Awards to Territorians

Lieuts. Stokie and Gilmour

THE Military Cross has been awarded to Lieut. Leslie John Stokie; and the Distinguished Conduct Medal to Sgt. (now Lieut.) John Louis Gilmour.

Lieut. Stokie was a member of the NGVR and, before the war, a well-known plantation manager in the Bainings dis trict of New Britain.

After the Japanese invasion he went bush and lived there for about 12 months before contacting three American airmen who had survived a bomber crash.

They joined forces for several months, constructing canoes in which to escape, but were rescued by an American Liberator before the canoes were ready for use.

Each of the Americans insisted that he owed his life to Stokie’s knowledge of the country and the natives.

Lieut. Gilmour is the son of LieuL- Colonel and Mrs. J. Gilmour of Put Put Plantation, New Britain. He joined the first New Guinea contingent of the AIF and went overseas in 1940 with the 9th Division. He served in Tobruk. After returning to Australia, he was detached for special work, and it was while serving with his new unit on New Britain that he won the DCM.

While on leave in Sydney in July, Lieut.

Gilmour was married.