'It was right on this track and among the cactus that my Coy eventually came to grief—practically all my leading men including the remaining Platoon Commander were wounded simultaneously through land mines connected up with trip wires…. At this point with less than half a company I decided to get in touch with Bn Headquarters but it appeared that my wireless was the only one in operation. It was then that I decided to look around to see how many men were left in the Coy but as I walked only five yeards or so from the track a mortar shell with New Zealand marked on it for me fell too close to miss. Lance Sergeant N. B. Cook, MM; Kerikeri; born Kerikeri, 23 Feb 1919; labourer; wounded 4 Sep 1942.

The loss of Major Porter completed the disorganisation of A Company. Some of the survivors attempted to carry on the attack but were finally halted at the foot of Djebel Bir. Corporal Cook organised a small party and removed all the wounded he could locate into shelter. He saved the lives of many men that night and earned the MM he later received.' (Source: Cody, J.F. 28 Maori Battalion. p. 294.) AWMM