NEW ZEALAND DIVISION

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 235, 22 June 1918, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND DIVISION

■PRESENTATION OF DECORATIONS. .(Special'from I;he New Zealand Official . ■ ■ ■ War Correspondent.) ■■;■ ■ • By Cable. ■ A Divisional General, in presenting medals, and ribands to members of the intrenching Battalions, who distinguished themselves in the recent fishtinc:, congratulated them on. ihe splendid spirit, and initiative they had shown. He pointed, out .that.the New Zealand Division : represented a great deal to us and to our country. It was but a very small •pebble on the teach in this great war. It was not with us as with other armieswith those of the other overseas .Dominions—for' if this division made a fault or failed, we had no other New Zealand Division to rectify the failure or ! correct the fault. It had to stand or i* tall by its own work. It was therefore .) all 'the niore incumbent upon every in- • dividual to euduavour by his own effort ;to help to maintain and if possiblo inj crease, the reputation that lind already ;been earned. No one must look to ; others to do his work. The reputation '. of the Division of our country 7 ested in ■ the hands of each individual.

: Among those who were decorated was . the Rev. Matthew Mullineux, who is al-l-ready wearing South African ribands, and ; lias now received the •-Military Cross. J Daring the fighting in May, when a medi- ; cal officer- becaino a casualty, the chaplain took charge of a regimental aid post, dressed the wounded, and euperviaed the ..removal of the patients. This poet was subjected to heavy fire of high explosive and gas shells for twelve hours. But for the padre's splendid work there would have been a serious congestion of wounded.

Others who were awarded medals for this.fighting were;—Pte, %W. Eolman (Otago), Pte. R. S. Williams (Canterbury), Pte. W. A. Moffatt (Canterbury),- Pte. J. V. M'Clelland (Otago), Pte, 0. C. Empeon (Canterbury), Pte. G. H. Stark (Canterbury), Sergt. 11. D. M'Bride (Canterbury), Sergt. J. A. Cook (Otago), Seret. W.-P. Morrin; Sergt. H. P. de Courcy (deceased), Sergt. L. W. Kelloh (gassed), Pte.G. Gerkin (wounded), Lieut. J. R. Leys (deceased), 2nd Lieut. N. R. Harper (deceased), and Sergt. W. J. Pauling. Some of the men' decorated were wear--ing ribands already won, and one of the' men' was wearing six.-wound stripes.