brigadier march january senior officer recipient victoria_cross highest award gallantry face enemy received decoration actions born andrew joined having gained military experience serving served western september early ended war commissioned officer england remained military cessation hostilities joined held staff administrative positions new_zealand officer exchange program following outbreak second world war andrew appointed commander led battles greece crete early short period late commanded infantry brigade 2nd received leadership returned new_zealand commanded remainder war retired military rank brigadier died aged early life born march region new_zealand son local school grew father moved family having taken position area educated leaving school employed new zealand railways department clerk participated cadet program school later joined promoted sergeant sat necessary exams commissioned officer military career world war andrew volunteered october men ages required register service age ensure eligible duty overseas member 12th reinforcements embarked western egypt france posted rank private andrew arrival coincided start participated battle began september wounded promoted corporal january took following june early phase andrew battalion engaged fighting village kilometres southwest originally captured new prior battle july village taken germans day cover artillery barrage began advance village andrew tasked leading sections destroy machine gun post advance noticed machine gun post holding advance platoon initiative promptly diverted force removed newly spotted threat flanking attack continued men original objective continuous gunfire men captured machine gun post men withdrew gun man continued scout forward coming machine gun post men destroyed returning lines useful information increasing numbers germans area leadership bravery actions andrew awarded victoria_cross age citation read follows conspicuous bravery charge small party attack enemy position objective machine gun post located isolated building leading men forward encountered unexpectedly machine gun post holding advance company immediately attacked capturing machine gun killing crew continued attack machine gun post original objective displayed great skill determination disposition finally capturing post killing enemy putting remainder flight andrew conduct cool daring initiative fine leadership magnificent example great comrades andrew promoted sergeant day winning action continued serve early sent england officer training commissioned second lieutenant march remained england end war interwar period england andrew met nottingham married november couple children died infancy discharge august joined served number administrative positions years served british india officer exchange program return new_zealand appointed adjutant 1st having promoted captain commanded new_zealand contingent sent london coronation king second world war following outbreak second world war andrew 2nd early appointed commander forming near wellington trained new command hard quickly earned nickname february habit issuing day discipline battalion embarked england 2nd arriving june spent remainder year garrison duties south england march travelled egypt greece andrew led battalion subsequent battle greece saw little action crete battalion tasked defence airfield overlooking hill point andrew ordered maintain control positions costs forced disperse companies battalion widely cover positions lost contact units german began landing area failing receive support brigade commander following request assistance fearing command overrun failed counterattack small reserve withdrew remaining units happened forward companies remained intact subsequently able withdraw finding abandoned andrew criticised withdrawal led loss airfield significant factor allowing german forces established crete surviving elements battalion later evacuated crete despite setback crete andrew remained commander early phases stage temporary commander nominal commander brigadier captured late november andrew awarded leadership brigade deal repeated attacks german forces early december relinquished command 22nd battalion february returned new_zealand promoted colonel commanded rest war later life andrew commanded new_zealand contingent london following year attended promoted brigadier appointed commander remained capacity retirement military andrew later invited run parliament declined died january aged buried military honours ceremony cemetery victoria_cross andrew displayed new_zealand december victoria crosses medals stolen museum february announced medals recovered result reward offered
Leslie Andrew