GALLANT DEEDS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 October 1943, Page 3

GALLANT DEEDS

IN CAPTURE OF TAKROUNA NEW ZEALAND SERGEANT & PRIVATE. BOTH AWARDED MILITARY MEDAL. (N.Z.E.F. Official News Service. ) CAIRO, October 29. Two further awards for gallantry during the capture by New Zealanders of Takrouna on the night of April 19 are announced. Sergeant L. N. Parris, who has been awarded the Military Medal, was platoon sergeant of one of two leading platoons which, after reaching the company's objective, had to advance in the face of fierce opposition to clean out an enemy strongpoint dominating their front and flank. After hand-to-hand fighting against strongly entrenched Germans, the ridge was taken, but there were only three men left capable of fighting.

Two platoon officers had been killed, and Parris, who was wounded, tried to establish contact with flanking units. He collected all the available Bren magazines and set up a machine-gun post which, with the addition of the fire of his own tommy-gun, successfully held at bay a vastly superior enenemy force. When the enemy counterattacked again Parris had to retire, taking vzith him his remaining men. “The aggressive spirit of this n.c.o. has been evident every time he has been in action,” the citation states. Private A. T. Luxford has also won the Military Medal. The citation refers to the same action.- Luxford’s section commander was wounded, and Luxford look over and led his section in attack. The section captured a 50millimeter anti-tank gun, two machinegun nests and one mortar post. When the remainder of, his section was all wound, Luxford went on alone, and though subsequently severely wounded, used up all his ammunition and then crawled back to report. The success of this action was undoubtedly due to Luxford's leadership and courage. His conduct was consistent with all other occasions he has been in action.