TAYLOR, Laurence Edward, Private (Temporary Corporal) (2/2709),
1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, 1952

On the morning of 2 July 1952, Corporal Taylor, A Company, 1 RAR, commanded a forward section during a raid by his company against a well-organised and deeply entrenched enemy strong point on Hill 227. His task was to seize a small enemy outpost some distance beyond the main position and hold it throughout the operation with the object of cutting off the enemy's retreat from his main strong points and of meeting any counter-attack from that direction. As his section advanced beyond the ridgeline, it came under heavy machine-gun and mortar fire and three of its members were wounded. Corporal Taylor, however, led the remainder resolutely on to his objective through continued fire and quickly disposed them in a shallow crawl trench where they came under further concentrated small arms fire from a position fifty yards to their front. Calmly directing the fire of his men, he eventually silenced the enemy machine-guns and continued to hold his position under heavy mortar fire until ordered to withdraw some ninety minutes later. During the withdrawal a further member of his section was wounded. Corporal Taylor supervised his evacuation and completed the withdrawal in an orderly manner. His stand on the outpost position had secured the company from the threat of counter-attack, and the manner in which he dealt with the enemy machine-guns saved the company from many more casualties. Throughout the action, he displayed great courage, coolness and steadfast leadership of the highest order. His conduct and control of his section under heavy fire in its exposed position was an inspiration to all who saw him and set a standard in leadership which stood his battalion in great stead in its future actions.

THOMAS, John Francis, Corporal (2/4688),
1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, 1952

Corporal Thomas proved himself a medical orderly of outstanding quality. On his own initiative, he repeatedly went beyond friendly forward localities to tend men who were wounded in action and remained informed of the progress of patrols so that in the event of contact with the enemy he could quickly move to a position from which he could render immediate aid. On more than one occasion he voluntarily exposed himself to heavy enemy shell and mortar fire to assist wounded men and, even when in reserve, he volunteered for service with other units when heavy casualties were anticipated. One example of this occurred when he provided assistance in the forward ROK aid post during a ROK regiment's attack on the Norrie feature. During an attack on Hill 227 on 2 July 1952, Corporal Thomas established a company aid post on an exposed woody spur halfway up the feature, where he was able to administer ready assistance to the badly wounded, and personally control his hard- pressed stretcher-bearers. Again, during an attack on the same hill by another unit, he personally organised the stretcher-bearers of the attacking unit and led them to the top of the hill to bring in the dead and wounded. Corporal Thomas's outstanding