Victoria Cross for NZ SAS soldier [Archive]

Timber020

2nd July 2007, 12:17

A New Zealand soldier is being awarded the Victoria Cross for his service in Afghanistan.

Corporal Bill Apiata is being given New Zealand's highest military honour for his actions with the SAS in Afghanistan in 2004.

Apiata carried a wounded SAS colleague 70 metres under heavy enemy fire. The government says Corporal Apiata showed little regard for his own life when he saved his colleague who would certainly have died from loss of blood otherwise.

Apiata is the first New Zealander to receive New Zealand's highest military decoration since the World War II.

Three other SAS members are also being honoured but their identities are not being revealed because of the secrecy surrounding the SAS. Details of the soldiers' actions have also not been released.

They are receiving the New Zealand Gallantry Decoration and the Gallantry medal.

And hes from Mangakino! I think I went to school with some of his family

Colapop

2nd July 2007, 12:24

Farkin shit hot!!

Pumba

2nd July 2007, 12:29

Awsome stuff!!!!!

Me tinks there might be more to the story than what is being publisised though, classified documents and all.

Pussy

2nd July 2007, 12:44

Maximum respect, Corporal Apiata

Big Dave

2nd July 2007, 12:44

Respec.

I knew a VC.
Co-pilot's uncle.
I sat with him in his study for hours late in his life.
Inspirational, yet completely normal, everyday bloke.

u4ea

2nd July 2007, 12:47

yep he has done a very couragous thing in a very hostile situation..:yes:

JimO

2nd July 2007, 13:00

good on him there should be a million dollar cheque to go with it

ManDownUnder

2nd July 2007, 13:02

... respect...

Sniper

2nd July 2007, 13:03

Good on him....

KoroJ

2nd July 2007, 13:08

Is he a biker??

SPman

2nd July 2007, 13:38

Regardless of the political, or any other reasons for the rights and wrongs of being there in the first place.........well done mate. I like his comment when told of his award - "I was only doing my job, boss."
Notice how many VC's have been awarded for the act of saving peoples lives under severe conditions? - including 2 of the 3 double VC's.

Big Dave

2nd July 2007, 13:52

"I was only doing my job, boss."

yep.
http://www.awm.gov.au/fiftyaustralians/13.asp

oldrider

2nd July 2007, 13:52

Absolute respect and thanks to that man and the rest of the SAS. :yes: John.

Clivoris

2nd July 2007, 14:13

+1.........

SARGE

2nd July 2007, 14:40

MAJOR respect

NighthawkNZ

2nd July 2007, 14:44

Congrates... but on the same token.. poor bugger..

yes I know just doing his job... but still to get a VC you have to go through some serious shit... :gob:

Knowing them (the SAS)they probably though just another traing day... oh wait you mean that was real. :doh:

Again congrats and repect :D

Swoop

2nd July 2007, 15:31

Huge respect.

The commonwealths highest medal, not just NZ's.

Chisanga

2nd July 2007, 16:29

sAsLEX

2nd July 2007, 17:20

Huge respect.

The commonwealths highest medal, not just NZ's.

I can't believe i'm saying this but props must also go to Helen Clark for okaying the Victoria Cross and not replacing it with a New Zealand specific decoration like what has been done with the honours that get given out these days.

Respect to Cpl. Apiata and his unit... you usually have to die to get one of these bits of metal.

The stuff report, yes I know generally rubbish reporting, was saying how the NZ VC was similar to the British one. I thought there was only one VC, originally cast from the metal of a Russian cannon captured at Svestapol??

Have talked to a few multiple DFC recipients and they all said the same as he did " Just doing our job."

Paul in NZ

2nd July 2007, 18:39

Add my respect here too. These are not given out lightly... Well done that man!

Marknz

2nd July 2007, 18:42

Good on 'im

Dave Lobster

2nd July 2007, 21:36

I don't think he'll be buying his own beer for a little while!! :yes:

Colapop

2nd July 2007, 21:57

And when his grandchildren ask him about it, he'll just say "It was a long time ago..."

Pussy

2nd July 2007, 23:22

And when his grandchildren ask him about it, he'll just say "It was a long time ago..."
Yep, saw Cpl Apiata on TV tonight.... quite a humble response. This country could do with some more of his calibre. I am VERY proud of him

lti

3rd July 2007, 00:17

I can't believe i'm saying this but props must also go to Helen Clark for okaying the Victoria Cross and not replacing it with a New Zealand specific decoration like what has been done with the honours that get given out these days.

She did replace it.
She replaced it with the New Zealand Victoria Cross. It looks exactly the same, but it is a NZ honour, not a British or Commonwealth honour.

This is the first time it has been awarded.

The commonwealths highest medal, not just NZ's.

While the NZ VC is equal to the British VC, it is not the same medal.

slopster

3rd July 2007, 01:29

New zealand vc is a seperate award to the VC however the medal is identical cast from the same cannons made by the same jewelers in london

sAsLEX

3rd July 2007, 02:30

New zealand vc is a seperate award to the VC however the medal is identical cast from the same cannons made by the same jewelers in london

Pretty sure they have run out of the metal now...... well thats what it says in Rupe VC barracks over here.

Oh and Wikipedia has also updated with the inclusion of this latest VC.

Dave Lobster

3rd July 2007, 07:24

Pretty sure they have run out of the metal now...... well thats what it says in Rupe VC barracks over here.

Not so.. There was a documentary Jeremy Clarkson did about a VC winner from the Isle of Mann. He was his father in law, but he died before he met the daughter.
It showed the lump of metal they use. There's plenty left.. And at the rate they're given out these days, it'll last a few hundred years yet. There's only been a handful since WW2.

sAsLEX

3rd July 2007, 07:26

Not so.. There was a documentary Jeremy Clarkson did about a VC winner from the Isle of Mann. He was his father in law, but he died before he met the daughter.
It showed the lump of metal they use. There's plenty left.. And at the rate they're given out these days, it'll last a few hundred years yet. There's only been a handful since WW2.

Might be more to the story....http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/12/28/nvc28.xml

Oh and what service was the first VC recipient in?

Dave Lobster

3rd July 2007, 08:08

Oh and what service was the first VC recipient in?

I would imagine the army. 1856, the Crimean War. There's a fair bit on Wiki about it.

sAsLEX

3rd July 2007, 08:17

I would imagine the army. 1856, the Crimean War. There's a fair bit on Wiki about it.

Navy. Artillery shell fall on board, with a completely unknown amount of time left before the round exploded ( fuses where cut by hand in those days) a young Midshipman picked the heavy hissing round up and lobbed it over the side. Saving much damage to the crew and the ship.

Now who said Midshipmen where useless.......
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1991070.ece

janno

3rd July 2007, 08:30

Thanks peoples - I've enjoyed reading this thread. Learned lots about VCs and the makings behind the award that I would never have thought to look into.

KB is such a cool place to learn stuff! Not just another yada, yada bike site.

And +1 for all that's been said about our latest hero - he earns the title for sure, not just a silly tag some sports commentators stick on some random athlete. . .

Dave Lobster

3rd July 2007, 08:34

And +1 for all that's been said about our latest hero - he earns the title for sure, not just a silly tag some sports commentators stick on some random athlete. . .

To quote Oddball (to Crapgame) in Kelly's Heroes:

"To a New Yorker like you, a hero is just some kind of wierd sandwich"

janno

3rd July 2007, 08:39

To quote Oddball (to Crapgame) in Kelly's Heroes:

"To a New Yorker like you, a hero is just some kind of wierd sandwich"

Ha! Very good.

Eggsackerly!

SPman

3rd July 2007, 13:28

She did replace it.
She replaced it with the New Zealand Victoria Cross. It looks exactly the same, but it is a NZ honour, not a British or Commonwealth honour.

This is the first time it has been awarded.

While the NZ VC is equal to the British VC, it is not the same medal.
I believe the Australians and Canadians have done the same - replaced the British medals with their own, but still kept the VC as the highest award

Swoop

3rd July 2007, 14:12

The stuff report, yes I know generally rubbish reporting, was saying how the NZ VC was similar to the British one.

I believe the Australians and Canadians have done the same - replaced the British medals with their own, but still kept the VC as the highest award
Hmm.
Still cast from the cannons.
Same jewelers who put it together.
HAS to be approved by the queen...

Smells like a load of bollocks that each country "has made their own award".

A VC is still a VC. Heilen Klerke - fuck off and stop meddling in things above your comprehension (pun slightly intended).