Richard Lewis Hutchens
Born 26 Nov 1914 - Died 21 Jan 1998
- Service number
- WWII 4865 AWMM
- WWII 4869 AWMM
- Also known as
- Dick AWMM
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Last rank
- Lieutenant Colonel/Military AWMM
- War
- World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
About
- Title
- —
- Forenames
- Richard Lewis AWMM
- Surname
- Hutchens AWMM
- Ingoa
- —
- Also known as
- Dick AWMM
- Service number
- WWII 4865 AWMM
- WWII 4869 AWMM
- Gender
- Male AWMM
- Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
- —
- Religion
- —
Images
Documents
About birth
- Birth
- 26 Nov 1914 AWMM
- Date of birth
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- Place of birth
- —
- Birth notes
- —
- Address before enlistment
- Unknown AWMM 10A Central Terrace, Wellington, New Zealand AWMM
- Unknown AWMM 10A Central Terrace, Wellington, New Zealand AWMM
- Post war occupation
- Next of kin
- Mr William Hutchens, 150 Kilmore Street, Christchurch, New Zealand AWMM
- Mr William Hutchens, 150 Kilmore Street, Christchurch, New Zealand AWMM
Wars and conflicts
- War
- World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
- Campaign
- —
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Service number
- WWII 4865 AWMM
- WWII 4869 AWMM
- Military service
- Wellington Regiment, 1933 AWMM
- 27 (Machine Gun) Battalion AWMM
- 26 Infantry Battalion AWMM
- 24 (Auckland) Infantry Battalion AWMM
- Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers
- —
Military decorations
- Medals and Awards
- Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) AWMM
DSO: New Zealand Gazette, 30 April 1946. Citation: "Lieutenant Colonel Hutchens commands 24 New Zealand Battalion which on the night of 27 July 1944 attacked through the bridgehead over the River Pisa and captured the high ground north of the village of Cerbaia. Enemy reaction to this success was strong and throughout the following day they launched strong counterattacks all without success. It was then that the village of San Michelle dominated the positions held by our troops, and before any further progress could be made, it was necessary to capture and occupy this village and the ridge on which it was situated. This attack was planned by Lieutenant Colonel Hutchens and was completely successful. The enemy resisted bitterly, but was forced to give up the position. The following day they made every effort to retake San Michelle. They counterattacked five times and succeeded in getting tanks and some infantry into the village. When it seemed that our troops had been overrun, Lieutenant Colonel Hutchens sent in another company to retake the village. Our infantry had held out however and by first light the following day the position was made firm and the enemy fell back. Lieutenant Colonel Hutchens' personal reconnaissances, his appreciation of the situation, and his clear judgement ensured the success of all these operations. By his courage and cheerfulness, he inspired his men with confidence and the will to hang on. The fighting spirit of his battalion is largely due to his fine leadership." AWMM - 1939-1945 Star AWMM
- Africa Star AWMM
- Italy Star AWMM
- Defence Medal AWMM
- War Medal 1939-1945 with oak leaf AWMM
- New Zealand War Service Medal AWMM
- Legion of Merit (USA) AWMM
- Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) AWMM
Training and Enlistment
- Military training
- —
- Branch Trade Proficiency
- —
- Enlistment
- WW2 Civil servant/Civilian AWMM
- WW2 Unknown AWMM Civil servant/Civilian AWMM
- Age on enlistment
- —
- Occupation before enlistment
- —
Embarkations
- Embarkation details
- WW2 Second Lieutenant AWMM 19 Infantry Battalion, Headquarters AWMM
- WW2 Major/Military AWMM Headquarters, 25 Battalion AWMM Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force AWMM
2nd Embarkation AWMM
Prisoner of war
- Capture details
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- Days interned
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- Liberation date
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- POW liberation details
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- Liberation Repatriation
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- POW serial number
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Medical history
- Medical notes
- Hospital Diseases , Wounds, WWII AWMM
Wounded 21 July 1942 AWMM
Last known rank
- Last rank
- Lieutenant Colonel/Military AWMM
- Last rank
- —
Biographical information
- Commanding Officer (CO) of 27 (Machine-gun) Battalion, 29 February - 8 May 1944
CO of 26 Infantry Battalion, 8 May 1944 - 8 June 1944
CO of 24 Infantry Battalion, 8 June 1944 - 12 May 1945
NZ High Commissioner to Australia, 1950-53
Secretary for NZ Cabinet, 1955-59
NZ Ambassador to France and the Netherlands, 1965-69
NZ High Commissioner to Malaysia, 1969-74
Serial number recorded as 4865 on the Nominal Rolls. Serial number recorded as 4869 in Haigh and Polaschek (1993)
Studied at Victoria University College. AWMM - NZ Commissioner to Singapore 1959 - 1962Public - Alastair - Child - 11 November 2022 - Family history;
- Commanding Officer (CO) of 27 (Machine-gun) Battalion, 29 February - 8 May 1944
About death
- Death
- 21 Jan 1998 Allan Steel Cemetery Project
Age 83 AWMM - Date of death
- —
- Age at death
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- Place of death
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- Cause of death
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- Death notes
- —
- Cemetery
- Cremated AWMM
- Puketeraki Cemetery AWMM Block 1, Plot 1 AWMM
- Cemetery name
- —
- Grave reference
- —
- Obituary
- —
- Memorial name
- —
- Memorial reference
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Memorial
- Memorial name
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Sources
- External links
- Burdon, R. (1959). 24 Battalion. Wellington, Dept. of Internal Affairs, War History Branch.
http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2-24Ba.html
Sources Used - Cemetery Records. Wellington City Council.
http://www.wellington.govt.nz/services/cemeteries/search/search.php
Sources Used - Births, Deaths and Marriages (New Zealand) Historical Records online
https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz
Sources Used - New Zealand Electronic Text Collection topic page
http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/name-010496.html
Further Reference - 0
www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/37072/supplements/2455/page.pdf Supplement to the London Gazette, 10 May, 1945 2455 DSO PDF
Further Reference - "Absent Friends", Letter from Egypt' in Salient magazine, Vol. 4, No. 8, 16 July, 1941.
http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-Salient04081941-t1-body-d1.html
Further Reference - Sinclair, D. (1954). 19 Battalion and Armoured Regiment. Wellington, Dept. of Internal Affairs, War History Branch.
https://ndhadeliver.natlib.govt.nz/webarchive/20210104000423/http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2-19Ba.html
Further Reference
- Burdon, R. (1959). 24 Battalion. Wellington, Dept. of Internal Affairs, War History Branch.
- References
- Haigh, J., Polaschek, A. (Eds.). (1993). New Zealand and the Distinguished Service Order. Christchurch, N.Z.: Authors.
- Sinclair, D. (1954). 19 Battalion and Armoured Regiment. Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Internal Affairs, War History Branch.
- 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 88 - Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force. (1945). Nominal Roll Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force No. 13 (Embarkations from 1st January, 1944 to 31st March, 1944). Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
WW2 13: WW2 60 - 24 N.Z. Infantry Battalion Association [newsletter]. Auckland, N.Z.: The Association.
24th N.Z. Infantry Battalion Association newsletter. March 1998, Issue 121 - Burdon, R. (1959). 24 Battalion. Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Internal Affairs, War History Branch.
- Puttick, E. (1960). 25 Battalion. Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Internal Affairs, War History Branch.
- Norton, F. (1952). 26 Battalion. Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Internal Affairs, War History Branch.
- Kay, R. (1958). 27 (Machine Gun) Battalion. Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Internal Affairs, War History Branch.
- This record was partially compiled from data kindly provided by Allan Steel Cemetery Project (2020)
- Fortune, G. & Bebich, M. (2008). Citizenship and remembrance : a history of the 24 NZ Infantry Battalion Association. Auckland, N.Z.: Polygraphia.
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