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Cenotaph record

Gordon John Dalziel

Preliminary record

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Identity

About

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  • Title
  • Forenames
    Gordon John AWMM
  • Surname
    Dalziel AWMM
  • Ingoa
  • Also known as
    G. J. Dalziel AWMM
  • Service number
    Vietnam 41584 AWMM
  • Gender
    Male AWMM
  • Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
  • Religion

Civilian life

About birth

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  • Birth
  • Date of birth
  • Place of birth
  • Birth notes
  • Address before enlistment
  • Post war occupation
  • Next of kin on embarkation
  • Relationship status

Service

Wars and conflicts

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Military decorations

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  • Medals and Awards
    • Mentioned in Despatches (MiD) AWMM
      24 September 1969 AWMM
      New Zealand Gazette, No.62, 16 October 1969, page 2014 Citation Private Dalziel enlisted in the New Zealand Army on 1st April, 1965. He arrived in South Vietnam with Whisky Two Company on 30th October 1968. On the night of 23rd February 19691 , during Operation Federal, W Company was occupying a defensive position east of the Long Binh area. At 2020 hours a noise was heard on the defensive wire and a flare was tripped. Two enemy were seen by Private Dalziel. He engaged them with claymores. Both enemy were killed. At the time Private Dalziel was manning an M60 machine gun which covered the area of the movement. Further movement was heard and this developed into an assault by an enemy company. The first enemy rush was stopped on the defensive wire but several other determined probes were put in on the perimeter covered by Private Dalziel’s section. After bitter fighting the contact was broken at 2200 hours. Throughout the contact Private Dalziel continued to engage any enemy movement within his allotted arc and his fire was instrumental in breaking up the first enemy assault. So effective was his fire that his position attracted the bulk of enemy fire. Heavy small arms fire and a number of RPG rockets were fired at the gun to silence it, and four soldiers in the near vicinity of Private Dalziel were wounded. Despite the heavy enemy fire directed at him, Private Dalziel continued effective fire into the area of the main enemy concentration, until the enemy were forced to break contact. During the sweep the next morning six enemy bodies were found directly in front of Private Dalziel’s machine gun. A large number of blood pools and drag marks indicated that a considerable number of other enemy had been killed or wounded and had been recovered during the night. Private Dalziel’s steadfastness was instrumental in the defence of the W Company position during the early stages of the enemy attack. His example of coolness under fire and complete disregard for his own safety was an inspiration to all who saw him and was in the highest traditions of the New Zealand Army. AWMM
    • General Service Medal 1962 (Borneo clasp) AWMM
    • New Zealand Operational Service Medal AWMM
    • Vietnam Medal AWMM

Training and Enlistment

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  • Military training
  • Branch Trade Proficiency
  • Enlistment
  • Occupation before enlistment
  • Age on enlistment

Embarkations

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Prisoner of war

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  • Capture details
  • Days interned
  • Liberation date
  • Liberation Repatriation
  • POW liberation details
  • POW serial number

Medical history

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  • Medical notes

Last known rank

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  • Last rank

Biographical information

Biographical information

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  • Read citation for MID. AWMM

Death

About death

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  • Death
  • Date of death
  • Age at death
  • Place of death
  • Cause of death
  • Death notes
  • Cemetery
  • Cemetery name
  • Grave reference
  • Obituary
  • Memorial name
  • Memorial reference

Memorials

Memorial

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  • Memorial name

Leave a note

Leave a tribute or memory of Gordon John Dalziel

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Sources

Sources

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  • External links
  • References
    • Subritsky, M. (Ed). (1995). The Vietnam scrapbook: The second ANZAC adventure. Papakura, N.Z.: Three Feathers Publishing Co. AWMM
    • Hall, C. (2014). No front line : inside stories of New Zealand's Vietnam War. Auckland, New Zealand : Penguin Books. AWMM
    • This record was created from data kindly provided by the New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage. AWMM
    • Medals and Stars - General Service Medals Borneo - Archives New Zealand, Wellington (R12456000) AWMM

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