WILSON Allan Alexander
409517 Sergeant, New Zealand Engineers, WW2
1336 Legion of Frontiersmen, New Zealand
CITATION
Military Medal
Gazetted
Extract from NZ Engineers Official History - Another crater, too large for a scissors, was the next obstacle and it was decided to risk the muddy going and make a detour. There were no mine detectors handy and, in any case, with all the metal splinters lying around and more arriving at frequent intervals, they would have been of little use, so the sapper officer walked ahead of the leading tank.
Two made a safe detour but the third, over-anxious to reach the road, cut a corner and got stuck; the second tank went back to tow it out and found a mine that the American sappers had missed, with the result that it also was halted with a blown track.
The only other engineer activity that afternoon was along the railway embankment. Lieutenant Whelan, with Corporal Wilson clearing away mines, accompanied a Maori patrol sent to test an impression that the station might have been evacuated. The impression was quite illusory and Whelan was severely wounded. Wilson carried on through a mined area until the patrol had to take cover, then he crawled forward to obtain particulars of any further mines on the track. As soon as the patrol returned Sergeant Heley went out alone and made a close inspection of the track and of the bridges over the two Rapidos. Both NCOs were later awarded MMs for these and other actions. Lieutenant Brown arrived after dark to take command of the detachment.
KNOWN AWARDS
Military Medal
War Medal 1939-45
New Zealand War Service Medal
NOTES
Born 10 Jun 1918 New Zealand
Died 16 Aug 1998 Alecandra, New Zealand
Buried Alexandra Cemetery, New Zealand [G2, 140]
