GALLANT NEW ZEALANDERS

Southland Times, Issue 17736, 14 August 1917, Page 5

GALLANT NEW ZEALANDERS

SEVERAL DECORATIONS AWARDED. (Special from the Official War Correspondent, July 1.) WELLINGTON, August 11. General Anthoine, of the French array, has just paid a visit to the New Zealand headquarters, where he decorated several of our force with the Croix de Guerre. The recipients were members of the Rifle Brigade and Pioneers that recently did excellent work in assisting to dig in guns on the French front. The ceremony was quite an impressive one, the unit concerned providing a guard of honour and a military band, and the army corps and divisional commanders and members of their staffs being present. Not the least impressive part of the ceremony was when General Anthoine pinned on the breast of General Plummer’s tunic the Croix de Guerre in honour of victory at the battle of Messines. The New Zealand officers who received the medal were Lieutenant-colonels Austin, Stewart, Roache, and King. Those of other ranks who were awarded the decoration were Sergeant T. Jones, Sergeant M. J. Rillstone, Riflemen G. N. McNaught, C. H. Warren, S. R. Furby, S. C. Sturgess, and A. Laughlin, and Private Pua Tanihana and Toir Karini. Of these Sergeant Jones and Rifleman Warren were - killed, and the other non.-corns, and men were wounded in carrying out the work. An interesting, though sad, feature of the ceremony was that the medals awarded to men killed or wounded were pinned on the breasts of their junior commanding officers. The Military Medal has been awarded to the following for gallantry in the field: — Corporal W. A. Sinton, Corporal F. G. Lynch, Private K. S. Moore, Private T. H. Crawford, and Sapper L. C. Whitelaw.