World War: MEDITERRANEAN THEATER: Out of the Mud

Blood made mud of Greek pastures last May. Out of this mud came three heroes last week, New Zealanders all. For valor in the Battles of Greece and Crete they were awarded Victoria Crosses.

Rifle. Sergeant Alfred Clive Hulme, 30-year-old dairy farmer mashed a German force lodged in a schoolhouse by pitching in a grenade. Later he penetrated German lines, killed a mortar crew of four, continued stalking snipers who harassed the British withdrawal until he had 130 in the bag. Sergeant Hulme said last week he got his stalking experience on his farm, tracking a cow that would not turn up at milking time.

Grenade. Second Lieutenant Charles Hazlett Upham, 33-year-old Rugby player and shepherd, destroyed three German posts at Malemi. Later he took a corporal reconnoitering 600 yards into enemy territory; together they killed two Germans, led out an isolated company that had been cut off. He was wounded in the shoulder and foot, and next day advanced alone in another attack. Two Germans fired at him. One arm was useless, so he propped his rifle in a tree, picked off the two Germans who had shot at him.

Bayonet. Sergeant John Daniel Hinton, onetime truck driver, now a prisoner in Germany, made V.C. history. For the first time the award was granted on the basis of accounts of Sergeant Hinton’s exploits sent to friends by his fellow prisoners.

At Kalamai, Greece, a German column sent New Zealand troops scurrying for cover. Sergeant Hinton refused the “take cover” order, yelled: “To hell with this! Who’ll come with me?” He charged the nearest gun, which fired and missed him. One German gun crew retreated to two houses. At each house in turn, Sergeant Hinton smashed a window with his bayonet, hopped in, dispatched the Germans.