THE PRO PATRIA PROJECT

PRITCHARD Ronald James

601363, New Zealand Army Service Corps att V Company, 1st Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment

CITATION

Distinguished Conduct Medal

Gazetted 12 November 1968, Supp 44713, p12118

Private Ronald PRITCHARD joined the New Zealand Army on 30th June 1965, and served in Malaya and Borneo with the 1st Battalion, The Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment from November 1965 to November 1967. On the 12th November 1967, Private PRITCHARD arrived in South Vietnam as a medical orderly with 5 Platoon, V Company to join the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment.

On the 13th January 1968, during Operation Duntroon, in Phuoc Tuy Province, 5th Platoon ambushed a party of enemy and in the ensuing fire fight, three New Zealand soldiers were wounded.  Private PRITCHARD immediately moved forward to an exposed position to administer first aid to his wounded comrades.  The area was subject to enemy sniper but Private PRITCHARD remained with the wounded, caring for them until they were evacuated by helicopter

During Operation Coburg, in Bien Hoa Province on the 1st February 1968, 5 Platoon was again in action with an enemy patrol and the forward scout was wounded by small arms fire.  The enemy maintained a steady volume of fire but again Private PRITCHARD moved forward to the contact area and, having administered first aid to the wounded man, assisted in his evacuation to a secure area.  On the 7th February during the same operation, V Company was subjected to a heavy enemy attack. During the fierce firing six soldiers in 5 Platoon were wounded.  While the enemy attack was at its peak and 5 Platoon’s position was racked with enemy small arms and rocket fire, Private PRITCHARD left his own pit and crawled from weapon pit to weapon pit treating each soldier in turn.  When he had treated all the wounded, he crawled back to the most seriously wounded soldier and remained with him until the enemy attack was beaten off

Throughout a sustained period of operations, Private PRITCHARD displayed outstanding courage and coolness whilst under enemy fire. With complete disregard for his own safety he went forward time and time again into areas under enemy fire to treat the wounded and assist in their evacuation.  The fact that all were successfully evacuated and survived their wounds can be attributed in no small way to Private PRITCHARD's actions and professional skill.  By these actions he has brought great credit to himself, his unit and the ANZAC Battalion

KNOWN AWARDS

Distinguished Conduct Medal

Campaign Service Medal 1962

Borneo

Queen's Vietnam Medal

Vietnam Star

1960

NOTES

Born 14 January 1944, Auckland, New Zealand