Fourteen New Zealanders Have Won Victoria Cross.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18900, 26 October 1929, Page 32 (Supplement)

Fourteen New Zealanders Have Won Victoria Cross .

Colonel Frey burg Will He Dominion s Representative At Prince of Wales's Dinner .

Many Deeds Of Valour Have Been Performed On Land And Sea.

Written for the “ Star ’* by GEORGE BURNS.

New Zealand’s sole representative at the dinner which the Prince of Wales is giving to holders of the Victoria Cross on November 9 will be Lieutenant-Colonel B. C. Fregburg, V.C., C.M.G., D. 5.0., who now commands the Manchester Regiment. Although born in London, Colonel Fregburg came to New Zealand as an infant and was educated at Wellington College. He won his Victoria Cross for an act of daring at the Dardanelles in 1915. Altogether, fourteen New Zealanders have won the highest decoration for braverg that the Empire can offer. One, Major W. J. Hard ham, received his decoration in the South African War. Another, Lieutenant-Commander Sanders received his for naval service in the Great War, and the other twelve were decorated for service with the land forces. These are, Colonel Fregberg, Captain L. W. Andrew. Lieutenant R. S. Judson. Lieutenant S. Frickleton, Lieutenant C. R. G. Bassett, Lieutenant J. G. Grant, Sergeant R. Fravis, Sergeant H. J. Laurent, Sergeant J. Crichton, Sergeant S. Forsyth, Sergeant D. F. Brown and Sergeant H. J. Nicholas. Of the eleven who served with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, only seven returned to the Dominion. Four of them. Sergeants Travis, Nicholas, Brown and Forsyth gave their lives for the Empire. LieutenantCommander Sanders also made the supreme sacrifice. It is a noteworthy fact that, with the exception of Colonel Fregburg, who did not serve with the New Zealand Forces, not one New Zealand officer was awarded the Victoria Cross, although several were strongly recommended for this honour. Those whose names are shown as commissioned officers received their promotion after having won the decoration.

The first New Zealander to receive the Victoria Cross in the Great War was Lieutenant Bassett, who is now at Paeroa, in the North Island. He was, in 1915, a corporal in the New Zealand Divisional Signal Company on Gallipoli, and it was at the deadly Chanuk Bair ridge on the Peninsula that he won his medal. On August 7, the New Zealand Infantry attacked, and under heavy fire established itself on the ridge. Corporal Bassett, in full daylight and under a murderous rain of shells, set about laying a telephone wire from the old position to the new one, a feat that he was successful in accomplishing. His efforts to maintain communication did not rest at that, and all through the succeeding daj's and nights he kept the line repaired, although the whole area was under a continuous bombardment. Another of the early Victoria Cross winners was Lieutenant Prickle ton; who was a lance-corporal in the Rifle Brigade in 1917. It was during the battle of Messines that Frickleton displayed the valour that led the King to decorate him personally. At the time of the incident which led to the award, the New Zealand troops had been checked in their attack. Although he was slightly wounded, Corporal Frickleton dashed forward at the head of his section, pushed into the barrage which had been put up by the British artillery. and personally destroyed with bombs an enemy machine-gun and crew which were causing heavy casualties. An Astonishing Adventure. Corporal Frickleton then attacked a second gun. killing the whole of the crew of twelve. By the destruction of x these guns lie undoubtedly saved his

own and other units from severe casualties, states the official report of the encounter, and the magnificent courage and gallantry ensured the capture of the object. He received, a severe wound when the position wag* being consolidated and set. throughout, a great example of heroism. Until two years ago, Lieutenant Frickleton, as he afterwards became, was an officer of the New Zealand Staff Corps, a position that he resigned in order to take up private employment.

The other member of the Rifle Brigade to win a Victoria Cross was Sergeant Harry John Laurent, who was out in charge of a patrol of twelve men from A Company of the 2nd Battalion of the brigade on September 12, 1918. The official history of the brigade states that on this day the unit experienced more hand to hand fighting than had been met with by any part of the New Zealand Division since Gallipoli. The work of Sergeant Laurent and his men is described as “ an astonishing adventure that possesses many of the features of an independent operation.” This patrol was one of those which had been detailed to exploit the success gained in the attack on Trescault Spur, which gave the brigade its position for the attack on the Hindenburg line. Sergeant Laurent led his men steadily and cautiously forward, while machinegun bullets and shells were falling unpleasantly thick. As the patrol continued their advance down the slope, they were able to make out a trench, about 750yds east of African Trench, which had been their starting point. This trench was lying at right angles to the line of attack, and held a strong garrison. After making his dispositions, Laurent, with a shout of exultation, rushed

forward, followed by his handful of men. Rifleman M. Healey found himself alone on a flank, where he killed ten of his opponents and afterwards accounted for a senior officer who was frantically working a telephone. Corporal E. W. Wood, who was the Lewis gunner with the patrol, moved along the parapet firing the gun from his hip into the trench. An attempt on the part of a German machine gun crew to get their weapon into action was nipped in the bud and, as the official history records, the enemy, now thoroughly demoralised by the suddenness and fierceness of the onslaught, threw up their hands, but not before our men had accounted for some thirty killed or wounded. The prisoners were unceremoniously marshalled and conducted as expeditiously as possible to the Rifle Brigade’s trenches, numbering in all an officer and 111 non-commis-sioned officers and men. It was as leader of this foray that Sergeant Laurent was awarded the Victoria Cross. He is now living in Taranaki. “Dick” Travis.

Probably the most famous of New Zealand’s soldiers who gained the Victoria Cross was Sergeant Richard Charles Travis, of the Otago Regiment, who before winning the highest of all decorations had been invested with the Distinguished Conduct Medal and the Military Medal for previous feats of gallantry. Stories of his bravery and coolness in the face of great danger are legion, and even in the official notice, which was published in the “ Gazette,” recording his final deed of bravery, the author of this usually fairly coldly worded statement became enthusiastic. Sergeant Travis did not live to receive the honour which was awarded him.

The official notice reads: “For conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty. During * surprise ’. operations, it was necessary to destroy an impassable wire block. Sergeant Travis, regardless of all personal danger, volunteered for this duty. Before zero hour, in broad daylight, and in close proximity to enemy posts, he crawled out and successfully destroyed the block with bombs, thus enabling the attacking parties to pass through. A few minutes later, a bombing party on the right was held up by two enemy machine guns, and the success of the whole operation was in danger. V

“ Perceiving this, Sergeant Travis, with great gallantry and utter disregard of danger, rushed the position, killed the crew and captured the guns. ,An enemy officer and three men rushed

at him from a bend in the trench and attempted to retake the guns. These four he killed single-handed, thus allowing the bombing party, on which much depended, advance. / “ The success of this operation was almost entirely due to the heroic work of this gallant non-commissioned officer, and to the with which

he made and used opportunities for inflicting casualties on the enemy. He was killed twenty-four hours later, when, under a most intense bombardment, prior to an enemy counter-at-tack, he was going from post to post encouraging the men.” The name of Lieutenant-Comman-der Sanders is perpetuated by the Sanders Cup, the premier yachting trophy of the Dominion. This young Zealander —he was only thirty-four when he died in the service of his country—has left behind him a record that will endure in the history of the Empire. He went to sea as a steward at the age of seventeen. A year later, he was an ordinary seaman on the Hinemoa. He studied navigation and in order to get experience in sail, joined the Craig line of ships, being first mate on the barque Joseph Craig when that vessel was wrecked on the Hokianga Bar. He later joined the service of the Union Steamship Company, and at the age of 27, he held his master’s foreign going certificate.

On the outbreak of war, he applied to join the Royal Navy. At that time, the Admiralty was not keen on taking in mercantile marine officers. Sanders resigned his appointment in the Union Company, and sailed for England as second officer of a troopship. He again applied to join the Navy when he reached England, and on this occasion, he was accepted, being appointed a sublieutenant. Within eight months of this, he had risen to the rank of lieutenant-commander, and five months later, he held the Victoria Cross and the Distinguished Service Order. It was as the commander of H.M.S. Prize, a “Q” ship, that Sanders gained his Cross. In decoying a submarine, his schooner being disguised as an ordinary merchantman, he allowed his vessel to be shelled and holed, Sanders and his small crew remaining on the vessel hidden during all this punishment. Waiting until the submarine

lllllllllllllliliilllllllHlllUlilillllljlililllllllliillllillllilllllllllllllllllllllillllllllllllllllli was within 100 yards of the vessel, Sanders then gave the order to fire, and the underwater boat was captured. So impressed was the commander of the submarine that he stated that he considered it no disgrace to be beaten by the Prize. He could not have believed it possible for any ship’s company to have been imbued with such discipline as to endure the shelling to which he subjected the Prize without any sign being made which would give away her true character. Besides being given the Victoria Cross for this action, as a result of which the whole of the crew were decorated, On April 30, 1917, Sanders was given the Sword of Honour by the officers at the naval base at Milford Haven. Four months later, his ship, the Prize, was lost with all hands, after an engagement with an enemy submarine. The King then wrote the following letter to Sanders’s father: — “It is a matter of sincere regret to me that the death of Lieutenant-Com-mander William E. Sanders, V.C., D. 5.0., R.N.R., deprived me of the pride of personally conferring upon him the Victoria Cross, the greatest of all rewards for valour and devotion to duty.” So passed a very brave New Zealand sailor, of whom the Lords of the Admiralty said in a posthumous appreciation: “He went down beneath the Atlantic wave, leaving his name to be inscribed imperishably on the same Roll of Naval History where stand the names of Blake, Nelson and Riou.” Coolness Shown. Sheer disregard for personal danger led to Lieutenant Grant being awarded the Victoria Cross. At the time that he earned this award, he was a sergeant in the Wellington Regiment, and it was near Bancourt that he won his medal. Grant was in command of a platoon which formed part of the leading waves of the battalion in the attack on the high ground of the east of Bancourt. The crest was attained, and there five enemy machine-guns blocked the advance. Under point-blank fire, the company advanced against these posts, and when abotit twenty yards from the muzzles of the guns, Grant, followed by a comrade, rushed forward ahead of the

platoon, and with great dash and bravery, entered the centre post. His sudden onslaught demoralised the garrison, and the men of his platoon were able to take the position. In the same way, Grant rushed the post on the left, and the remaining posts were quickly cleared by the of the company. Of his action, the “London Gazettee” said: “Throughout the whole operation on this and the previous two days, Sergeant Grant displayed coolness. determination and valour of the highest order, and set a splendid example to all.” To save the lives of a number of comrades, Sergeant Samuel Forsyth gave his life. He had no idea of gaining honour and glory in so doing, but a grateful country kept his memory alive by awarding a posthumous Victoria • Cross. Although a member of the New Zealand Engineers, his company was being used in an attack in 191 S. The company came under heavy fire, and it was through Seargeant Forsyth’s dashing leadership and total disregard for danger that three machine-gun positions were rushed and the crews taken . prisoner before they could inflict many casualties on the New Zealand troops. He did not stop there, however. In the subsequent advance his company again came under the fire of a battery of machine-guns. Forsyth located two of these by a daring reconnaissance.

Took a Tank Crew. In his endeavour to gain support from a tank which was in the vicinity, Forsyth was wounded. He had his wound bandaged and again got in touch with the tank. In the face of a withering fire from machine-guns and anti-tank guns, he endeavoured to lead the tank to a favourable position. The tank, however, was put out of action. Forsyth organised the tank crew and several of his own men into a section and led them to a position from which the machine-guns could be outflanked. All this was done under heavy fire, but by his clever tactics he was able to force the machine-guns to retire, enabling the advance to continue. It was at this moment that a German sniper picked off the gallant sergeant. From the commencement of the attack until the time of his death, Forsyth’s courage and coolness, together with his great power of initiative, proved an invaluable incentive to all those who were with him, and he undoubtedly saved many casualties among his comrades.

Remarkable coolness when faced with great danger is the outstanding feature of the record telling how Lieutenant Judson got his decoration. At the time of his award he was a sergeant in the Auckland Regiment, and he had already won the Distinguished Conduct Medal and the Military Medal. In the middle of 1918 he led a small bombing party under heavy fire and captured a German machine-gun. He then went up a sap alone chasing three enemy machine-gun crews before him with the aid of bombs.

Although an attack was in progress and artillery, machine-guns and rifles made the open spaces a death-trap, Judson jumped out of the trench and ran ahead of the enemy. Standing on the parapet, he ordered the party, consisting of two officers and ten men, to surrender. Their reply consisted of a bullet, but he replied with a bomb and then jumped down amongst them, killing two and putting the rest to flight. Thus he captured two machine-guns. It was by this prompt and gallant action that the lives of many New Zealanders were saved and the advance was permitted to continue. Nowadays, Lieutenant Judson is an officer of the Defence Department and is stationed at Auckland. It was rumoured that he would attend the Prince’s dinner, but even if this was correct there is not sufficient time to enable him to get there. Swam a River.

Another Aucklander, Sergeant James Crichton, also got his Victoria Cross in 1918. lie did not come through the war unhurt, but he recovered from his wounds and is now a resident of Auck land. lie was decorated for a feat of exceptional bravery. Pie was wounded in the foot, but refused to return to the dressing station, despite the fact that the canals and rivers had to be crossed. His platoon was subsequently forced back by a counter-attack, and

Crichton volunteered to carry back a| message. This involved swimming a I river and crossing a piece of land which was swept by machine-gun fire. He delivered his message and returned by the same route to his platoon. A little later, although his wound was exceptionally painful, he undertook, on his own initiative, to save a bridge which had been mined. Under, the fire of machine-guns and snipers he crossed the danger zone, and removed the charges, returning with the detonators and fuses. His pluck and devotion to duty earned him the thanks of the King and the Victoria Cross. The only Victoria Cross to come to the Canterbury Regiment during the war was that won by Sergeant Henry James Nicholas, who was killed in action on October 23, 1918. It was in the attack on December 3, 1917, on Polderhoek Chateau, that Nicholas showed his coolness and bravery in the face of very great difficulties. Nicholas was one of a Lewis gun section, and he had orders to form a defensive flank on the right of the advance, which was subsequently checked by heavy machine-gun and rifle fire from an enemy, strong-point.. Nicholas perceived the cause of the hold-up and rushed forward, with his section abort twenty-five yards behind him, and shot the officer in command of the post. He then overcame the remainder of the garrison of sixteen by bayonet and bomb, capturing four prisoners and taking the machine-gun. Later in the same advance ammunition ran short, and in the face of heavy enemy fire Nicholas went coolly round and collected the necessary ammunition. A j-ear later, on October 23, 1918, Nicholas took part in the fight for the bridge-heads over the River Ecaillon, where the battalion was endeavouring

to occupy Beaudignies. The battle was a fierce one, but in the end the village was captured and the bridges were made safe. It was in this fight that Nicholas met his death.

Another present member of the New Zealand permanent forces who holds the Victoria Cross is Captain L. W. Andrew. who recently returned to tha Dominion from a tour of duty in India He gained his decoration for the cool

ness that he showed when in a djllicu.lt position. At that time, he was a corporal in the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces, and in-1917 he was in charge of a small party during an attack. His objective was a machine-gun post, which had been located in an isolated building. Oji leading hi* men forward. Andrew unexpectedly met with opposition from a machine-gun post which was holding up the advance of another company. He immediately attacked, captured the post and killed several of the crew, lie then continued on his attack on his original objective as if nothing had happened. In his disposition of the small force that he had a\ T ailable, Andrew displayed great skill and determination, finally capturing the post. Those of the enemy who did not take refuge in flight lost their lives. It was the magnificent example of leadership and the way in -which he stimulated his men that gained for Andrew the Victoria Cross.

The capture of three machine-guns, practically single-handed, led to the Victoria Cross being awarded to Sergeant Donald Forrester Brown, __ of Oamaru. His unit had suffered serious casualties from enemy machine-gun fire in the summer of 1917, and he set out with a companion to capture the guns. The first gun was approached carefully, and when the two men had reached a position thirty yards ‘away* from it they attacked with such vigour that the gun was captured. A little later, the advance of the company was again held up, and again Brown captured the gun by rushing it and demoralising the crew. The position then came under heavy shellfire, and by an utter contempt for danger and by showing coolness all the time. Brown kept up the spirit of his men. Again in an attack, Brown showed conspicuous gallantry. A machine-gun was once more holding up the attack, and Brown rushed it and captured it single-handed. Later, while sniping the retreating enemy, this very gallant New Zealand soldier was killed. A Remarkable Swim. Always a remarkable swimmer, it was by his skill and daring in the water that Colonel Freyberg won his medal. A man of big stature, he was commonly known as “Tiny”, and in his schoolboy days in New Zealand he broke many of the existing swimming records, becoming champion of the Dominion. 11 is related that on one occasion he swam thirty miles in an Auckland river. His most notable swim was when, in 1915, he swam from a destroyer at night in the Dardanelles and, on reaching the shore, he lighted flares to deceive the Turks. On his return swim he was alone in the water for a number of hours, as in the pitch darkness he had difficulty in locating the destroyer from which he came. His swim saved the British forces from heavy losses, and he was awarded the Victoria Cross. His war record was a remarkable one He was mentioned in despatches si a times, wounded nine times, received thi D.S.O. and two bars, and the V.C.

South African Hero. The sole New Zealander to get the highest award for valour in the South African War was Major William James Hardham, who died in Wellington last year, after serving in both the South African and Great Wars. He served in South Africa as a farrier-sergeant, going over there first of all with the ninth contingent. His Victoria Cross came to him for sheer bravery. Another New Zealander, Trooper M’Crae, was lying wounded under Boer fire at Naauwport. Hardham went out unhesitatingly and brought in M’Crae to safety. As a footballer, Major Hardham was well known, having played in no fewer than fifty-two representative games for the Wellington province. He went to England with the Coronation Contingent in 1902, and served with the 'Wellington Mounted Rifles in the last war, seeing service in Egypt, Gallipoli and F ranee.

So ends the list of New Zealand's V.C.’s. Each well deserved his decoration, and, while the acts of bravery were recognised, there were hundreds of other New Zealanders who were just as gallant and just as brave, but their acts did not come under official notice. No New Zfealander took part in an engagement looking for honour and glory, and those who were recognised considered that the honour was not theirs but belonged to the country from which they had come.