Defence Force seeks medal winners' kin

By SCOTT MacLEOD

Defence staff are still trying to trace relatives of 61 people who died on active service to give them the New Zealand Operational Service Medal.

The medal was introduced two years ago after complaints by veterans that there had been little recognition of those who had served overseas since World War II.

Prime Minister Helen Clark and Defence Minister Mark Burton said they would give the medal to relatives of post-World War II casualties, but the Defence Force yesterday said it no longer had next-of-kin details for most of the dead.

Relatives of 61 of the 119 people who had died in military operations since World War II - and were therefore eligible for the medal - could not be traced. The Defence Force believed some relatives had died and others had changed their names through marriage.

Project officer, medal initiatives, Donald Anderson said some of the dead were killed in action or died of wounds - especially the casualties from Korea and Vietnam.

Others died from car and aircraft crashes, heart attacks and illnesses.

Helen Clark said the medal would be given to relatives because families of war casualties had "not always had the appropriate acknowledgment of their loved ones' service".

Medal presentations are expected to take place at Parliament Buildings in Wellington on September 3 and in Auckland later, at a date yet to be determined.

* Are you a relative without an invitation to the medal ceremonies? Contact Donald Anderson, NZDF headquarters, phone 04 498-6840 email donald.anderson2@nzdf.mil.nz

ROLL OF HONOUR

New Zealanders who have died on operational service since World War II

* Means no next-of-kin details known. The date of death follows the number, rank and name


JAPAN

Flt Lt Cecil William Nevill Wright, April 20, 1946.

* 636538, Sgt Andrew Clements Kirkpatrick, April 28, 1946.

14474, SSgt John Michael Murphy, July 18, 1946.

622248, Gnr John Matthew O'Brien, August 9, 1946.

* 651304, LCpl Peter Bernard Hale, September 4, 1946.

* 623018, Sgt David Gavin Rose, October 27, 1946.

* 4342, Lt Col Alan Frederick McCook, January 1, 1947.

640406, Cpl Norvin Leonard Granville, February 7, 1947.

817925, Pte Malcolm James MacKenzie, May 19, 1947.

* 638314, Pte Jack Douglas Tindall, May 31, 1947.

817953, Pte James Leonard Finucane, June 21, 1947.

654358, Pte Hugh Cecil Withers, September 28, 1947.

47001, Cpl Cecil Roberts Withers, February 15, 1948.

* 810630, Pte John Williams, March 22, 1948.

* 81556, Cpl Alexander Keith McCoy, April 8, 1948.


KOREA


* NZ12902, OS William Henry Cooper, July 29, 1950.

* 203631, WOII Richard George Long, January 13, 1951.

206353, Gnr Ronald Macdonald, January 13, 1951.

* 203586, Sgt Cedric John Vugler, February 11, 1951.

* 203624, 2 Lt Dennis Siddall Fielden, April 24, 1951.

* NZ13155, Able Smn Robert Edward Marchioni, August 26, 1951.

* 34845, LCpl Frederick Terence Poynton, September 15, 1951.

203658, Gnr Wallace Bruce Dickson, October 4, 1951.

* 203513, Gnr Leslie John Cooper, October 13, 1951.

203526, Gnr Mervyn Frederick Frith, November 5, 1951.

* 207931, Gnr Allwyn Bailey, November 17, 1951.

203572, Gnr James Martin Conrad Scahill, November 18, 1951.

206403, Gnr Jefford Rex Watson, November 18, 1951.

206066, Gnr Robert Edward Compton, November 24, 1951.

207937, Gnr Edward William Allnatt, November 27, 1951.

206360, Gnr Donald Cameron Jackson, November 27, 1951.

* 208237, Sgmn Frank Osmond Percival, December 6, 1951.

* 33004, Cpl Gordon Brian Cook, May 26, 1952.

206610, Dvr Boyce Whangapirita, June 23, 1952.

* 33682, Maj Barton Wicksteed, August 4,1952.

* 204264, Gnr Thomas Mervyn ONeil, September 13, 1952.

208611, Gnr Raymond Herbert Mortimer, September 14, 1952.

* 208405, Gnr Ray McDonald, November 15, 1952.

206405, Sgt Lyn Murray, December 27, 1952.

* 31360 Lt Robert James Unsworth, January 12, 1953.

204092, Sgmn Dickson Ngatai, January 28, 1953.

644568, Gnr Peter Rex Berry, February 17, 1953.

* 204461, Gnr Eric James Griffiths, February 17, 1953.

204192, LBdr Joseph Shortland, February 17, 1953.

* 208182, Cpl Frederick William Parker, March 17, 1953.

* 204368, Gnr John McRae, May 3, 1953.

* 206204, Sgt Reginald James Reid, May 3, 1953.

* 33946, Gnr Ramon Deane Carson, June 6, 1953.

* 208875, Dvr Douglas Neville Rodgers, December 27, 1953.

* 20889, 1 Dvr Colin Franklin Taylor, May 17, 1954.

* 208707, Gnr Ivo Raymond Clark, June 5, 1954.

* 208850, Dvr John Ewing Burborough, November 4, 1954.

* 208278, Cpl Arthur May, November 21, 1954.

206904, Sgt Edward Michael Noel McLaughlin, November 30, 1954.

* RNZN Able Smn Thomas Te Hau Taiatini, August 23, 1955.

* 817039, Dvr Herbert Lester Humm, October 21, 1955.

* NZ14651, Able Smn Dennis Waitapu, November 25, 1955.

* NZ14747, Tel Peter James Mollison, October 29, 1957.


MALAYA/MALAYSIA


2 Lt Peter Miles Hargest, December 19, 1952.

35329, Sgt George Nepia, November 18, 1954.

* 34872, Tpr Adrian Raymond Thomas, May 2, 1956.

73883, Fg Off William Anthony Devescovi, December 10, 1956.

76940, Fg Off Douglas Errol Nelson, December 10, 1956.

70154, Sqn Ldr Alexander Stuart Tie, December 10, 1956.

* 208473, Cpl Allister George Buchanan, May 11, 1957.

* 594826, Pte Tu Kawha, February 23, 1958.

* 552227, Pte Brian James Tuxworth, June 30, 1958.

* 12879, Pte Robert Malcolm Breitmeyer, August 16, 1958.

204524, LCpl Percy Brown (aka Iwihora), August 22, 1958.

* 78306, LAC James Alan Roy Gudsell, March 21, 1959.

* 920845, Pte George Whitelock Amas, March 31, 1960.

* 38890, Pte Toma Feesaao Solia, December 10,1960.

* 38797, Pte Bruce Harvey Hay, March 25, 1961.

653769, Pte Alexander William Monk, April 15, 1964.

* 336882, Sgt Isaac Leonard King, August 18, 1964.

* 79363, Flt Lt James William Southgate, November 30, 1964.

78266, Fg Off Russell Bennett Thomson, November 30, 1964.

* 329603 Sgt Richard Edward Fry, June 6, 1965.


VIETNAM


Sgt Alastair John Sherwood Don, September 14, 1965.

* 928518, Bdr Robert White, September 14, 1965.

645140, SSgt Graham Richard Grigg, December 4, 1965.

* 215403, Charge Sister Lesley Estelle Cowper (civilian humanitarian worker), May 2, 1966.

37404, Capt Peter Williams, February 14, 1967.

346598, Cpl Maurice Manton, September 2, 1967.

* 211075, Cpl George Kingi Hoerara, January 26, 1968.

* 463211, Pte Haere Desmond Hirini, February 1, 1968.

42752, Gnr Stuart William Ellwood, February 6, 1968.

699033, Pte William Reginald Awatere, April 12, 1968.

43032, Pte Michael John Wickman, June 22, 1968.

41243, Gnr Noel Stanley George Lyes, June 23, 1968.

42294, Pte Bryan James Petersen, September 14, 1968.

* 41383, LCpl Donald Imlay Bensemann, November 16, 1968.

* 43349, Pte Keith Richard Hurman, January 11, 1969.

38655, Cpl James Robert Gatenby, June 5, 1969.

41530, Pte John Stewart Williams, June 17, 1969.

573233, Pte Donald Campbell Frith, July 11, 1969.

539244, Cpl Joseph William Radford July 23, 1969.

* 43221, Pte Terrance Norman Hollows, July 29, 1969.

* 42116, Pte Murray John Turnbull, August 2, 1969.

* 42742, Pte Raymond Anthony Hawthorne, August 4, 1969.

41708, Spr Rawhiti Hoera Brown, August 12, 1969.

* 43134, Pte Arthur Vicary Bermingham, November 20, 1969.

* 209440, Spr Jerry Tauri Barrett, November 24, 1969.

43648, Pte Peter Rauhihi, November 24, 1969.

41240, Sgt Graham Joseph Campbell, January 14, 1970.

80166, Sgt Gordon Sutherland Watt, RNZAF, March 1, 1970.

43651, Pte Te Wamoana Paenga, March 19, 1970.

43233, Pte David Nelson Wright, March 19, 1970.

838605, Lt Stanley James Kidd, April 17, 1970.

483256, Pte John Louis Gurnick, May 29, 1970.

41301, LCpl Cecil Richard Fisk, June 18, 1970.

629544, Pte Leonard Cyril Jones, June 18, 1970.

482859, Pte Thomas Cooper, October 11, 1970.

41081, LCpl Malcolm Lindsay Sutherland, October 31, 1970.

41576, Lt John Ramsey Winton, March 10, 1971.

388111, Pte Kenneth Horomai Harding, June 24, 1971.

* Malcolm Riding (civilian) March 12, 1975 (Leader of the Sixth NZ Red Cross Welfare Team to South Vietnam).


THAILAND


* 647891, Sgt Herbert Gordon Shawcroft, March 30, 1969.

* 644698 Cpl Hoani John Hapeta, May 13, 1969.