GALLANT CONDUCT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 24032, 1 August 1941, Page 6

GALLANT CONDUCT

MENTIONED IN DESPATCHES SOLDIER SINCE KILLED (0.C.) WHANG AH EI, Thursday .Mentioned in despatches for gallant conduct during the Libyan campaign is Sapper Richard Harry Ha/t. son ol .Mr. and .Mrs. R. J. 15aff, of Whangarei. Sapper Half was later killed in action in Crete. It was not until this week, when advice wns received from genera! headquarters, Middle East Command, that his parents were aware of the honour. Captain Anderson, commanding oflicer of the specialist unit of the New Zealand Engineers to which Sapper Baft' was attached, writing to Mrs. Batf, states that her son had been specially commended by General Wavell. The citation signed by General Wavell. which has been received by Mrs. Baft', states that Sapper Ball' had been mentioned in despatches lor gallant conduct a/tcr the sinking of a ship off Sidi Barani on January .'sl. 19 H. Although it is not known for certain that this was the occasion, it is thought that Sapper Hall' mentioned this sinking in a letter to his parents. He said that in the Libyan campaign, during which his unit was attached to the Imperial troops, they had a hard job rescuing the crew from a vessel that, had been sunk close to the shore. The troops worked right through the night hauling the men front the vessel up precipitous cliti's by ropes.