SILVER STAR MEDAL

Grey River Argus, 18 December 1943, Page 2

SILVER STAR MEDAL

AWARD FOR N.Z. SERGEANT, P.A. WELLINGTON, Dec. 17. President Roosevelt has conferred "the Silver Star Medal on Sergeant F. E Williams, Second N.Z.E.F., for gallantry in action against the Japanese at Guadalcanal'. The citation says that on December 28, 1942, Williams and his section voluntarily formed the point of a patrol working up the Lunga River. About six miles up the river the point of the patrol discovered fresh footprints which they were certain were the enemy’s. Without regard to his personal safety, Williams and one of his section leading the point, immediately pushed forward and soon found three heavily armed Japanese, one of whom was an officer. In the ensuing fight.,. lhe Japanese were killed and Williams was wounded in the upper thigh by an exploding grenade.. He was also grazed in the shoulder and arm by bullets. His mother is Mrs. M. I. Williams of Timaru.