MEDAL FOR GALLANTRY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16567, 16 June 1917, Page 6

MEDAL FOR GALLANTRY.

LATE S. M. BIRNIE'S D.C.M. PRESENTATION ' BY ' MINISTER. Occasion was taken at last night's inspeci tion of territorials by the Minister for , Defence, Sir James Allen, to present to , [ Mr. John Birnie, of O'Rorke Street, , Remuera. the Distinguished Conduct . Medal won by his son, the late Sergeant- • Major Bimie, of No. 1 Battery, N.Z.F.A. t Sergeant-Major Birnie, who, prior to [ enlistment, was a member of the A Bat- - tery, N.Z.F.A., Auckland, was awarded . the distinction for gallantry upon Gali lipoli. He was afterwards killed in action in France. Mr. Birnie is the father of i seven sons, of whom one has been killed, • five are on service with the Expeditionary, . Force, and the remaining one is under f the military age. In presenting the medal, the Minister . said: "It is a matter of regret for all of us that Sergeant-Major Birnie.is not 1 here to receive the decoration which he 1 so worthily won. He has given all that • he had to give for his King and country, > and we must honour the man for the i, sacrifice he has made. His father is i himself a soldier, wearing .the medals which he has earned, and will surely be ' proud to receive this one, and to hand it 1 down as a very treasured possession. To , you men who as you reach military ago j will doubtless find your way into the Expeditionary Force, I would lay that there are many records like that made by } Sergeant-Major Birnie, and doubtless those records will be kept up to the end. 1 You in your turn will help to carry on ' those records. Major Birnie, it was a [ plucky action to come here to-night, but you have come with a soldier's spirit. I hand to you the medal which your son J has so worthily won." The whole parade was then brought to ' attention while a trumpeter of the A 1 Battery, Sergeant-Major Birnie's old tern--1 torial unit, sounded the " Last Post. '