Corporal I. F. Strahl, MM; Kaikoura; born NZ 24 Apr 1921; clerk. (Source: Cody, J.F. NZ Engineers, Middle East. p.694.)

'Major Morgan was instructed to get a 40 ft low-level bridge over the Santerno in support of 28 (Maori) Battalion, which in the early afternoon had built up a small bridgehead. There was little choice of sites for the whole area was under observation from the enemy-held village of Sant’ Agata. The stopbank was charged and blown without casualties, but a dozer would have been a sitting shot until the Artillery had supplied smoke around the site and high explosive in great quantities on Sant’ Agata. Sapper Strahl, preparing the approach route for the bridging trucks, was under such heavy fire that he was in the middle of filling a crater when a shell landed a few feet away from his machine and blasted away most of the spoil he had already pushed into the hole. It was after 6 p.m. before it was possible to get the components on to the site. Sergeant R. J. Roberts, in command of the bridge-building operations, had a difficult night for an enemy machine-gun post out on the flank frequently Sapperayed the area with bullets. He kept his team working at full efficiency by the force of his own example and by placing a sapper with a Bren gun well clear of the bridge, but in a position to fire long bursts in the direction of the German post. As soon as the bridge was down Sapper Strahl drove his machine across and dozed an exit route so that the crossing, sited at a point where the canalised river crossed a loop of the Santerno Morto, was passing traffic at 1.30 a.m. Strahl was awarded an MM, and the night's work was the first of several that were recognised by the award to Sergeant Roberts of an immediate DCM. CorporaI. F. Strahl, MM; Kaikoura; born NZ 24 Apr 1921; clerk.; Italy II - Sappers from 6 Field Company began work before nightfall on the 11th on a bridge in 28 Battalion's sector. Despite harassing sheil and mortar fire the approaches were bulldozed before it was dark, which allowed the bridging train to get to the site without delay. Because the Maoris' bridgehead was only about 500 yards deep, the enemy could observe the site and interfere with the bridge-building with machine-gun fire from that flank. Lance- Sergeant Roberts, who was in charge of the work, placed a sapper with a Bren gun where he could divert some of the hostile fire. A bulldozer driven by Sapper Strahl under mortar fire made a gap in the far stopbank, and the construction of a 40-foot low-level Bailey bridge was completed by 1.30 a.m. Within the next two hours two squadrons of 18 Armoured Regiment, 32 Anti-Tank Battery and 28 Battalion's support weapons were safely over the river. A squadron of 20 Armoured Regiment crossed just before dawn on the 12th, followed by the third squadron of 18 Regiment. The other two squadrons of the 20th used a crossing in 6 Brigade's sector, where much bulldozing had to be done before one Ark tank was placed on top of another to make a bridge. Corporal I. F. Strahl, MM; Kaikoura; born NZ 24 Apr 1921; clerk.' (Source: Cody, J.F. NZ Engineers, Middle East. p. 694.; Kay, R. Italy Volume II : From Cassino to Trieste. p. 434.) AWMM