Figure 14: The medals awarded to an Australian who was decorated four times for his services in the British Army: Lieutenant Colonel W. A. C. Wilkinson, DSO, MC and Bar, GM.

Figure 15: The dress unifor~n and medals of Australia’s first General: Sir Harry Chauvel, GCMG, KCB.

14 JOMSA Figure 16: The display in the Hall of Valour showing three of the four Victoria Crosses awarded to Australians for the . The medal groups of Peter Badcoe (to the left) and WOII Kevin Wheatley (to the right) include the US . his other awards (including his George Medal, gazetted Distinguished Conduct Medal was for the Battle of in 1941) were gazetted with the Coldstream Guards Maryan-San in October 1951, when he took over (Figure 14). command of his in an attack, and by his example, intelligence and sheer courage - although again wounded There was one George Cross, but no Victoria Crosses - he ensured that all objectives were taken. His platoon awarded to Australians for service in Korea. One accounted for 32 enemy dead and took 14 prisoners. outstanding group of medals for Korea is the Distinguished Conduct Medal and Bar awarded to Not all of the AWM’s medal collection is on public Corporal (later Captain) William Rowlinson, of the 3rd display. Two groups in the collection that are, somewhat , the Royal Australian Regiment (3RAR). surprisingly, missing from public display are the medals Rowlinson earned both awards of the DCM for Korea. to Australia’s most outstanding general of the First World The first award was for his bravery during the Battle of War, General Sir John Monash, GCMG, KCB, and his Kapyong in April 1951. 3RAR was awarded a United Chief of Staff and commander of Australian forces in States Presidential Unit Citation for this battle, in which the Second World War, Field Marshal Sir Thomas Blarney wave after of wave of Chinese attackers threw themselves GBE, KCB, CMG, DSO. There is at least a fine display against the Australians. Rowlinson and no fewer than of the medals and uniform of Australia’s first full general, six members of his forward section were wounded, but General Sir Harry Chauvel, GCMG, KCB, who they held their ground and at least 25 Chinese were killed commanded the Desert Mounted Corps in the First World in front of their position. Rowlinson’s bar to the War (Figure 15).

Vol. 58, No. 3 15 United States Decorations Farncomb was wounded when HMAS Australia was hit by four kamikaze planes in the invasion of the Australian and United States service personnel have Philippines, but served to the end of the war in the Pacific. served alongside each other in numerous conflicts, from He was awarded two United States decorations - the First World War through to East Timor, Afghanistan Commander of the Legion of Merit, and the Navy Cross, and Iraq. Hundreds of Australians have received United the latter one of only three to Australians (Figure 18). States decorations for gallantry and distinguished service, and the AWM’s medal collection includes a number of United States awards feature prominently in two naval groups with American awards. These include the Silver groups that are on loan to the AWM, and on display in Stars awarded to Major Peter Badcoe VC and WOII the Research Centre. Rear Admiral Sir Leighton Kevin Wheatley VC for gallantry in Vietnam (Figure 16). Bracegirdle, KCVO, CMG, DSO, received the Military Order of the Dragon for service in China in 1900 with Major-General George Vasey was awarded the the New South Wales naval contingent. He also served Distinguished Service Order for service on the Western in South Africa with the South African inegular forces, Front in the Great War, and a Bar for his service in the and then in the First World War with the Royal Australian Middle East in 1941. After having overall command of Navy in New Guinea, Gallipoli and Egypt. His son, the Australian forces in the defense of Crete, he Commander W. S. Bracegirdle, was awarded the commanded the Australian 6th and 7th Divisions in action Distinguished Service Cross three times - for the in New Guinea in 1942-44. He was one of 18 Australians Mediterranean (1941), Leyte Gulf (1944) and Korea awarded the United States Distinguished Service Cross (1952). He was also made an of the United States during the Second World War. Vasey was killed in a Legion of Merit, with the ’V’ device on the ribbon (Figure plane crash in 1945 (Figure 17). 19).

Rear-Admiral Harold Farncomb, CB, DSO, MVO, served Flight Lieutenant (later Group Captain) Douglas Hurst at sea throughout the Second World War, and in 1942 was a veteran of the war in the Pacific, who was awarded commanded HMAS Australia at the Battle of the Coral both the (Imperial) Distinguished Flying Cross and the Sea and at Guadalcanal. He served in Europe in 1944, United States Air Medal for ground attack operations in before returning to command the Australian Squadron Korea in 1952. The citation for Hurst’s United States in the Pacific, with his flag in the Australia. Air Medal reads:

F igure 17: The medals of Major General G.A. Vasey, who served with distinction in both Worm Wars ( negative number REL29673.011, reproduced with permission).

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