"French" ZJ 1/968

SUPPLEMENT TO The London Gazette Of TUESDAY, the 12th of JANUARY, 1943

Published by Authority Registered as a newspaper

THURSDAY, 14 JANUARY, 1943

War office, 14th January, 1943.

The KING has been graciously pleased to approve the posthumous award of The VICTORIA CROSS to : -

No. QX.1071 Corporal John Alexander French, Australian Military Forces. At Milne Bay on the afternoon of the 4th September, 1942, a company of an Australian Infantry Battalion attacked the Japanese position East of the Buna Mission where it encountered terrific rifle and machine-gun fire.

The advance of the section of which Corporal French was in command was held up by the fire from three enemy machine-gun posts, whereupon Corporal French, ordering his section to take cover, advanced and silenced one of the posts with grenades. He returned to his section for more grenades and again advanced and silenced the second post.

Armed with a Thompson sub-machine gun, he then attacked the third post, firing from the hip as he went forward. He was seen to be badly hit by the fire from this post, but he continued to advance. The enemy gun then ceased to fire and his section pushed on to find that all members of the three enemy gun crews had been killed and that Corporal French had died in front of the third gun pit.

By his cool courage and disregard of his own personal safety, this non-commissioned officer saved the members of his section from heavy casualties and was responsible for the successful conclusion of the attack.