Military Medal For

K. W. Ryall

WARRANT-OFFICER Kenneth William Ryall has received the Military Medal for distinguished service in the South-west Pacific area.

At the outbreak of war, in 1939, Ryall was at Kar-Kar Island, as overseer on one of W. M. Middleton’s plantations; and he left the Territory and enlisted with the Australian sth Heavy Brigade.

In 1941, shortly before the Japs came into the war, he was discharged from the Australian Army, suffering from malaria, and he returned to a plantation near Kokopo, New Britain. ’ After the

Japanese occupation of the Gazelle Penin sula, he, with a party which included V.

Pennefather, Bill Seale, Bill Allen, Harry Briggs and Tex Roberts, took to the bush and, after 83 days’ walk, were taken off the island and evacuated to Sydney.

Ryall then joined ANGAU and returned once more to the Territory. The rest of his story is told in the citation which accompanied the MM:

“Warrant-Officer Ryall Out

witted hostile natives being used by the Japanese on Arawe Peninsula. As a result of his reconnaissance, a US com pany moved behind the Japanese lines and made an unopposed landing east of Murien Village, forcing the enemy to retire without firing a shot.

“Ryall, who was operating with a US task force, on another occasion went seven miles beyond the outpost line and, single-handed, killed three Japanese within sight of another enemy force. He sent back information of an impending enemy attack and, when cut off, took a canoe into the open sea, where he was picked up by a patrol torpedo-boat, “Later he again went behind the enemy lines and set up a camp, from which he sent information of enemy troop move ments, concentrations, and artillery targets.”

Kenneth Ryall is a son of Mr. W. E.

Ryall, a director of the Island firm of Nelson & Robertson Pty., Ltd.

W/O K. W. Ryall.