FOR VALOUR

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 169, 17 October 1941, Page 5

FOR VALOUR

TWO NEW V.C.'s

LINK WITH WHAKATANE

The approval of His Majesty the King to the awarding of the Victoria Cross to 2nd Lieut. C. H. Upham and! Sergeant A. C. Hulme for gallantry in Crete brings a glow of pride into at least one Whakatane home.

Sergeant Hulme Avhose magnificent patrol Avork earned him the distinction is a nephew of Mr E. W. MatheAvs the well knoAvn locij.l businessman, avlio stated yesterda\' .that, although it Avas knoAvn that 'Clive' had been mentioned nine times in despatches the Avinning of the V.C. Avas something of a complete surprise. Sgt. Hulme who is now convalescing at Rotorua, was in Whakatane the Aveek-end before last, and to many of his friends gaA'e vi\'id descriptions of the fighting in Crete. As a sniper he Avas given a roving commission and spent most of his time behind the enemy lines.

Saived by Maoris

To a Beacon reprcsentati\*e he recounted one of his experiences which nearly meant curtains for him.

Equipped Avith a German rille and ammunition and disguised as a paratroop, he had followed out his usual custom of lying 'doggo' beneath a damaged parachute, Avith a couple of eyeholes and an apperture for firing through. He had plenty of proAisions and Avas prepared for a day of it if necessary. He had already shot one Hun Avho hoAvever had craAvled away , under coAer and informed his comrades of his (Sgt. Hulme's) presence.

An hour after a patrol of tliirts' Germans in a Avidespread 'V' Avith rifles at the hip made their Avay up the A'alley toAvards him. Crouching under his parachute he had quite made up his mind that the game Avas up, Avhen his attention Avas arrested by a Avild shout behind him. Over the broAV of the hill came the men of the Maori Battalion in an o\ rervvhe'.ming bayonet charge. The Germans didn't Avait.

"I become so excited," said Sgt. Hulme, "that I stood up and cheered forgetting that I was still in German uniform. The Maoris camc full at me, and it was only by rare luck that a Sergeant recognised me and held his mates from giving me, a taste of Hun medicine." He ultimately joined the Maoris in their charge and like all other New Zealanders pays the highest tribute to. their prowess and their fearlessness. On another occasion, coming face to face with a German sniper while on one of his lone patrols, he relates how both men stopped and looked at each other for some seconds before realising the situation. Both fired at once, but the German's bullet got home, wounding the New Zealander in the arm. When the smoke cleared the Hun was. not to be seen. Speaking of the original invasion by paratroops, he said the whole procedure was nothing more or less than mass murder. Mr Mathews recalls the early interest taken by* Sergt. Hulme in the last - war. Then only a lad he was deeply impressed by a visit of his uncle who was then preparing for overseas service in the first great war. No one then of course realised that the boy who asked so> many questions was a potential winner of the Victoria Gross.