a battery group was heavily shelled, 2nd Lieutenant Alfred Edward Esquilant, Field Artillery, "got all his men safely away to a flank, and then, seeing that some officers had been wounded at a neighbouring battery, he went to the spot, and, with the help of an n.c.0., carried two wounded officers to safety under intense fire. He set a splendid example to his men," and thus gained the Military Cross. Captainß. Briffault, M.C, R.A.M.C. (Auckland), organised an aid post through which all casualties of the brigade and those of many other units of the •■' division passed. He personally went up to the post and attended to men lying out in shell holes under very heavy fire. Although relieved) he actually went up beyond our forward posts to search^for a wounded officer. Throughout the whole action ho showed the utmost disregard for his personal safety. It was not long after that c, ba? to the M.O. was awarded to Captain Briffault. Whon in charge of pack animals bringing rations to the battalion, Lieutenant Daniel H. S. Riddiford, Grenadier Guards (Wellington) showed great coolness and skill in leading his convoy forward when it came under a heavy enemy barrage, It was due to his initiative that the battalion received its rations in time, and that lives were saved. | The Military Cross was conferred on Lieutenant Riddiford by the King at Buckingham Palace this week. ■ The late Captain P. S. Barker, R.F.A. (Canterbury), gained the M.C. for running a wire to his battery observation post, maintaining communication all day, and calibrating Ms battery under heavy hostile fire during prolonged and severe fighting. As transport officer, Lieutenant Rich,ard E. Andrew, N.Z.1., showed the greatest courage and resource in procuring and distributing under heavy shell fire the supplies required by his batta* lion. Lieutenant Robert H. Baxter, N.Z.M.C., worked for three days at his regimental aid posts under continual exposure to shell and .machine-gun fire. During a critical moment in an advance, 2nd Lieutenant Robert E. Bibby, N.Z.M.G.C, personally reconnoitred his position, leading his machine-guns and men forward into action under very heavy fire. He gendered valuable assistance to the infr^itry. 2nd Lieutenant Arthur Bongard, N.Z.R.8., was detailed to guide the signal party laying a line to brigade forward station. Owing to the advance being checked, they reached "the front line and came under heavy fire. He organised the party iii'shcll-holes, and eventually extricated them without casualties. When in command of his company, after all tho officers had been killed, Lieutenant Thomas Brown (Rifle Brigade) reorganised them under heavy fire, and by his personal example under very adverse conditions, inspired them with confidence. The Rev. Henry Clark, Chaplain's Department, organised his burial party into a stretcher-bearer party when he found that burials were out of the question owing to heavy fire. He led his party throughout the day. When cable burying operations were in danger of being stopped owing to difficulties, through rain, mud, darkness, and enemy shelling, of getting material formed to the work. Lieutenant Ooliu .'\ddison Dickison's (Cyclist Corps) pa;..y persevered, and so enabled the work to proceed. Captain Howard Raru Jones, Rifle Brigade, led his company forward under intense fire in an attack. When the advance was stopped through heavy losses ho kept his men consolidated, and thus ensured the safety of the brigade's right flank.' Captain Frederick William Lumsden, Medical Corps, dressed wounded in the open when the regimental aid post, which was within 700 yards of the enemy "pillboxes," and in full view of them, was still full of wounded left by the previous battalion. Casualties were inflicted even on the stretcher canes. Though exposed to this fire, he worked unremittingly for three days with practically no sleep, and very little food, until quite exhausted. On an ammuntion truck being set on fire by an enemy shell, Lieutenant John Clark Maclean, Engineers, instantly rushed to tho" burning truck, and, with the assistance of another man, detached and pushed it from the remainder of the train at grave personal risk. But for his prompt and gallant action tho loss of ammunition and rolling-stock would undoubtedly have been very heavy. Time after time Captain John M'Ghie, Medical Corps, took stretcher-parties forward through heavy mud and enemy barrages to tho regimental aid post, and did not stop till he was certain that all m<Mi lying out had been collected. During an attack, Captain Brace M'Leod, Rifle Brigade, under heavy shell and-s machine-gun fire, kept in the closest touch with the situation in front by making personal reconnaissances. The skilful manner in which he placed his •ra<an sssursd tho safety, of Usss laffc tksl? ol- jhft/ ( bwga<i6^n4'?hi§:^;ou);sgß. l aad.iea>:;

ergy were the means whereby his men were inspired to carry on until the position was consolidated".

2nd Lieutenant Louis Moritzsen, Engineers, performed invaluable work in tho preparation and execution of the schemes drawn up for the visual and power buzzer station. With the assistance of two officers, lie laid a line to the furthest battalion headquarters, and on a later occasion volunteered to lay a buried cable througli an exceptionally difficult piece of country, which was continually under the heaviest shell fire. Thanks to his fearlessness and determination, the task- was most successfully accomplished.

Lieutenant Bdwaixl Gilbert Norman, Field _ Artillery, prepares and executed the visual and power buzzer schemes oi a division. With the section and forward divisional lines officers he laid a. line to the furthest battalion headquarters after all the linesmen of tho section had'been wounded. He volunteered to superintend the laying of buried cable and completed the work, though heavily shelled. , *

Captain Sydney Devenieh Rhind, Medical Corps, was for three days and nights at his regimental aid post, repeatedly having to attend to men outside under heavy fire. He aleo organised parties of stretcher-bearers for their removal.

2nd Lieutenant Stanton Ea-stgate Senior, Rifle Brigade, when in command, of battalion headquarter details, and all but two company officers had become casualties, reconnoitred the position under heavy fire and collected and reorganised the remainder of the battalion, remaining in charge of the position for three days, until the battalion was relieved.

Captain Samuel" Llewellyn Serpell, Medical Corps, attended to the wounded at the regimental aid pOBt under heavy fire. Although twice wounded, he went on with his work until ordered to hospital by his commanding officer. At a critical moment, under an extremely heavy fire, Captain Leslie- J. J. Taylor, N.Z.R.8., reorganised his company and ensured the successful consolidation of the line against counter-at-tacks.

When detailed to_ establish observation in support of an infantry attack, 2nd Lieutenant Charles R. M'Kenzie, N.Z.F.A., succeeded in laying a line to an advance position, and proceeded from there, througli a heavy barrage, to transmit by visual. His party of three was successively wounded or killed, and, in assisting them, he was himself severely wounded.

By pushing well forward with his scouts, Lieutenant Malcolm 0. Milne. Mounted Rifles, quickly grasped the situation and handled his troop with great skill. He captured an enemy machine-gun and crew.

2nd Lieutenant Ernest H. Picot, Mounted Machine-gun Squadron, handled his troop with great boldness and determination in the advanced guard, and brought heavy covering fire on the enemy's first position until it fell. He then rushed forward with the first wave, and personally captured a machine-gun and crew of six men.

Lieutenant Kenneth J. Tait, Mounted Rifles, showed magnificent leadership and skill. During an attack he led his troop with great gallantry and skill over ground exposed to heavy machine-gun fire.