WAR DECORATIONS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 April 1942, Page 3

WAR DECORATIONS

N.Z. EXPEDITIONARY FORCE SOME WON IN GREECE & CRETE. PRESENTATION BY GENERAL FREYBERG. (N.Z.E.F. Official News Service.) CAIRO, April 4. Twenty-one decorations, 19 of them for gallantry in the field, were presented by General Freyberg before a parade of the Fifth New Zealand Infantry Brigade at New Zealand base camp today. Five of the awards were won by soldiers of the brigade in Greece, four in Crete, and nine in the recent Libyan campaign. The officer in charge of administration of the Second N.Z.E.F., the deputy-director of ordnance services and the commandant of the New Zealand School of Instruction are also honoured. Decorations are: Commander of the Order of the British Empire, Brigadier W. G. Stevens; Officer of the Order of the British Empire, Colonel T. J. King, Lieut.-Colonel S. Allen; Member of the Order of the British Empire, Major J. S. King, D. 5.0., Lieut.-Colonel J. Russell, Majors G. J. O. Steward, R. B. Dawson; Military Cross, Majors J. P. Snadden an'd T. C. Campbell, Captains E. A. McPhail, H. V. Donald, R. C. Pemberton, Lieutenant C. T. Mason, D.C.M.. Sergeants Trewby and. E. W. Hobbs; Military Medal, WarrantOfficer (II.) K. B. Booker, Sergeants J. H. Franklin and R. J. Baylis, Privates N. C. Olde and A. D. Smith, Driver J. M. Childerhouse. General Freyberg inspected the brigade which paraded at base camp for the first time since its arrival over a year ago from the United Kingdom. Clouds of dust rose from the feet of the troops as they marched in long lines across the desert parade ground past the saluting base. The parade, which was commanded by Brigadier H. K. Kippenberger, presented arms to the recipients of'decorations, who formed in line from General Freyberg to return the salute.

AWARDS TO PILOTS

GALLANT SERVICE IN MIDDLE EAST. LONDON, April 4. Pilot Officer Robert Inglis Laing, of the R.N.Z.A.F., has been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. The citation states that he has displayed outstanding courage and ability in the Western Desert, particularly in lowlevel machine-gunning raids against enemy aerodromes and motor transport columns. During a raid on the aerodrome at Jedabaya in December, he destroyed 13 enemy planes on the ground, pressing home his attack with determination. (Pilot Officer Laing is the younger son of Mr and Mrs J. S. Laing, 15 Friend Street, Karori.) Sergeant (now Pilot Officer) lan Hamilton Irvine, of Howick, Auckland, is awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal. The citation says that he attacked enemy shipping and important land targets, and performed his tasks with skill in spite of heavy anti-air-craft and fighter opposition. As a section leader he set a fine example toall.