HONOURS TO THE BRAVE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12083, 11 August 1917, Page 8

HONOURS TO THE BRAVE.

NEW ZEALANDERS DECORATED. THE CROIX DB GUERRE. [Pkr Press Association-.] WELLINGTON, August 11. (Special from tho Now Zealand Official War Correspondent.) July 1. General Anthoine, of the French Army, has just paid a visit to the Nov." Zealand headquarters, where he decorated several soldiers of our force with tho Croix de Guerre. The recipients wero the members of a brigade and the Pioneers 'that recently (lid excellent work, assisting to dig in guns on the French front. Tho ceremony was quite an impressive one, tho units concerned providing a, guard of honour and a military band, and. army corps and divisional commanders and members of their staffs being prssent". Not the least impressive part of tho ceremony was when General Anthoino pinned on the breast of General Shimmer's tunic tho Croix de Guerre in honour of the victory in tho battle of Messines. The New Zealand officers who received the medal were Lieutenant-Colonels Austin, Stewart, Roache and King. Other ranks awarded the decoration were: —Sergeant's T. Jones and M. J. Rillstone, Rifleman G. N. M'Naight, C. IT. "Warren, S. R. Furby, S. C. Sturgess and A. Laughlin, and Privates Pua Tamihana and Toi Karini. Of these, Sergeant Jones and Rifleman Wotten were killed, and the other noncommissioned a.nd men were wounded on carrying out the worn. An interesting though sad feature of tho ceremony was that owing to absence of the killed and wounded their medals were pinned on the breasts oi' their junior commanding officers. The 'Military Medal has been awarded to the followng for gallantry in the field:—Corporal W. A. Sinton, F. G. Lynch, Privates Iv. S. Moore, T. IT Crawford and Sapper L. C. Whitelaw.