GEORGE MEDAL

Greymouth Evening Star, 22 January 1944, Page 2

GEORGE MEDAL

AWARD TO GISBORNE PILOT

WELLINGTON, January 21. The Governor-General (Sir Cyril Newall) has announced that the King has awarded the George Medal to Me-rvyn Lester Holden, of Pouawa, Gisborne. The citation to the award recognises bravery shown by Holden m the rescue of a member of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, Flying Officer D. J. Nilsson, of Gisborne, from an aircraft which had crashed and was burning. Though suffering painfully from burns and in danger Ox suffering even greater injury, Holden carried on the rescue, and eventually succeeded in extricating iNilsson from the machine. As a result of the severe burns suffered during the rescue, Holden was admitted to hospital. On November 11 last year a Harvard aircraft, containing two occupants, crashed through a building on Holden’s farm at Pouawa. It overturned and caught fire. The two occupants were Flyipg Officer R. H. Browne, of Auckland, as pilot, and Flying Officer Nilsson as passenger. Browne was killed instantly, and Nilsson was unconscious. Observing the crash from about 300 yards away, Holden immediately mounted a horse- and rode up to the scene. Although the aircraft was ablaze, he at once set about the rescue. He was not aware that there were two occupants in the aircraft or that the pilot in the front cockpit, which was hidden by twisted wreckage, had been killed. Nilsson was a heavy man, and was being firmly held in the blazing machine by his harness. Unfamiliar with the release mechanism. Holden struggled to cut .'uaw as much off this exceedingly tough material as he could with a sheath knife, which he lost after some minutes through the overpowering heat. He was still unable to move Nilsson, but. in spite of severe burns, persisted in his efforts to get the injured man away to safety. Eventually Nilsson partially regained consciousness and was able to help himself a little. With Nilsson's. assistance Holden succeeded in releasing him from his harness and was able to lift him out of the wreck [and carry him to safety. During all !this time Holden suffered extensive [burns to his arms, face, and back. [These necesitated his immediate reI moval to hospital. But for Holden’s determination. persistence, and courage, in spite of his injuries, there is no doubt that Nilsson would have lost his life.