THREE V.C.’S AWARDED

Greymouth Evening Star, 22 May 1942, Page 5

THREE V.C.’S AWARDED

HEROISM AT ST. NAZAIRE LEADERS AND SEAMAN RUGBY, May 21. The award of three Victoria Crosses is announced for daring and valour in the recent combined operations at St. Nazaire. The recipients are Lieutenant Commander Beattie, Commander Ryder, and Able Seaman Savage. Lieutenant-Commander Beatty was in command of H.M.S. Campbeltown, which rammed the lock gate and blew it up. The official citation says: Under intense fire directed at the bridge from point-blank range, and in the face of the blinding glare from many searchlights, Beatty steamed her into the lock gates, and beached and scuttled her in the correct position. The Victoria Cross is awarded to Beattie in recognition not only of his own valour, but also of that of the officers and men of the very gallant ship’s company, many of whom have not returned. Beattie is now a prisoner of war. Commander Ryder was the commander of a small force of unprotected ships in the attack, and led H.M.S. Campbeltown in under intense fire. Though the main object of the expedition had been accomplished in the beaching of the Campbeltown, he remained on the spot, conducting the operations, evacuating men from the Campbeltown, and dealing with strong-points, while exposed to heavy fire for an hour and 16 minutes. He did not withdraw until it was certain that his ship would be of no use in rescuing any of the Commando troops who were still ashore/ That his motor-gunboat, now full of dead or wounded, should have survived, was almost a miracle.

Able Seaman Savage is awarded the V.C. for great gallantry, skill, and devotion as the gunlayer of a pom-pom in a gunboat. Completely exposed and under heavy fire, he engaged positions ashore with cool, steady, and accurate fire. On the way out of the harbour, he kept up the same vigorous and accurate fire against attacking ships, until he was killed at his gun. This V.C. is awarded in recognition not only of Savage’s gallantry, but also of the valour shown by many others, unnamed, in motor launches, gunboats, and motor torpedo-boats, who carried out their duty in entirely exposed positions against the enemy, at very close range. Fourteen awards of the D.S.C. and other awards are also made to men who participated in the raid. PALACE INVESTITURE.

RUGBY, May 20

His Majesty, at an investiture at Buckingham Palace, recently decorated a Commando, Sergeant A. Herbert with the M.M. and D.C.M. Sergeant Herbert has been a member of the Commandos for two years. He won the D.C.M. during the Vaagso raid. Lance Corporal J. Hall, of an airborne unit, also received the D.C.M. The Military Decoration (an exclusively Army decoration) was given to an ordinary seaman in the Royal Navy, He won it when he was a Lance Corporal in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. A dozen heroes of un-der-water warfare against the Nazis received the D S.M. Decorations of the George Medal were also made.