VICTORIA CROSS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 June 1943, Page 3

VICTORIA CROSS

AWARDED TO TWO BRITISH OFFICERS CONSPICUOUS GALLANTRY IN NORTH AFRICA. ONE OF THE AWARDS POSTHUMOUS. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.21 a.m.) RUGBY. June 29. Two more Victoria Grosses han't 1 been awarded lot' cohspicuous gallantry in North Africa. Lieutenant W. A. S. Clarke, of the Loyal liegiment, receives the award posthumously and the oilier goes to Major -k Al. Anderson, D. 5.0., of the Argyle and (Sutherland Highlanders.

During the attack on Guirat El Atach, a feature 6 miles east-north-east of Medjez el Bab, Lieutenant Clarke was the sole remaining officer after his company had gained its objective, but had been almost wiped out. Lieutenant Clarke, who was wounded in the head, gathered a composite platoon together and volunteered to attack the position again. As the platoon closed on its objective, it was met by heavy machine-gun fire, but Lieutenant Clarke manoeuvred his men into a position to give a covering fire and then tackled the post single-hand-ed, killing or capturing the whole crew and knocking out the gun. Almost at once the platoon came under the fire of two more machine-gun posts and Lieutenant Clarke again went forward alone, killed the crews or compelled them to surrender. Then he led his platoon on to an objective and while the platoon was consolidating it came under the fire of two sniper posts. Lieutenant Clarke advanced alone to clear them, but was killed within a few feet of the enemy.

Major Anderson won his.award during the attack on Longstop Hill, where for five hours he led the attack through intense enemy, machine-gun and mortal’ fire. He led an assault on the battalion's first objective in daylight, over a long expanse of open, sloping hillside, most of the time without the effective cover of smoke. The enemy infantry was most determined and very heavy casualties were sustained, including all the other company commanders, before the first oojective was reached. Major Anderson reorganised the battalion under heavy fire and, the commanding officer having been killed, took command of the battalion and led the assault on the second objective. He received a leg wound,* but carried on and finally captured Longstop Hill, with a total remaining force of four officers and under forty of other ranks. During the attack, Major Anderson personally led attacks on at least three enemy ma-chine-gun positions. He also led a succesful attack on a mortar position, defended by over 30 of the enemy. Il was largely due to his bravery that the hill was captured.