DECORATED FOR GALLANTRY

Southland Times, Issue 24648, 21 January 1942, Page 5

DECORATED FOR GALLANTRY

AWARDS TO NEW ZEALAND SOLDIERS (NZ.E.F. Official News Service). CAIRO, January 19. Six decorations for gallantry in the field were presented today by MajorGeneral Sir Bernard Freyberg to patients at the New Zealand General Hospitals. Four were immediate awards for the Libyan campaign and two were won by men in the special Desert Group. A group of senior officers, sisters and patients watched Sir Bernard pin the ribbons on Bombardier T. M. Hutchin- ! son (Napier) and Corporal R. J. Moore ! (Taihape) as they sat in their wheelchairs on a sunny balcony at the First . General Hospital.' .The others received their decorations in a ward of the Third General Hospital. The only man able to stand to receive his award was Sergeant I. H. Mclnnes (Whangarei). The courage and cheerfulness of all was an inspiration to those who watched them chatting freely with Sir Bernard and his staff. One man who will never have the full use of his legs again, smiled broadly as h~ was congratulated by the official party. Each was thanked on behalf of the Division by General Freyberg, who stopped several minutes at each bedside inquiring about the man’s recovery and his part in the campaign. Unlike the Libyan awards no citations were read with the decorations to Corporal Moore and Sergeant Mclnnes because of the secrecy of their work. General Freyberg explained that their heroic deeds could not be mentioned. “When the history of this group is written,” he said, “their work will rank as high as that of any regiment. They were hand-picked men whose operations were outside the limelight.”