AWARDS OF VALOUR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3161, 13 August 1917, Page 5

AWARDS OF VALOUR

NEW ZEALANDERS DECORATED BY FRENCH GENERAL AN IMPRESSIVE CEREMONY (Special from tho Official New Zealand War Correspondent.), August 1. . General Anthoino, of tho French Army, has just paid a visit to New Zealand •Headquarters, whore ho decorated several of our forcoiwitli tho Croix do Guorre. The recipients were members of a brigado and pioneers that recently did excellent work assisting to dig in guns, on tlio French front. The ccremony was quite an impressive one, the unit concerned providing the guard of honour, and a military band, an army corps, divisional commanders and members of their staffs being present. Not tho least impressivo part of tho ceremony was when Goneral Anthoine pinned on the breast of General Plnmer's tunic the Oroix.de Guerro in honour of the victory at tho Battle of Messincs. The Now Zealand officers who received tho medal wero Licut.-Colonels W. S. Austin Stewart, .1. G. Roaclio, and King. Other ranks awardod tho decoration were: Sergeants T. .Tones and 11. J. Rillstone, Riflemen 0. N. M'Knight, 0. H. AVarrcn, S. R, l''ui'b.y, S. 0. Sturgcss, and A. Laughlin, and Privates Pun 'lamihana and Toi ICorini. Of these. Sergeant Jones and Rifleman Wooton (?) were killed, and tho other non-coms, and men wounded in carrying out tho work. An interesting though sad feature of tno ccrcnionv was that, owing to tlio absence of tho 'killed and wounded, their inedals were pinned on the breasts of their junior commanding officers. Tho Military Medal has been awarded to the following for gallantry in the field :-Corporals W. A. Smton and F. G. Lynch, Privates IC. S. Mooro, i. Tr. Crawford, and Sapper L. C. Whitelaw.

(The cable news in this issue accredited to the London "Times" has appeared In that journal, but, only where expressly stated is such news the editorial opinion of "The Times.")