HONOURS IN WAR

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2595, 18 October 1915, Page 6

HONOURS IN WAR

NEW DECORATED VICTORIA: CROSS AWARD MAJOR G. S.,RICHARDSON, C.M.G. By Tfllegranh-Press Assaciatlon-Oopjriclit ; . . .London,.October 15. ' Corporal Bass'ett, a. .New Zea lander, iins been awarded the ; Victoria- Cross. Victoria Crosses have; been awarded to tho following members of the Australian Forces:, Captain Shout, Lieuts. Symons,: Frederick*. Tiibb, 7 and Hugo Tbrossejl , Corporals Alexander. Burton and William Dujistan, and Privates John Hamilton and Leonard Eeysor. (Rec. Qotober 17, 3 p.m.) London, October 16. Tho London "Gazette" publishes the following awards of decorations to tho coloiials:— ' Bngadier-Geueral M'Cay, — Pope. — Burnage, of the Australians—Companions of the Bath (C.8.),' ' Colonel Pluggo and Major G. S. Richardson, New Zealanders—Companions of St. Michael and St. Georgo (C.M.B.j. Majors Turnbull and G. S. Smith, New Zcalanders—Distinguished Service Order, (D.5.0.).

Details of .Victoria Cross exploits aro as follow:—

Captain Shout.—Most; conspicuous bravery at Lone Pine. Heading a small party, he charged,the enemy's.trenches and personally threw four bombs, killing.-, eight and routing the, remainder. Mo captured ii further lengtii of trench, and continued to bomb the enemy under the heaviest fire till severely wounded. He has since succumbed.

■ [A later, message, received October ■IS, 1.15 a.m., from-Sydajy, states that Captain Shout was a- native of Zealand, and a resident of Sydney.. Ho iought in the Boer War, where lie was jr.entioned in dispatches. Shortly after tho landing at Gallipoli ho was wound- ■ ed. He received tether injuries at Lone Pine. His .wife first received a cable- ■ "gram. stating that lie had been : killed; ■then another that lie had been wounded ;> :: then a third-confirmed his death;] Lieut. Symons.—Bravery. at Lone Pine. Commanding'a section of newly- " captured trenches, he repelled sevcraj -counter-attacks, aid. retook a capturcd ' sap, shooting with his revolver two 'fiu-ks. AVhen the. sap was uuder fire ■ ;rom tlvreo, sides ho withdrew fifteen

.'■ 'yards and built a barricade'of facines. This was set on fire, and he extinguished the. flames and rebuilt the . barricade. Finally'ie compelled the • enemy to withdraw. . Lieut. Tubb. —Bravery and devotion to duty at Lone Pine. The enemy made ; a determined counter-attack on. a cap.•tured trench,' and blew up a sandbag barricade. Tubb led his men back 'f and_robuilt it. The enemy's bombing t parties twice blow -up the barricade, but ■Tubb, although wounded in' "the head and arm, with the "greatest coolness . maintained liis position under the heavij «st bouibfire.', Corporals Burton and , Dunstan assisted. Tubb i» defending the captured trench. -Finally Burton was killed by a bomb while .building up ' tlie barricade.; , Liaiit. Throsswell (who is a a member of the West Australian Assem-bly)-—Most conspicuous bravery at . 1 Hill 60. Although severely wounded in

several places, ho refused to leave his post until the danger was past. His wounds having been dressed, ho returned "to tlio firing lino until the medical offi;cr ordered him out of action. His personal courage was largely, .instrumental iii saving a critical situation. • * • i Private Hamilton—With an utter disregard for his personal safety, exposed himself to a heavy 'fire at Lone-Pine in order to secure a better firing position against bomb-throwers. His coolness and daring example encouraged the defenders, who drove off the enemy with heavy loss.

Private Keysor—At Lone Pine., on 'August 7, he threw back two live enemy tombs, although wounded, saving' an important' section- of trench. On August 8 ho bombed the enemy out of a position, and . although again wounded and marked for hospital, volunteered to throw bombs for another company whoso bombers had been lost. Ho continued until the station was relieved.

Corporal Bassett, a New Zealander, a signaller—After the New Zealand infantry was, established on Cliunuk Bair ißidge, Bassett, in full daylight, under a continuous heavy lire, laid a tele- , phone line to Chunuk Bair, and was j subsequently brought under notice for i.jmost gallant work in repairing tele- ' 4)hona lines:under heavy fire.-

\ Amongst the latest arrivals at the 'Mount Felix Hospital, at Walton-on-fTliamos, is a New Zealander with fortynine distinct shrapnel wounds, received on Gallipoli.

j Lieut. Gearly, Ist East .Surrey Regi'menfc, has been awarded the Victoria Cross for conspicuous bravery on Hill 60 at Ypres. . [Colonel Plugge is an Auckland! officer. Major G. S. Richardson (he is really a lieutenant-colonel), was very well-known in New Zealand as Chief instructor of artillery.]