Recipients of the New Zealand Gallantry Medal
Corporal Gerald Stewart FENTON (K55577), Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment - date of act: 10 August 2000; location of acts: East Timor; year of award: 2005
Warrant Officer Class Two Denis Joachim WANIHI (D771492), Royal New Zealand Army Logistic Regiment (The Duke of York's Own) - year of acts: 2010; location of acts: Afghanistan; year of award: 2011
One member of the 1st New Zealand Special Air Service Group - year of acts: 2004; location of acts: Afghanistan; year of award: 2007
Citations
Corporal Gerald Stewart FENTON (K55577), Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment - New Year's Honours List 2005
Citation
On 10 August 2000, Corporal Fenton was attached to a Nepalese platoon in East Timor, as a Signaller. While carrying out a patrol on the border between East and West Timor, part of the platoon came under fire from a militia group and sustained casualties. The Nepalese platoon commander immediately responded by moving the remainder of the patrol towards the contact site. As this was taking place, they too came under fire. As the only English-speaking signaller on the scene, Corporal Fenton provided the crucial communications link to both the Battalion Headquarters and to the helicopters called in to evacuate the Nepalese casualties. That this evacuation was successfully completed, was in no small part due to the effective communications maintained by Corporal Fenton.
Despite the immediate threat to his life during this incident, Corporal Fenton remained focused on his job. He remained in close proximity to an English-speaking officer, so that he could obtain information quickly and relay it immediately to New Zealand and Australian operational staff of the Battalion. Throughout the incident, the language barrier made his personal safety precarious and also made his task much more difficult to carry out.
Corporal Fenton showed considerable courage and presence of mind throughout this incident and carried out his duties in a thoroughly professional manner.
Warrant Officer Class Two Denis Joachim WANIHI (D771492), Royal New Zealand Army Logistic Regiment (The Duke of York's Own) - Special Honours List 1 October 2011
Citation
Warrant Officer Class Two Wanihi (then in acting rank) served in Afghanistan during 2010 in a supervisory role with a multi-national team dealing with and responding to incidents involving Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) and Explosive Ordnance Devices (EOD) in Khowst and Patika provinces. He received, processed and shipped evidence for over 259 IED incidents that occurred in these provinces and participated in over 30 Focused Targeting Force operations, involving joint ventures with Special Operations Force units. As a site exploitation expert, he was responsible for the recovery of evidence that was used to implicate insurgents detained on operations. Part way through his tour, a United States colleague with whom he had been sharing responsibilities was withdrawn. By working extremely long hours, he managed to continue to provide the same standard of service that was expected. On 28 August 2010, he was with a team that responded to the discovery of a vehicle in which an IED had been placed for use in an attack against Forward Operating Base Salerno. The vehicle was located in a high density housing area and posed an imminent threat to both Coalition Forces and the local population. He was involved in neutralising the threat. On the same day, he provided assistance to members of two other EOD teams to recover and dismantle 12 suicide vests worn by insurgents. The insurgents had been killed before they were able to detonate their vests. This operation provided useful intelligence on the working components of the vests and how best to deal with them in any future encounters. On 19 September 2010, he was the EOD vehicle gunner on a route clearance patrol to Bak District; this particular patrol often encounters small arms fire and indirect fire, as well as numerous IED finds or detonations. After 14 hours spent patrolling, his vehicle came to a sudden stop when an IED was spotted within two metres of the left rear of the vehicle. He quickly scanned for threat elements and reported the potential danger to the patrol commander, who then made the decision to discontinue the patrol and to return to Forward Operating Base Salerno.
Warrant Officer Class Two Wanihi as a member of the Counter-IED team, 717th EOD Company, carried out his duties in a high threat environment. Many of the IEDs he encountered were notoriously volatile and he was exposed to stressful and dangerous situations on a regular basis.
One member of the 1st New Zealand Special Air Service Group, Special Honours List 2 July 2007
year of acts: 2004; location of acts: Afghanistan.
- For security reasons, the name of the recipient of the New Zealand Gallantry Medal has not been released by the New Zealand Government.
- This NZGM was awarded for 'gallantry and the application of firm and timely leadership'.
- The 2 July 2007 media statement announcing this award can be viewed here.
This page was last reviewed 5 October, 2011 and is current.