THE PRO PATRIA PROJECT

ELLIOTT, Keith

6751, Sergeant, 22 New Zealand Battalion, WW2

     CITATION

Victoria Cross

Gazetted 22 September 1942, Supp 35715, p4153

Under heavy tank, machine-gun and shell fire, Sergeant Elliott led the platoon he was commanding to the cover of a ridge 300 yards away, during which

he sustained a chest wound.

Here he reformed his men and led them to a dominating ridge a further 500 yards away, where they came under heavy enemy machine-gun and mortar

fire. He located enemy machine-gun posts to his right and left flank, and while one section attacked on the right flank, Sergeant Elliott led seven men in a

bayonet charge across 500 yards of open ground in the face of heavy fire.

They captured four enemy machine-gun posts and an anti-tank gun, killing a number of the enemy and taking 50 prisoners.

His section then came under fire from a machine-gun post on the left flank. He immediately charged this post single-handed and succeeded in capturing it,

killing several of the enemy and taking 15 prisoners. During these two assaults he sustained three more wounds in the back and legs.

Although badly wounded in four places, Sergeant Elliott refused to leave his men until he had reformed them, handed over his prisoners, now

increased to 130, and arranged for his men to rejoin the battalion.

Owing to Sergeant Elliott's quick grasp of the situation, great personal courage and leadership, 19 men, who were the only survivors of B Company of

his battalion, captured and destroyed five machine-guns, one anti-tank gun, killed a great number of the enemy and captured 130 prisoners.

Sergeant Elliott sustained only one casualty among his men and brought him back to the nearest advanced dressing station."

He later achieved the rank of Second Lieutenant.  His Victoria Cross is held at the Queen Elizabeth II Army Memorial Museum, Waiouru, New Zealand.

AWARDS

Victoria Cross

1939-45 Star

Africa Star

8th Army

Defence Medal

War Service Medal 1939-45

NZ War Service Medal

Coronation Medal 1953

Jubilee Medal 1977

NOTES

Born 25 April 1916, Apiti, New Zealand

Died 2 October 1989, Lower Hutt, New Zealand

Buried Paraparaumu Cemetery, New Zealand