Victoria Cross

There are only 3 living holders of the Victoria Cross (VC) in Australia. The latest recipient Mark Donaldson joins two others still surviving, the 75 year old Keith Payne VC, and 89 year old Ted Kenna VC, who was awarded his VC for an action in 1945 at Wewak in what was then called New Guinea.

Edward (Ted) Kenna was born at Hamilton, Victoria, on 6 July 1919. On 15 May 1945, Kenna was involved in an action near Wewak, now Papua New Guinea, during which he exposed himself to heavy fire, killing a Japanese machine gun crew and making it possible for his company's attack to succeed. For this he was awarded the Victoria Cross. Three weeks later he was shot in the mouth and spent more than a year in hospital before being discharged from the AIF in December 1946.

Who won the first Australian Victoria Cross on territory administered by Australia? Private T E Kingsbury won his VC on the 29th of August 1942 at Isurava along the Kokoda track. Kingsbury's VC was also the first awarded in the South-West Pacific Area.

Waves Destroy Homes

Huge waves caused by a king tide have destroyed a hospital and homes in low lying areas of northern PNG near Wewak and the west coast of New Ireland province. Patients were evacuated from Wewak hospital in the Prime Minister Somare's home province of East Sepik while doctors and police in New Ireland have been checking on people living on the nearby low lying islands.

So far there have been no reports of casualties. It also washed away six houses on Pitiluh Island in Manus Province.