V.C. HERO RETURNS.

Taihape Daily Times, 25 June 1919, Page 2

V.C. HERO RETURNS.

PRIVATE JAMES CRICHTON. A VETERAN OF 45. HOV," HE V»/'o.‘-I Tl-_=l3 CROSS. One of those wh.» la.llF‘d from the W".limana was Private Jzmies Crichton V.C., who recciv-.-:l the coveted decoration at the ha-noils of the King just before the V'C.S:,-‘.Ol sailed, the ax-.'n.l‘;i having been n:ad.- last Soptciiiber. Private Crichto-.1, is :x .~‘e-i‘r.s:~mi.l, 45 year-g, of age. and :1 veteran of the ‘3outh Al‘:-lean war. Hr (‘Erin-3 to N€‘W Zealand in 1914, eiily I. few nmaths before war broke out, and obtained employment. as 9. rel.-fig;-aoli linusman. At the first opportunity he enlistc-dl, and left with the C»—l_':En Body. The official accounts of the deeds for which he was riwarelnd the \'ict«»ria C)‘(‘.>‘i’s r‘..-1l:c:~: .<;‘:frr§ug rcadi:2:_i' lllii-:.’Cd_. it \'.'!)llid be hard it: Eiiiagine :1 more daring and remarkable da_v’s work. The account embodied in a special divisional order by Major-General Sir A. H. Russell, and is as folows: “For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He shoxved the gr-Patest courage during our attack. He was wounded in the foot, but, though walking with diiiiculty, remained with his platoon, which crossed the canal and two branches of the Escaut. River into the village. Later, the enemy counterattaeked, and his platoon‘ had to retire ‘between the two branches of the river. He vounteercd to carry a mesage back to his company headquarters. The jouruc-y involved swimming the river marl cl'ossin,r_; are exposed area swept by machine-gun fire. This he did successt‘-illy and returned to his platoon in the same way. Later, knowing the stone bridge leading to the town was mined. in order to save it he went forwa.rd - 1 his own initiativo to try to I'r,*movo the ,r=hai'_sroS. This was a distance of about 75 yards and the bridge and approaches were covered by enemy machine-guns and snipers. He contrived, however. to reach the bridge. to remove the charges, which he czanki in the river, and to bring back tie fuses and detonators. Subsequently, he again Carried a message to conifiany headquarters by the same route, that is, swimming the river. Not knowing he was wounded, the company commander then put him on as a stretcherbearer, and he tried to carry out his work, but, owing to increasing -trouble with his wound, he was forced to go to the dressing-station. His courage and devotion to duty while all the while suffering from a painful wound was of the highest order.” Actually, Private Crichton was wounded at 7 a.m., and performed his feat at the bridge after 5 p.m. The explosive charges, seven in number weighed each a‘ hundredweight and a-half, and he dzopped all of them into deep water out of harm's way. Before the day was over he had to walk six miles to a dressing station upon his Wounded foot. Private Crichton has his home with the Rev. E. Palgrave Davy. of BaysWater.