Eric Batchelor, one of New Zealand's most highly decorated
World War 2 soldiers, died in Waimate, South Canterbury, on
Saturday.
Sergeant Batchelor, who would have turned 90 in August, was
twice awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) for
conspicuous bravery during the Italian campaign, an award
second only to the Victoria Cross.
He was mentioned in despatches, and fought at El Alamien in
North Africa, and Monte Cassino in Italy, both key battles
for New Zealand troops.
Mr Batchelor was promoted to sergeant in the Italian
campaign, gaining a reputation as an effective search and
destroy operator with the nickname "The Ferret".
Leading a platoon of mainly West Coast South Island
infantrymen, he became a specialist in working many
kilometres behind enemy lines at night, a skill he owed to
his New Zealand childhood.
In later years, long after the war, he admitted he had not
been a "very bright" school pupil and spent much of his
younger days roaming the hills in and around Waimate shooting
rabbits or "sneaking around at night raiding orchards".
His first DCM was awarded after he captured a group of
Germans after a fierce close quarter fight in a small house
behind enemy lines.
His second came from a similar engagement two months later
when he and three New Zealand soldiers, working well behind
enemy lines at night, came upon a remote house.
Mr Batchelor said he could smell sauerkraut, a favourite
German dish, so he knew there were Germans in the house. When
the building was attacked "there were about 30 Germans inside
and there was a bit if a fight".
His men ran out of ammunition, but used captured German
weapons to take 19 prisoners back to the New Zealand lines
before daylight.
They discovered later that the house had been the German
forward headquarters and one of the prisoners was their
commanding officer.
Mr Batchelor who spent all his life, apart from his war
service years, in Waimate, was slightly wounded twice but
otherwise came through the war unhurt.
His funeral, with full military honours, will be held at the
Waimate High School on Wednesday.
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