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| PERSONALIA |
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| Name: |
Hinton, John Daniel (Servicenumber: 7930) |
| Date of birth: | September 17th, 1909 (Colac Bay/Southland, New Zealand)
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| Date of death: |
June 28th, 1997 (Christchurch, New Zealand)
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| Nationality: |
New Zealander |
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BIOGRAPHY:
Sergeant John Hinton entered service on September 13th, 1939 at Greymouth. He embarked for Egypt at Wellington on January 5th, 1940. During the battles he was wounded and taken POW. He was liberated in 1945. On Match 6th, 1946 he was honorably discharged.
Segeant Hinton passed away on June 28th, 1997 and lies buried at the Ruru Lawn Cemetery in Canterbury/Otago, New Zealand.
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VICTORIA CROSS (VC)
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Rank:
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Sergeant
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Unit:
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20th. Battalion, 2nd. N.Z.E.F., Canterbury Regiment, New Zealand Expeditionary Force
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Awarded on:
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October 17th, 1941
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Action:
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Citation:
"On the night of 28th-29th April, 1941, during the fighting in Greece, a column of German armoured forces entered Kalamai; this column, which contained several armoured cars, 2" guns and 3" mortars, and
two 6" guns, rapidly converged on a large force of British and New Zealand troops awaiting embarkation on the beach. When the order to retreat to cover was given, Sergeant Hinton, shouting "to Hell with this, who'll come with me," ran to within several yards of the nearest gun; the gun fired, missing him, and he hurled two grenades, which
completely wiped out the crew. He then came on with the bayonet followed by a crowd of New Zealanders. German troops abandoned the first 6" gun and retreated into two houses. Sergeant Hinton smashed the window and then the door of the first house and dealt with the garrison with the bayonet. He repeated the performance in the second house and as a result, until overwhelming German forces arrived, the New Zealanders held the guns. Sergeant Hinton then fell with a bullet wound through the lower abdomen and was taken prisoner."
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Details:
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Sergeant Hinton’s Victoria Cross is publicly displayed at the QEII Army Memorial Museum in Waiouru, New Zealand.
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MENTIONED IN DESPATCHES
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Rank:
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Sergeant
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Unit:
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New Zealand Military Forces
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Awarded on:
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April 18th, 1946
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Action:
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Received in recognition of gallant and distinguished services while being a Prisoner of War.
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