7930, Sergeant
JOHN DANIEL HINTON
20 N.Z. Battalion, 2nd N.Z.E.F.
Kalamai, Greece - 28th-29th April, 1941
Sergeant Hinton was born at Colac Bay, Riverton, New Zealand, on 17 September 1909, and was 31 years old when the action for which he was awarded The Victoria Cross took place.
The citation from the London Gazette dated 14 October 1941 reads:
"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."
Sergeant Hinton died at Christchurch, New Zealand, on 28 June 1997, and is buried in the Returned Servicemen's Section of the Ruru Lawn Cemetery, Christchurch, New Zealand.
His Victoria Cross is held at the Queen Elizabeth II Army Memorial Museum, Waiouru, New Zealand.
The medals awarded to Sergeant Hinton are:
- The Victoria Cross
- The 1939-1945 Star
- The Africa Star
- The Defence Medal
- The War Medal 1939-45 (with Mention in Despatches oakleaf)
- The New Zealand War Service Medal
- The Coronation Medal 1953
- The Silver Jubilee Medal 1977
- The New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal
John Hinton's Medals