Soldier remembers close grenade call

Ruapehu Bulletin, 1 December 1992, Page 1

Soldier remembers close grenade call

By Jan Savell "It was just one of those times," Sgt John Akurangi said when asked to talk about the incident in August 1988 which earned him the Queen's Gallantry Medal., presented recently. Sgt Akurangi was in the grenade throwing bay with a territorial force recruit when things went drastically wrong. The recruit had two practise throws and everything was fine. On his first live throw the grenade slipped around in his hand so that his thumb no longer covered the clip. This meant he had only four seconds left before the explosion - but he didn't know that. He didn't realize the primary had struck. "Everything was wet and slippery. The recruit's actions were quite slow. I

asked for the grenade but he just stood there. He didn't understand why I wanted it." "I said 'give me the blimin grenade' and had to take it off him. I threw it right out and it exploded in the air. I had time to yell 'grenade' and get down, but for the guys in the other bays it was just too quick. Luckily the momentum of the grenade pushed the blast forward so no one was injured." John Akurangi was asked if he wanted to continue the grenade throwing and he did - continuing to act as Throwing Bay NCO while the recruit threw his second grenade. "I carried on but the tension started to build up. After half a dozen throwers I raised my hand. I'd had enough,."

Sgt Akurangi's wife and two children accompanied him on his trip to Wellington to receive his award. In his current appointment as Training NCO for the Army Training Group he continues to be involved with the live firing of grenades. Since the incident the drills for left handed soldiers throwing grenades have been examined and revised. Every soldier now holds the grenade upright, where before the incident, left handers held the grenade upside down. Normally the pin is pulled out while the thumb covers the clip. The thumb remains over the clip until the grenade leaves the hand of the thrower. This ensures it is not activated prior to the actual throw.