VICTORIA CROSS

Camp News (Northern Command), Volume 1, Issue 17, 23 August 1940, Page 6

VICTORIA CROSS

Awarded For Action In Norway RECIPIENT KNOWN ft NEW ZEALAND The Victoria Cross has J awarded to Lieutenant Ri c J Stannard, R.N.R., Tor outstanj valour and signal devotion to I aboard .HiM.S. Arab at Nail Norway. I When enemy bombing. raids sell to many tons of hand grenades out Namsos , wharf, where a water sur from the shore was not, avails Lieutenant Stannard ran the Ara; bow against the wharf and held fl ship there-. He sent all but two of II crew aft and attempted for two hoi to extinguish the fires with the shi; hoses. He persisted till the ata was given up as hopeless. When'll Arab'was later leaving the port Lit tenant Stannard brought down bojuber which ordered the ship steer east or be sunk. The Arab subjected to 31 bombings in fivedaj Lieutenant Stannard consistently, ranged for the protection and beam ing of his men ashore and afloat,’. Lieutenant R. B. Stannard,H R.N.R., is well-known in New Zeak as are both of his brothers. He first? to sea 22 years ago as a cadet ii Port Line. The joined the steamed Victor in /March, 1918, and served four years’ apprenticeship in that! which was commanded by Captain A. Gregory, now marine supemtf of the Port Line in New Zealand After completing hi’s _ ind Lieutenant Stannard remained ' service of the Port Line for some He served as fourth officer, third t: and second officer in a number of tie: pany’s ships in the New Zealand Australian trades.. Some years ago. Lieutenant Stall entered the service of the Orient I in which he rose to the rank of sa officer in the company’s mail star running from London to Australia? was senior’second officer of the Ora when that ship visited Welling October, 1938. Lieutenant Stannard joined the 8? .Naval Reserve soon after he went to l and was promoted lieutenant ;in : !)«■ her, 1922. He is married, and his is in Wanstead, on the north side London. One of Lieutenant Stannard's broil is chief engineer in the Port Line M ship Port Halifax, and the other is see officer of another Port liner. The award of the Victoria Cross Lieutenant Stannard will give 'f pl ensure-to his New Zealand friends, • is the source of great pride to Caps Gregory, who trained him as. an * of the Merchant Navy. He is the’ Merchant Marine officer and. the set' in the Royal Navy to receive. the in this war. The first naval At awarded posthumously to the late ■ tain B. A. IV. Warburton-Lee, B J -| H.M.S. Hardy, for gallantry? in "W his destroyer flotilla into Nam*® and attacking a superior force of «<! destroyers.—S.DAV.' ... | j