The New Zealand Gallantry Decoration, NZGD,
Instituted in 1999 as part of a Government move to
replace British awards for gallantry with distinctive
New Zealand awards.
The New Zealand gallantry decoration replaced
the Distinguished Service Cross,
the Military Cross,
the Distinguished Flying Cross,
the Air Force Cross,
the Distinguished Service Medal,
the Military Medal,
the Distinguished Flying Medal
and the Air Force Medal.
Awarded for
“acts of exceptional gallantry in situations of danger”
Lance Corporal Allister Donald BAKER (Q1018707)
Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment
Citation
Lance Corporal Baker (then in the rank of Private) was the turret gunner in the lead vehicle of a New Zealand Provincial Reconstruction Team patrol when it was ambushed by insurgent forces near the town of Chartok in Bamyan Province Afghanistan on 3 August 2010.
The insurgents set off an improvised explosive device, which immobilised his vehicle and then began firing at all four vehicles with small arms fire and shoulder-launched rockets, in an engagement that was to continue for some 35 minutes.
He immediately sought to return fire but the machine gun, which he had been manning at the time of the ambush, had been blown off its mount and another weapon, a general purpose machine gun, was also badly damaged.
As he leant down inside the turret to recover his personal weapon, he saw that a fire had broken out in the rear of the vehicle and that the patrol commander, Lieutenant O’Donnell, was slumped forward in the front passenger seat.
Although suffering a broken ankle, incurred in the initial explosion, he extracted himself through the top of the turret and while under direct observation and fire from the enemy, climbed down from the vehicle and made his way around to the front passenger door to provide assistance to his patrol commander.
On opening the door of the vehicle, Lance Corporal Baker noticed that driver Corporal Ball was not moving, and he shouted for him to get out of the vehicle to assist him.
Corporal Ball soon joined Lance Corporal Baker.
For the next five minutes, while under continuous fire from the enemy, both soldiers took turns to try and recover their commander’s body by one holding the door while the other reached inside to try and extract Lieutenant O’Donnell, whose body was constrained by part of the damaged vehicle.
As they persevered, enemy fire intensified and the vehicle was hit by two rockets, one exploding against the driver’s door and the other against the bonnet.
The fire inside the vehicle began to spread and the heat became so intense that Lance Corporal Baker had to put out Corporal Ball’s hair when it caught alight.
He also suffered burns to his shoulders.
It was only when ammunition stored inside the vehicle began to explode that both soldiers were forced to withdraw and seek shelter in a dry creek bed some 40 metres away.
In order to reach the creek bed, Lance Corporal Baker, because of the injury to his ankle, had to crawl across open ground in direct observation and fire from the insurgents, with Corporal Ball crawling alongside him.
On reaching the relative safety of the creek bed, communication was established with the remainder of the patrol.
A decision was made for both soldiers to remain where they were and wait for support to come forward and reach them.
This occurred some 20 minutes later, during which time they continued to be targeted by the enemy.
Corporal Matthew John BALL (X1015655)
Royal New Zealand Corps of Signals
Citation
Corporal Ball (then in the rank of Lance Corporal) was the driver of the lead vehicle of a New Zealand Provincial Reconstruction Team patrol when it was ambushed by insurgent forces near the town of Chartok in Bamyan Province Afghanistan on 3 August 2010.
The insurgents set off an improvised explosive device, which immobilised his vehicle and then began firing at all four vehicles with small arms fire and shoulder-launched rockets, in an engagement that was to continue for some 35 minutes.
He was stunned by the initial explosion and only regained full consciousness after being shouted at by Lance Corporal Baker, the vehicle’s gunner, to assist in helping extract their commander, Lieutenant O’Donnell, who was slumped forward in the front passenger seat.
On regaining consciousness, he became aware that a fire had broken out in the rear of the vehicle, which was still being hit by enemy fire, and his right leg was impaled on the vehicle’s engine housing.
After pulling his leg free, he then extracted himself from the vehicle in full view and under fire from the enemy only 45 metres away and made his way around to the front passenger door to assist Lance Corporal Baker.
For the next five minutes, while under continuous fire from the enemy, both soldiers took turns to try and recover their commander’s body by one holding the door while the other reached inside to try and extract Lieutenant O’Donnell, whose body was constrained by part of the damaged vehicle.
As they persevered, enemy fire intensified and the vehicle was hit by two rockets, one exploding against the driver’s door and the other against the bonnet.
The fire inside the vehicle began to spread and the heat became so intense that as Corporal Ball leant into the vehicle, his hair caught alight and had to be put out by Lance Corporal Baker.
It was only when ammunition stored inside the vehicle began to explode that both soldiers were forced to withdraw and seek shelter in a dry creek bed some 40 metres away.
In order to reach the creek bed, Corporal Ball crawled alongside Lance Corporal Baker, whose movements were significantly restricted due to a broken ankle, across open ground and in direct observation and fire from the insurgents.
Corporal Ball, in addition to the wound to his leg, had also received shrapnel wounds to both legs and both arms, muscular damage to an ankle and burns to his head and face.
On reaching the relative safety of the creek bed, communication was established with the remainder of the patrol.
A decision was made for both soldiers to remain where they were and wait for support to come forward to reach them.
This occurred some 20 minutes later, during which time they continued to be targeted by the enemy.
Private (now Trooper) Phillip Murray CHEATER (X1003534),
Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment.
CITATION
On 24 July 2000, Private Cheater was the lead scout and tracker for a patrol operating on the border between East and West Timor.
The patrol was following up signs of an armed militia group when it was fired on by a militia element occupying high ground overlooking the patrol's intended route.
During the initial stages of the contact, Private Cheater and Private Manning were in the direct line of fire from the militia.
Private Manning was shot and Private Cheater saw him fall.
Both men had become momentarily isolated from the remainder of the patrol and it was at this time that Private Cheater received splinter wounds to the side of his head and face from bullets that had struck nearby trees.
Showing complete disregard for his own safety, and the injuries he had sustained, Private Cheater began moving, under heavy militia fire, to the spot where Private Manning had fallen.
Despite the risk of drawing further fire, Private Cheater began calling to Private Manning to ascertain whether or not he had been killed.
He then attempted to retrieve Private Manning's machine gun to prevent it falling into the hands of the militia.
During this period he continued to be exposed to heavy fire.
Realising that he was isolated and that the militia were attempting to outflank his patrol, Private Cheater withdrew under fire and linked up with the remainder of the patrol.
It was during this withdrawal that he suffered an ankle injury due to the extremely rough terrain.
As the patrol broke contact, Private Cheater, with the assistance of another member of the patrol, fired three rounds from his grenade launcher, which finally halted the militia attack and forced them to withdraw.
Private Cheater had been determined to help Private Manning if at all possible and, when he realised that he was dead, he had tried to retrieve the machine gun to prevent it falling into the hands of the militia.
His action demonstrated exceptional gallantry and comradeship in the face of extreme danger and stress.
Squadron Leader Logan Charles CUDBY (J92445),
Royal New Zealand Air Force.
CITATION
Squadron Leader Cudby, between June and September 1999, served with the United Nations Mission to East Timor (UNAMET).
Initially, he was posted to the Liquica region. In two separate incidents, unarmed United Nations' convoys led by Squadron Leader Cudby came under sustained fire from militia forces.
On both occasions, he successfully negotiated for the convoys to continue to their destinations.
By September, all remaining United Nations staff with a large number of refugees were confined to the UNAMET compound in Dili.
Unarmed patrols were being sent out to monitor the situation, as well as bring back supplies from a warehouse near the port, several kilometres from the compound.
Squadron Leader Cudby willingly organised and led a number of these patrols.
They were subjected to considerable intimidation by rampant bands of militia and sometimes fired upon.
One such patrol to the wharf area was stopped by the militia, weapons were pointed at the heads of United Nations staff and rounds fired above them.
Displaying considerable courage, tact and presence of mind, Squadron Leader Cudby was able to negotiate the safe return of the patrol to the UNAMET compound.
His actions over a three-month period in an atmosphere of almost constant danger provided an excellent example and role model to other United Nations personnel.
Sergeant David John DUNCAN
Royal New Zealand Armoured Corps
Citation
On 4 August 2012, KIWI Company of the New Zealand Provincial Reconstruction Team were tasked with assisting a unit of the Afghan National Directorate of Security near the village of Baghak.
Shortly after midday nine of the company’s vehicles, spread out over 400 metres on a narrow road, came under heavy small arms fire from concealed insurgent positions on the high ground on both sides of the road.
Sergeant David Duncan was in command of a Light Armoured Vehicle (LAV) that was part of a separate three-vehicle patrol positioned to the south of the vehicles which had come under attack.
As the battle with the insurgent forces intensified and KIWI Company sustained a number of casualties, the three patrol vehicles moved north to assist.
Approaching the contact site, the lead vehicle of Sergeant Duncan’s patrol came under heavy fire from high ground to the north-east and west of their position.
As the lead vehicle came to a halt, Sergeant Duncan noticed a New Zealand soldier lying on the road in front of it exposed to insurgent fire.
Unable to get past the lead vehicle due to the narrow road, he manoeuvred his LAV behind it approximately 20 metres from the casualty.
He dismounted his vehicle and ran forward alone and exposed to enemy fire from both sides of the road to assist.
Reaching the casualty, who had sustained a serious gunshot wound to the lower abdomen, Sergeant Duncan dragged him back across the open ground until he reached the rear of the lead patrol vehicle, where he handed the casualty over to the Company’s Nursing Officer for treatment.
Sergeant Duncan then received a gunshot wound to his right leg as returned to his original vehicle.
Sergeant Duncan’s exceptional gallantry in crossing open ground exposed to enemy fire enabled a seriously wounded soldier to receive the medical treatment that saved his life.
His actions were in the finest traditions of the New Zealand Army.
Lieutenant Colonel John Charles DYER (P49877),
Royal Regiment of New Zealand Artillery.
CITATION
Lieutenant Colonel Dyer, on 6 January 1999, was serving in Sierra Leone with the United Nations Mission when rebel forces attacked Freetown, evading strongpoints in the city which were being guarded by the Nigerian-led Intervention Force (ECOMOG).
The evacuation of all remaining United Nations personnel from the country was then ordered.
By this stage, United Nations vehicles had become targets for both the rebels and frightened ECOMOG soldiers.
Nevertheless, Lieutenant Colonel Dyer traversed Freetown to ensure that all United Nations personnel were accounted for.
This task became more dangerous as the day progressed and at one point, during the rescue of a group of military observers, Lieutenant Colonel Dyer and his vehicles came under fire from tense ECOMOG personnel.
At all times, Lieutenant Colonel Dyer remained calm and in control displaying a considerable presence of mind and disregard for danger in an extremely stressful situation.
Through his personal courage and an accurate appreciation of a changing and volatile situation, Lieutenant Colonel Dyer was able to accomplish the successful evacuation of one hundred and twenty military and civilian United Nations personnel from Sierra Leone.
John Clinton Lionel OXENHAM
Chief Petty Officer RNZN [Rtd]
[W22215]
Citation
On 1 December 1992 Chief Petty Officer Oxenham, who was serving in Cambodia with a United Nations peacekeeping mission, was a member of a patrol conducting operations along the Shroeng Sen River.
During this patrol, Chief Petty Officer Oxenham, together with three British officers and two Philipino senior ratings, were taken prisoner by members of the National Army of Democratic Kampuchea, formerly the Khmer Rouge.
The group was detained for four days while negotiations to release them took place.
It was during this period that Chief Petty Officer Oxenham ensured that their capture did not have a tragic outcome.
His positive and level-headed behaviour was instrumental in diffusing a very tense and potentially life-threatening situation.
The controlled but relaxed approach adopted by Chief Petty Officer Oxenham helped to reassure his fellow captives, while this behaviour, which often bordered on careful affront, including two failed escape attempts, demonstrated to the captors that the group were totally unwilling to acquiesce to captivity.
At a time when he and his colleagues were under extreme duress, he positively, bravely and effectively influenced the interaction between captors and captives, such that all prisoners were eventually released unharmed.
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