Lance Sergeant W. J. Cattanach, MM; born NZ 18 Mar 1918; tailor; wounded 19 Oct 1944. (Source: Kay, R. 27 (Machine Gun) Battalion. p.289.)

'The following night (the 27th–28th) the New Zealanders were relieved by the South Africans on Miteiriya Ridge and went back into reserve at Alam Onsol, about 15 miles to the rear, where they made up for the lack of sleep and the strain of the last four days and five nights.

In the fighting on Miteiriya Ridge ten machine-gunners had been killed and eleven wounded—not many casualties if compared with the losses at Sidi Rezegh and in other desert battles. This might be attributed, at least in part, to the fact that the fighting had been less mobile. The German armour did not get the chance to counter-attack as it had done at Sidi Rezegh, Ruweisat and El Mreir. Also the troops had better knowledge of what they were to do—information had been passed right down to platoons before the battle. On Miteiriya Ridge Gardiner won the only DSO awarded to a NZ machine-gun officer in the Second World War, Halkett and Beard the MC, and Cattanach, Black and Forsyth the MM.' (Source: Kay, R. 27 (Machine Gun) Battalion. p. 289.) AWMM