OFFICERS FROM N.Z. DECORATED

Southland Times, Issue 24603, 27 November 1941, Page 5

OFFICERS FROM N.Z. DECORATED

Lieut. Upham, V.C., Receives Award

(Official War Correspondent)

CAIRO, November 25. Members of the first forward brigade of the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force paraded at a desert camp before the Commander-in-Chief, General Sir Claude Auchinleck, recently. General Auchinleck decorated three New Zealand officers for outstanding devotion to duty in Crete. General Auchinleck first inspected the brigade, accompanied by the divisional commander, Major-General B. C. Freyberg, and other senior officers.

The ceremony, simple but impressive, was held in brilliant sunshine on a small plateau overlooking the Mediterranean. It was one of the rarest sights ever seen in the Western Desert, a full infantry brigade drawn up on ceremonial parade. A ring of anti-aircraft guns placed round the parade ground explained its rarity. The officers decorated were Lieutenant C. H. Upham, Victoria Cross, Lieu-tenant-Colonel H. K. Kippenberger, Distinguished Service Order, and Major R. J. Lynch, Military Cross. All three officers are members of this, the oldest of the New Zealand brigades. Lieuten-ant-Colonel Kippenberger and Lieutenant Upham are commanding officer and a platoon commander respectively in a southern battalion and Major Lynch is a company commander in an Auckland battalion. The story of how Lieutenant Upham won the Victoria Cross has already thrilled every soldier in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force as well as thousands of other troops in the Middle East. LieutenantColonel Kippenberger’s and Major Lynch’s were immediate awards. Lieutenant Upham was promoted to lieutenant only two days ago. REMARKABLE CITATION

After the inspection of the brigade by General Auchinleck the names of the three officers concerned were called out and they were lined up before General Auchinleck, in front of the parade. The citation of Lieutenant Upham’s award, a most remarkable document, was read out by a brigade commander and the ribbons were then pinned on Lieutenant Upham, Lieutenant-Colonel Kippenberger and Major Lynch in turn, General Auchinleck conversing quietly with each as he pinned the ribbon. The ceremony ended with the march past, General Auchinleck taking the salute,. He also stood on the roadside to take the salute of another brigade as it marched past in a long dusty- column. This formation, which included Maoris, was engaged on a desert route march, the most effective toughening up exercise an infantryman knows. General Auchinleck spent the remainder of the day with the New Zealand troops. The ceremony attracted wide attention and probably the largest assembly of war correspondents and radio, film and photographic correspondents yet assembled on the Western Desert. It

was attended by correspondents not only from New Zealand, but a large number of English correspondents was present.