John Daniel Hinton

Born 17 Sept 1909 - Died 2 Jul 1997

Service number: 7930 AWMM
Also known as: Jack AWMM
Armed force / branch: Army AWMM
Last rank: WW2
War: World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM

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John Daniel Hinton — Boyer, Charles Percy Samuel (1945). V.C. Recipients of the First and Second World Wars. Group portrait of eleven of New Zealand Victoria Cross recipients from the First and Second World War on the steps of Parliament in Wellington. Front row left to right: John Hinton, Keith Elliott, Charles Hazlitt Upham, Alfred Clive Hulme, Samuel Frickleton, John Gildroy Grant. Back row, left to right: Leslie Wilton Andrew, Reginald Stanley Judson, James D. Crichton, Henry (Harry) John Laurent, Cyril Royston Bassett. The photograph is mounted on card and has been autographed by the men below the photograph in order of as they are placed. Auckland War Memorial Museum - Tamaki Paenga Hira. PH-1956-1. Permission to reproduce this image should be sought from Auckland War Memorial Museum and the copyright holder where applicable.

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Wars and conflicts

War: World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
Campaign: Greece AWMM
Armed force / branch: Army AWMM
Service number: 7930 AWMM
Military service: —
Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers: —

Military decorations

Medals and Awards: Victoria Cross (VC) AWMM
London Gazette 14 October 1941, Supplement 35311, p. 6027 "On the night of 28th-29th April, 1941, during the fighting in Greece, a column of German armoured forces entered Kalamai; this column, which contained several armoured cars, 2" guns and 3" mortars, and two 6" guns, rapidly converged on a large force of British and New Zealand troops awaiting embarkation on the beach. When the order to retreat to cover was given, Serjeant Hinton, shouting " to Hell with this, who'll come with me," ran to within several yards of the nearest gun; the gun fired, missing him, and he hurled two grenades, which completely wiped out the crew. He then came on with the bayonet followed by a crowd of New Zealanders. German troops abandoned the first 6" gun and retreated into two houses. Serjeant Hinton smashed the window and then the door of the. first house and dealt with the garrison with. the bayonet. He repeated the performance in the second house and as a result, until overwhelming German forces arrived, the New Zealanders held the guns. Serjeant Hinton then fell with a bullet wound through the lower abdomen and was taken prisoner." VC. New Zealand Gazette 1941 No. 80 p. 1143 AWMM
War Medal 1939-1945 AWMM
New Zealand War Service Medal AWMM

Training and Enlistment

Military training: —
Branch Trade Proficiency: —
Enlistment: WW2 13 Sep 1939 AWMM
Age 30 AWMM
Foreman Driver/Civilian AWMM
Age on enlistment: —
Occupation before enlistment: —

Embarkations

Embarkation details: WW2 Corporal/Military AWMM 20 Infantry Battalion AWMM

Prisoner of war

Capture details: WW2
1 May 1941 AWMM
Defence of the Greek town of Kalamata AWMM
WW2
WW2 POW - Greece AWMM
WW2 POW - Stalag IX-C, Mulhausen, Mulhausen, Germany AWMM
Days interned: —
Liberation date: —
POW liberation details: —
Liberation Repatriation: —
POW serial number: —

Medical history

Medical notes: Hospital Diseases , Wounds, WWII AWMM
Severely wounded in stomach 1941 AWMM

Last known rank

Last rank: WW2 7 Mar 1946 AWMM
Last rank: —

Biographical information

While a prisoner of war Hinton twice escaped, and made several other attempts. He was told he had been awarded the VC as he lay in hospital recovering from a beating given after one of these attempts. Received his Victoria Cross from King George VI on May 11, 1945, at Buckingham Palace.

Represented New Zealand as part of the Coronation Contingent of 1953.

His medals are held by the National Army Museum, Waiouru, New Zealand. John Hinton's Medal Group.

The Jack Hinton Reserve, 72 Bexley Road, Christchurch, New Zealand, named in his honour.

Sergeant J. D. Hinton, VC (Stalag IX C)

Letter 1: 3 April
I am now out of hospital and in another part of Germany in main camp. A number of the NZ Airforce lads are here from different parts of NZ - Forde (Nelson), Black (Auckland), Steve Jarvis (Auckland), Lew McCarthy (Wanganui), Fain (Westport) and several others, a number of Canadians and a good number of Polish Airforce boys - reat tip-top boys they are too. There's about 300 of us all told in the part I am in. It would do you good to see us managing and making the most of the 2 stoves, boiling water and frying our eats. The room is very large and puts you in mind of a laundry and second-hand shop in one. I went to my first picture show - a talkie - 2 nights ago. It was in German but I quite enjoyed it. They put one on once a week. We have a good dance band and the boys also put on some real interesting plays. None of my old company are here, they must have been sent to some other camp. No next-of-kin parcels yet; still hopeful.

Letter 2: 15 April
I received 2 letters from you written on 5 and 16 December. They were the first since January and February. Thank all the people fo their letters and kind thoughts. I am out of hospital 5 weeks now and feel real well, so no more worrying for you now. We make life here very pleasant.

(Source: The New Zealand prisoner of war pamphlet (No. 6, October 1942, p.9))

Sergeant J. D. Hinton, VC (Stalag IX C)

Letter: June & July
So pleased your first next-of-kin parcel reached me a few days ago, my 2 mates and myself were just like kids and Father Christmas or Christmas time couldn't come anything near it. It arrived in tip-top order and all required. I'll not attempt to thank you, it was just great. I moved into a new camp a week ago. It's very nice. I'm quite contented, so please do not worry, a chap would indeed be ungrateful if he couldn't take this life at present and I have enjoyed what I have wished for at last, a little freedom and one of the highlights was a grand walk, I went for almost 10 miles. I'll admit I was pleased when I reached camp again. From this you will see life here is really good and I just look forward to the day when I will return to see you all again. The new camp is still IXC. I received an English mail the other day, also your April letters have arrived. I made a biscuit pudding for tea and for a wonder it tasted just as good as it looked, a big improvement on the cake I told you I made, so I'm doing alright in this line.

(Source: The New Zealand prisoner of war pamphlet (No. 8, January 1943, p.10))

Sergeant J. Hinton, VC (Stalag IX C)

Letter 1: 5 September
I have received no mail from you for some weeks now but I have great hopes that some will come today. Cliff Clark, Air Force, Hastings, is in the next bed to me celebrating his birthday with a tin of sardines. And my 33 birthday passed before I remembered.

Letter 2: 15 October
Received 6 letters from you today and lots from others. Bob Buckley, Christchurch is out working at a trade, also Gus Brown. We are all in different parts of the country.

(Source: The New Zealand prisoner of war pamphlet (No. 10, May 1943, p.15))

Sergeant J. D. Hinton, VC (Stalag IX C)

Letter: 7 September
We continue to get good news from IX C, Germany, 4 letters in August, written during April and May - it must be a very good camp. They held a nice Anzac service and 2 of the other men and John assisted. He gives the names of them as well as the padre. NZ House is very good to them and also has a news sheet printed of NZ news notes and posts it out to them at regular intervals. He had received the 5th of my NoK parcels and has asked me to only send toilet articles and chocolate...States he has sufficient clothing for a long time but thinks the time is not so far distant now when the will be (turning homeward).

(Source: The New Zealand prisoner of war pamphlet (No. 14, October 1943, p.10))

Hinton was also a keen rugby league player. He was a member of the Reefton senior team when rugby league was reorganised in the district in 1933 and remained an active player for several years. Playing at full-back, he was regarded as a valuable member of the team and was popular with his teammates. His award of the Victoria Cross in 1941 was warmly celebrated by the Inangahua rugby league community. His brother, C. Hinton, was then a member of the Inangahua Rugby League management committee. AWMM

Sources

External links: Cemetery Records. Christchurch City Council cemeteries database.
http://librarydata.christchurch.org.nz/Cemeteries/
Sources Used
Victoria Cross Citation. London Gazette 14 October 1941 Issue:35311 Page:6027
http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/35311/supplements/6027
Further Reference
Ministry for Culture and Heritage, New Zealand History online. Dunedin RSA building, formerly site of the VC winners' plaque.
https://nzhistory.govt.nz/memorial/dunedin-rsa-war-memorial
Further Reference
London Gazette
https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/35311/supplement/6027
Further Reference
'The Anzacs who beat the odds and escaped form Greece'
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-07-11/the-anzacs-who-beat-the-odds-and-escaped-from-greece/100284226
Further Reference
Great Britain Army. (1945). Germany and German occupied territories : imperial prisoners of war alphabetical list : section 4. London, U.K.: Government Printer. Zenodo Record.
https://zenodo.org/records/3955186
Further Reference
Army Museum. John Hinton's Medal Group.
http://www.army.mil.nz/at-a-glance/events/archived-events/op-valour/image-gallery/medal-images/11.htm
Further Reference
Pringle, D., & Glue, W. (1957). 20 Battalion and Armoured Regiment. Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Internal Affairs, War History Branch.
https://ndhadeliver.natlib.govt.nz/webarchive/20210222122055/http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2-20Ba.html
Further Reference
Wikipedia Profile
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Hinton
Further Reference
REEFTON NOTES, Grey River Argus, 21 October 1941, Page 7
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/GRA19411021.2.54
Further Reference
References: The Register of the Victoria Cross. (1997). (3rd ed.). Cheltenham, England: This England.
p. 150
Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force. (1941). Nominal Roll Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force No. 1 (Embarkations to 31st March, 1940). Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
WW2 1: WW2 82
Auckland Museum Armoury Resource Centre, Biographical vertical file
McDonald, G. (1997). Jack Hinton V.C. Auckland, N.Z.: David Ling Publishing.
Harper, G., & Richardson, C. (2006). In the face of the enemy: The complete history of the Victoria Cross and New Zealand. Auckland, N.Z.: HarperCollins NZ.
pp. 151-157
The New Zealand Herald
Obituary: New Zealand Herald, 30 June 1997, A9
List of 2NZEF Prisoners of War. 1941-1945. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. MS 2009/8.
Great Britain Army. (1945). Germany and German occupied territories : imperial prisoners of war alphabetical list : section 4. London, U.K.: Government Printer.
Pringle, D., & Glue, W. (1957). 20 Battalion and Armoured Regiment. Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Internal Affairs, War History Branch.
Beattie, P.J. and Pomeroy, M.J. (2016). Gallant Acts and Noble Deeds: New Zealand army honours and awards for the Second World War. Auckland, N.Z.: Fair Dinkum Publications.; P.J. Beattie and M.J. Pomeroy, 2016.
p. 141
Mason, W.W. (1954) Prisoners of war. Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Internal Affairs, War History Branch.
Joint Council of the Order of St. John and the New Zealand Red Cross Society. Prisoners of War Enquiry Office. (1941–1944). The New Zealand prisoner of war pamphlet: Official pamphlet of the Prisoners of War Enquiry Office of the Joint Council of the Order of St. John and the New Zealand Red Cross Society. Wellington, New Zealand.
No. 8, January 1943, p.10; No. 14, October 1943, p.10; No. 10, May 1943, p.15; No. 6, October 1942, p.9
McClymont, W. (1959). To Greece. Wellington, N.Z.: Department Internal Affairs, War History Branch.

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John Daniel Hinton