jack september june new_zealand soldier served second world war awarded victoria_cross highest prestigious award gallantry face enemy awarded british commonwealth forces actions april battle greece born second world war began volunteered service abroad second new zealand expeditionary force posted wounded fighting prisoner war escape attempts camps germany freed april advancing american forces war managed hotels involved horse racing industry retirement died age early life known jack born new_zealand september seven children railway man educated local schools days starting lessons milk herd cows ran away home argument father found job nearby town year signed aboard norwegian ship spent season return parents started working shepherd soon tired began life working town town travelled spent years west_coast working railroad construction mining gold picking fruit hauling coal saw sport passion boxed lightweight ran foot races played rugby 1930s found regular employment building bridges roads west_coast gained respect honesty hard working nature department invested earnings pub future wife lease world war outbreak war enlisted 2nd raised service abroad posted command lieutenant colonel based older volunteers battalion soon promoted rank corporal long sergeant battalion embarked middle_east 2nd january respectful military authority shortly new arrived egypt commanding squad practising rifle range visited division commander major general asked men shooting expect bloody shoot replied bloody rations heat sand asked repeat comment word word took note instructed carry subsequent increase rations advised company commander best speak senior officers battle greece march 2nd allied units deployed greece help prepare expected invasion italian german troops invasion began april 20th battalion briefly saw action withdrawn missed fighting division reinforcement battalion initially based athens moved port decided allied forces abandon greece reinforcement battalion thousand mainly australian troops awaiting evacuation april new waiting transport advance units german began attack town machine gun fire self propelled inch guns hearing gunfire distance wanting assist defence allied positions went headquarters brigadier officer command evacuation protested strong language order surrender threatened court martial speaking senior officer manner issued threat proceedings talk left determine situation men reinforcement battalion making preparations town face germans meantime collected party soldiers led town came fire ignoring order nearby officer retreat rushed forward nearest enemy gun grenades killed crew continued town waterfront clearing light machine gun nests mortar grenades dealt garrison house enemy assisted capture artillery piece shortly shot stomach captured allied soldiers prisoner war officially listed missing action august spent weeks hospital near athens transferred camp germany meantime recommendation victoria_cross dispatched major medical officer witnessed actions investigation decision award duly october citation read follows night 28th 29th april fighting greece column german armoured forces entered column contained armoured cars guns mortars guns rapidly large force british new_zealand troops awaiting beach order retreat cover given shouting hell come ran yards nearest gun gun fired missing grenades completely wiped crew came bayonet followed crowd new german troops abandoned gun retreated houses smashed window door house dealt garrison bayonet repeated performance second house result overwhelming german forces arrived new held guns fell bullet wound lower abdomen taken prisoner prisoner war announcement week lieutenant member awarded actions fighting prompted joke circulated battalion join 20th prisoner war escape attempts punished solitary confinement attempt fellow prisoners presented ribbon camp commandant returned cell complete punishment april allied advance germany threatened camp germans evacuated camp sickness remained guards left able find keys gates let soon contact soldiers united_states dressed civilian clothes initially treated suspicion soon convinced americans identity borrowed american uniform went forward assisted capture villages rounding german senior american officers soon found presence troops sent england arrived april remained england months awaiting new_zealand time received king held buckingham palace 20th battalion received bar ceremony transport finally available departed new_zealand early july arrived august later life returning home initially life like fellow soldiers returned home struggled adapt civilian life extremely uncomfortable public attention received status recipient eventually found work managing hotels behalf initially based notorious drinking establishment years received mention despatches escape attempts december moved hamilton manage moves country manage hotels time overseas trips attend coronation queen elizabeth_ii regularly attended celebrations including centenary jack married following death husband 1950s died heart attack married hotel running time heavily involved horse racing industry acted steward retired moved spent retirement fishing shifted nearer relatives died june honoured military funeral attended people chief general staff major general delivered eulogy honoured minute silence sitting july survived second wife children marriages buried returned servicemen league section lawn cemetery remembered plaque birthplace restaurant named victoria_cross loaned family display sunday december medals stolen museum february announced medals recovered result reward offered
Jack Hinton