THE PRO PATRIA PROJECT

MORTON Robert McDonald

22884, Sergeant, 5 Field Regiment, New Zealand Artillery att to Force 133, WW2

CITATION

Military Cross

Gazetted 1 March 1947

Distinguished Conduct Medal

Gazetted 2 May 1944

Sergeant Morton joined the 2nd NZ Expeditionary Force as a volunteer in January 1940. Since then he has seen service in England, the Middle East and Greece.  During the campaign in Greece he was slightly wounded and captured in Corinth by German parachutists on 27 April 1941.  He remained in the prisoner of war camp at Korenia, Greece until 4 August when he made a daylight escape under fire.  After four months in and around Athens he made his way to Egypt, arriving back in December 1941.  Almost immediately he was sent as a reinforcement to the New Zealand Division then in the desert, where he served until recalled to Cairo in May 1942 to join Force 133.  He was posted in Commander Pool’s Para-Naval Section and served with that section until the post-occupational period in the early El Alamain days.  He was then withdrawn for special duty.  During this period he accompanied an officer on a long and arduous desert reconnaissance trip down the coast of the Red Sea.  After the danger of invasion was over he was posted in the Greek section of Force 133 and completed his parachute course in September 1942.  In October 1942 he was loaned to the Special Air Service Regiment for a special mission, which involved a highly hazardous parachute operation on the El Alamein front.  It took place on the night of 23 October and Sergeant Morton was seriously wounded in seventeen places As soon as his wounds healed and he was fit for work he was dropped into Greece in April 1943.  After that he took part in several important operations, assisted with liaison work and organised sabotage and the placing of agents in Athens.  The following is a report on the outstanding gallantry and devotion to duty shown by Sergeant Morton:

During the successful blowing up of the Asopos Viaduct, Sergeant Morton made four reconnaissance trips through the gorge, at the same time helping to carry stores.  Each one of these trips entailed immersion in freezing cold water for six to ten hours.  On one occasion when the remainder of the party were too exhausted to make the trip he volunteered to go along with one officer and on this journey they breached the most difficult obstacle, a waterfall that had held them up for a week.  The approaching darkness forced them to return before they could go any further but the following day, owing to the obstacle having previously been overcome, they managed to reach the viaduct for the first time.  Between these two trips a message arrived from Cairo asking that certain aerodromes in the south be attacked and Sergeant Morton volunteered to act in the capacity of the vanguard for this projected operation.  It was decided that he should leave for Athens to arrange the details for placing agents on the aerodromes and raising a force with which to assist in attacking the localities.  He left immediately and walked continuously for six days with very little food.  He then sent senior Greek officers to the target area for reconnaissance purposes but they were all caught by the enemy.  He then went alone and made a reconnaissance of the area , barely escaping capture and being fired on several times.  He then led the force of fifty men to a prearranged rendezvous in the mountains to await the arrival of his officer but unfortunately the party was given away by a traitor and attacked by the Germans.  They were unarmed and so were dispersed, with Sergeant Morton once again barely escaping with his life. When it was found that the operation could not be undertaken it was decided in anticipation of another future attack on these aerodromes that agents should be placed on them in readiness.  Sergeant Morton undertook to do this job, at the same time placing agents in Piraeus and other strategically important targets.  He remained in Athens to keep an eye on the work.  During his officer’s absence Sergeant Morton paid a visit to Kincraig Headquarters where he asked if he could take part in an operation in which the railway line between Levadhia and Athens was to be attacked.  He went accompanied by one Greek and attacked a steel bridge of considerable size.  The bridge was destroyed, taking with it an ammunition train, which also blew up, killing a large number of enemy troops on the train.  To ensure the success of this operation Sergeant Morton remained on the bridge until the last possible moment, the train being only some 300 yards away when he made good his escape.  This demolition caused the line to be blocked for eight days and was the only completely successful attack in the whole operation.  Sergeant Morton then took it on his own initiative to smuggle explosives, limpets, accessories and a few arms to Athens from Kincraig Headquarters, an operation which only a man of the highest courage would undertake.  It entailed a trip of some 80 miles by motor-truck and during this journey seven German road-blocks had to be passed.  He was personally searched seven times and so also was his truck, but he had hidden the explosives and other items in baskets of grapes and they were not detected.  On a later occasion three of our runners were caught and taken to the prison at Thivai.  These men were beaten and tortured by the Germans to make them talk.  As soon as Sergeant Morton heard of this he went immediately to the prison where by his own initiative he gained entrance to speak with the prisoners.  He gave them advice and sympathy and his own magnificent disregard of danger and loyalty to these men, who were under his direct command, inspired them to seal their lips – they did not talk.  During the long period he spent in Athens Sergeant Morton mixed freely with enemy troops. He never refused to undertake any operational work which was asked of him and his gallantry and courage were of the highest order.  His coolness and cheerful attitude under all conditions and his complete disregard of danger were an inspiration to all who worked with him.  His personality and bravery made him a favourite with the foreign people with whom he worked thereby keeping the prestige of the British at a high level

AWARDS

Military Cross

Distinguished Conduct Medal

1939-45 Star

Africa Star

8th Army

Pacific Star

Italy Star

Defence Medal

War Medal 1939-45

New Zealand War Service Medal

NOTES

Born 3 March 1919, New Zealand