.............. or served with New Zealand regiments ...... R.C. Travis was also known as Dickson Cornelius Savage but he enlisted and served under the pseudonym - R.C. Travis. * Posthumous award - Killed in action BASSETT, Cyril Royston Guyton(1892-1983), b.Auck Chunuk Bair Ridge, Gallipoli-7 Aug.1915 WWI SHOUT, Alfred John (1882-1915) b. NZ Lone Pine WWI* RHODES-MOORHOUSE, William Barnard (1887-1915) b. London France - Apr. 1915 WWI* COOKE, Thomas (1881-1916) b. Kaikoura Pozières, Somme - 24 Jul.1916 WWI* BROWN, Donald Forrester (1890-1916), b.Dunedin. Somme - 15 Sept.1916 WWI- FREYBERG, Bernard Cyril (1889-1963) b. London Somme - Nov. 1916 WWI FRICKLETON, Samuel (1891-1971) b. Scotland Messines, Belgium - Jul.1917 WWI ANDREW, Brigadier Leslie Wilton (1897-1969) b. Manawatu La Basseville, France in 1917 WWI NICHOLAS, Henry James (1891-1918) b. Lincoln Polderhoek, Western Front - Dec.1917 WWI- SANDERS, William Edward (1883-1917) b. Auckland Cmdr of HMS Prize - 1917 WWI- STORKEY, Percy Valentine (1891-1969) b. Napier France - April 1918 WWI +TRAVIS, Richard Charles (1884-1918) b.Opotiki Rossignol Wood - Jul. 1918 WWI- JUDSON, Reginald Stanley (1881-1972) b. Auckland France - 24 August 1918 WWI GRANT, John Gilroy (1889-1970) b. Hawera Bancourt - Sept.1918 WWI WEATHERS, Lawrence Carthage (1890-1918) b. Te Kopuru Peronne, Western Front - Sept.1918 WWI* LAURENT, Henry John (1895-1987) b. Hawera Western Front - Sept.1918 WWI FORSYTH, Samuel (1891-1918) b. Wellington Bapaume - 1918 WWI* CRICHTON, James (1879-1961) b.Ireland Crevecoeur, France - 1918 WWI
PRIVATE JAMES CRICHTON VC - 53rd Regiment. James Crichton was born in Carrickfergus, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland, was a veteran of the Boer War and was serving with the 2nd Battalion, The Auckland Regiment ( Countess of Ranfurly's Own ) when he won the Victoria Cross in France during WW1. [ London Gazette, 15 November 1918 ]. Crevecoer, France, 30 September 1918, Private James Crichton, 2nd Bn, Auckland Regiment, New Zealand Expeditionary Force. "For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty, when although wounded in the foot, he continued with the advancing troops, despite difficult canal and river obstacles. When his platoon was subsequently forced back by a counter-attack he succeeded in carrying a message which involved swimming a river and crossing an area swept by machine-gun fire, subsequently rejoining his platoon. Later he undertook on his own initiative to save a bridge which had been mined, and although under close fire of machine-guns and snipers, he succeeded in removing the charges returning with the fuses and detonators. Though suffering from a painful wound, he displayed the highest degree of valour and devotion to duty." James Crichton died on 22 September 1961, aged 82, and is buried in the Waikumete Memorial Park Soldiers' Cemetery, near Auckland. Medal entitlement of Private James Crichton - 2nd Bn, Auckland Regiment, NZEF Victoria Cross Queen's South Africa Medal ( 1899-1902 ) 5 clasps: "Cape Colony" - "Orange Free State" - "Transvaal" "South Africa 1901" - "South Africa 1902" 1914 - 15 Star British War Medal ( 1914-20 ) Victory Medal ( 1914-19 ) 1939 - 45 Star War Medal ( 1939-45 ) New Zealand War Service Medal ( 1939-45 ) King George VI Coronation Medal ( 1937 ) Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal ( 1953 ) PRIVATE JAMES CRICHTON VC - 2nd Bn, ( Auckland Regiment ) NZEF Victoria Cross donated to the Auckland Museum 30 June 2001 Back row: Left to Right: Col L.W. Andrew, Maj R.S. Judson, Pte J.D. Crichton, Lt H.J. Laurent, Lt C.R.G. Bassett Front row: Stg J.D. Hinton, Lt K. Elliott, Cpt C.H. Upham, Stg A.C. Hulme, Cpt S. Frickleton, Lt J.G. Grant
SANDERS - The award of the Victoria Cross to Lieutenant Commander SANDERS, Royal Naval Reserve, an Aucklander, is announced in a cable. He is the eldest son of Mr & Mrs E H C Sanders of Takapuna and is aged 35. The record of the deed which won the Victoria Cross is withheld for the present but it is believed it was won during one of the most brilliant of the minor engagements of the war. Lieut Commander William Edward Sanders was born in Auckland and was educated at Nelson Street School. After completing his education he started his sea career in the small steamer Kapanui, running out of Auckland. His next ship was the Government steamer Hinemoa. After leaving the Hinemoa young Sanders joined one of the Craig line of sailing vessels. He passed as second mate and then as first mate and was first mate of the Joseph Craig when that vessel ran on to Rough Rock near Cheltenham Beach. Not much damage was done and the vessel left Auckland for Kaipara where she loaded timber for Australia. It was while leaving Kaipara for Melbourne that the vessel ran ashore inside the Kaipara Bar and became a total wreck. The crew, of which Sanders was one, had a narrow escape, getting ashore in one of the ship’s boats just before the vessel commenced to break up. Sanders next went to Sydney, where he passed for extra master and some time afterwards joined the Union Steam Ship Co. He was with the Union Company for about a year as third officer of the Willochra and on the Tofua. When the war broke out Mr Sanders offered his services to the Admiralty but was not called on until about 18 months ago. He left NZ as extra officer on a steamer bound for England and reported himself to the Admiralty. He was sent aboard a warship with the rank of sub-lieutenant. He quickly gained promotion and within a little over a year was gazetted lieutenant-commander. He was twice recommended for decoration by his admiral. Lieutenant Commander Sanders’ father is at present in the Auckland Hospital recovering from an operation. AWN 28.06.1917 P.24 Lieutenant Commander William Sanders RNR, from Takapuna, was commissioned in the Royal Naval Reserve and given command of Q 21, HMS PRIZE. In April 1917 HMS PRIZE encountered the German Submarine U 93 and fought what is described as the classic Q Ship action. For sinking the U-boat Sanders was awarded the Victoria Cross and promoted to Lieutenant Commander. Six weeks later, having made good the damage sustained during the action, Sanders and his men fought an action very similar to their first, in which HMS PRIZE was badly damaged and Sanders wounded. Although the action was unsuccessful, Sanders was awarded the Distinguished Service Order. Two months later HMS PRIZE had again been repaired and was at sea in search of submarines. On 13 August 1917, a submarine was sighted but it submerged without attacking. That night HMS PRIZE was hit by a torpedo and lost with all hands. http://www.navymuseum.mil.nz/history/time/ww1/sanders-lieutenant-commander-william.htm
In Memory of Serjeant DONALD FORRESTER BROWN V C 8/3504, 2nd Bn., Otago Regiment, N.Z.E.F. who died age 26 on 01 October 1916 Son of Robert and Jessie Brown, of Wharf St., Oamaru, New Zealand. Native of Dunedin. Remembered with honour WARLENCOURT BRITISH CEMETERY BROWN, Sergeant Donald Forrester, who has been awarded the Victoria Cross, was the third son of Mr Robert Brown of the Polytechnic, Oamaru. He was 26 years of age and belonged to the North Otago Co of a reinforcement draft which left NZ in January 1916. Sgt Brown fell in the Somme offensive, during the fierce fighting outside Eaucourt L’Abbaye on 1 October. At the time of his enlistment, Sgt Brown was engaged in farming. He sold his farm and joined the colours. Describing the valorous deeds which have earned his posthumous distinction, Capt Freeman, officer commanding his company, wrote – “Owing to shortage of officers during operations at Armentieres, Brown virtually had command of a platoon. He was steady and reliable under fire and in positions of danger, and by his example kept his men steady. He was always in his element in No Man’s Land and could always be relied upon to obtain any information. He was instrumental in affecting the capture of a machine-gun.”After Sgt Brown’s death, Lieut Col G S Smith wrote as follows to Mr Brown senior – “He did some great work on 15 September and again on 1 October. During our most successful attacks on the German trenches he took a German machine-gun after killing five men. If he had lived I had hoped to recommend him at least for the DCM, he might have got the VC. He was an excellent non-commissioned officer and was much liked by the men. I cannot speak too highly of him. He is a great loss to the battalion. His name will never be forgotten and is now added to the long list of men who have made the supreme sacrifice.” A letter received from Sgt Brown, written two days before his death, describes the Somme offensive and how a few hours before the letter was written he was one of a party who went into action 200 strong and of whom only 35 returned.The following is a copy of the official recommendation of recognition - Sergeant Brown is another of the 530 representatives of the Waitaki High School, known to have enlisted, to win distinction. He was at the school in 1908. He was a splendid footballer and a good sport and was highly respected by the rector, the school and his fellow towns people. Last evening a special service in honour of the late sergeant was held at the Waitaki High School. The rector, Mr F Milner, after paying a tribute to Sergeant Brown’s heroism, mentioned that 11 Waitakians had won the Military Cross and 16 had been mentioned in despatches. At the Columba Presbyterian Church this morning, where Sgt Brown used to attend, special reference was made to the honour awarded to the fallen soldier. AWN 14.06.1917, p.16 On 15 September 1916 south-east of High Wood, France, when his company had suffered very heavy casualties from machine-gun fire, Sergeant Brown, with another man, advanced to a point within 30 yards of an enemy gun, killing four of the crew and capturing the gun. When the advance of the company was again held up, Sergeant Brown and his comrade rushed another gun and killed the crew. On a third occasion the sergeant attacked single-handed a machine-gun, killed the crew and captured the gun. He was killed in action near Eaucourt L'Abbaye, France, on 1 October 1916. http://muse.aucklandmuseum.com/databases/cenotaph/1726.detail
