V.C. AWARDS

Grey River Argus, 10 June 1943, Page 2

V.C. AWARDS

' LONDON, .May 26. The award of the Victoria Cross to Wing Commander P. P. Gibson, the bomber ace who led the raid a K am i st the Mo’me and Eder Dams, will be announced shortly, says the Press Assatiation. He already holds the D.S.O. and Bar,, and the D.F.C. and Bar. An Australian, Group Captain H. Edwards, is the only other man to win three decorations in this war. The Victoria Cross has been awardel to Commander John Wallace Linton, D. 5.0., D.S.C.. for valour when in command of His Majesty's submarines. Linton's name will live in British submarine annals, not only as a commanding officer first of H.M.S. Pandora and then the Turbulent, but also for inspiring leadership throughout three years of intensive activity in the Mediterranean. While in command of the Turbulent, Linton sank 100,000 tons of shipping, including a cruiser, a destroyer, and a U-boat. In his last year he spent 254 days at sea, submerged for nearly half the time, and his ship was hunted 13 times and had 250 depth charges aimed at her. A total of 16 V.C.’s have been awarded to personnel of the Royal Navy since the outbreak, live of them to the personnel of submarines. Flying Officer George Buerhng Shewball—a Canadian fighter pilot who shot down 28 enemy planes in the Battle of Malta—was decorated by the King at a recent investiture at Buckingham Palace. Skewball had the unusual distinction of receiving three separate medals and the bar to one from the King. They were the D. 5.0., D.F.C., D.F.M. and Bar.

N.Z. FARMER. CAIRO, May 26. Keith Elliott, a Pahiatua farmer, who was the fifth New Zealander to win the Victoria Cross in this war has now become the second infantry platoon sergeant in the Second New Zealand Division to be granted an immediate commission in the field. For the first time in the three years he has served with his battalion from a Wellington regiment Elliott paraded to-day as an officer. Yesterday was his last day of 18 months’ service as a platoon sergeant in the same battalion. Since June, 1940. he has risen through the noncommissioned ranks and until late last year he had fought in all the battalion’s battles since Greece. As soon as he was released from the training course he was attending when his decoration was announced last September, Elliott re-joined his battalion, which was then advancing into Libya from the El Alamein battle. He has remained with them on an intensive training course ever since. Elliott’s close friend and second commander of his platoon. Corporal Ron Garmonsway, D.C.M., is now training as an infantry platoon sergeant. Another to receive his field commission is Harold Joseph Bramwell, D.C.M.. a North Auckland solicitor, who as a sergeant became a Company Commander in an Auckland Infantry Battalion during the El Alamein battle.

SUVA, May 25. The King -has approved the award of the British Empire Medal (Military Division) to Private Ramelusi Druma. of the Fiji Labour Corps for an act of conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty. In December last, Ramelusi was employed as a winchman lifting cargo from a barge to a ship on the open sea. A mobile repair van, weighing 15 tons,\became uncontrollable, swaying wildly with the ship’s rolling. Showing disregard for his life and safety Ramelusi remained at the winch, ducking as the vehicle swayed overhead, and gradually lowered the vehicle into the hold for securing. Had he left the winch the gear could not have stood the strain for .any length of time and serious loss of life and damage would have resulted if the van had crashed on to the ship or the barge.