FOR VALOUR IN WAR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3107, 11 June 1917, Page 6

FOR VALOUR IN WAR

THIRTY. AWARDS OF THE VICTORIA CROSS A GALLANT NEW ZEALANDER mi ■ l -rr- , . London, Juue 8. Thirty Victoria Crosses have been Si 6 ' ■ lu = lu<Un ,? ™ards to six Au" nahans and one New Zealander, Sergeant Donald Forrester Brown, of the infantry Hie company sufl'ered most heavy casual! bee among, both officers „„«! men ty machine-gun fire. Sergeant brown, with, a comrade, reached within thirty yards of the enemy guns, killed four of ,™ crew, and captured the gun. The company was again similarly held up, and Brown and a comrade, with great -alkutry, rushed a ffl /,n, and killed the TiVi > t c S m|lally """-then heavily shelled, but Brown's contempt for danger and coolness kept up the men's "pints. . .Subsequently Brown made a single-handed attack on a machine gun, Till th l.^ w ' ™. d captured the gun. Later, whilst yiiping tho retreating Z " v 7 nF, * nt 60l(lier was killcd - lr Aus.-i\.Z. Cable Assn. A FEARLESsTIRMAN. > r,,, T .. . . London, June 9. Other Victoria Crosses include Cap.tain Albert Ball, aviator. Between April 2o and May 6 he participated in twentysix, combats. He destroyed eleven machines brought down two, and forced several to descend. Ball, flying alone, once mought six machines, twice fought five, iiml once fou-rht foim When leading two other British aviators Ball attacked eight aeroplanes. On every occasion he brought down at least one. His aeroplane was- several times badly damaged. Once all the control wires were phot away altogether. : Ball destroyed •forty-three aeroplanes and one balloon. His conn-age, determination, and skill were always exceptional.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. THE LATE SERGEANT BROWN. A PERSONAL NOTE. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Oamaru, June 10. Sergeant Donald Forrester Brown, who lias been awarded the Victoria Cross, was the third son of Mr. Robert Brown, of the Polytecfiuio, Ouuiaru. . He was '£ years of age, and belonged to the North Utago Company, Second' Battalion, 9th .Reinforcements. He went to Egypt, leaving New Zealand in January, lDlli. After a short stay in Kgypt he was sent to France, arriving at Marseilles in Maj r , 1916. He went straight up to Arinentieres and fell ia the Somuie offensive uuring the fierce fighting outside Eaucourt l'Abbaye on Otcober 1. At the time of enlistment, Sergeant Brown was engaged in farming. He sold his farm and ioined the colours. Describing the valourous deeds which earned distinction, Captain Freeman, O.C. of the company, wrote: "Owing to the shortage of officers during the operations at Armentieres, Brown virtually had command of a platoon. He was a steady and reliable man under fire in positions of danger, and by his example kept his men steady. He I was always in his element in No-Man's Land, and could always be relied upon to obtain any information. Hβ was instrumental in effecting the capture of a machine-gun." - After Sergeant Brown's death, Lieat.Colonel G. S. Smith wrote to Mr. Brown, senior: "He died on the Somme. His great work was on September 15 and again on. October 1. During our most saecessful attacks on German trenches he took a German machine-gun after killing five men. If he had lived I had hoped ■to recommend him at least for the D.C.M., and he might have got the V.C. He was an excellent non-com., and much liked by his men. I cannot speak too highly of him. He is a great loss to the battalion;" He was one of a party who went into actiou two hundred strong, and of whom only thirty-live returned. Sergeant Brown .is another of the F3O representatives of Waitaki High School known to be in the fighting line, to win 1 distinction. He was at the school in 1908, was a splendid footballer, and good 6port, and highly respected. Last evening a special service in honour of the late sergeant was held at the AVaitaki High School. In an address. Mr. T. Milner, the rector, paid a tribute to Sergeant Brown's heroism, and mentioned that eleven Waitakians hud won the Military Cross, and sixteen had been mentioned in dispatches. At the Columba Presbyterian Church this morning, where Sergeant Brown attended, special reference was made to the honour awarded the fallen soldier.