1408 NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE, No. 61 6 MAY 2011

from a position nearby. Senior Sergeant Miller then supervised the withdrawal of Sergeant Heath Jones, Constable Kevin Rooney and himself from the scene to positions at the inner cordon.

A short time afterwards, a group of officers including Detective Sergeant Smith, Detective Sergeant Nicholas Clere and a paramedic, Mr Stephen Smith, made their way down Chaucer Road with a stretcher to recover Senior Constable Diver from his hiding place at No. 45. Plans had been made for a ‘hot extraction’ using an ambulance, should the group be fired upon at any stage. A few minutes later, they began their return journey up the hill, but it was apparent that they were having considerable difficulty carrying Senior Constable Diver. While Constable Rooney provided cover with a rifle from his cordon position, Senior Sergeant Miller and Sergeant Jones ran down the hill to meet the stretcher party and assisted them in bringing Senior Constable Diver to a position of safety.

Senior Sergeant Miller played a leading role in the events that took place on the morning of 7 May. He displayed exceptional bravery and put his own life in danger during the successful evacuation of Senior Constable Miller from his exposed position near the gunman’s house, while under fire, by initially protecting Senior Constable Miller’s body with his own and then placing the wounded officer in the car. He followed this with a display of coolness and professionalism when conducting the tactical withdrawal of the group to the cordon, and performed a second act of bravery that morning by going to the assistance of the group evacuating Senior Constable Diver.

Anthony Frederick Ronald MILLSOM
Wing Commander, Royal New Zealand Air Force (Retired)
Citation

On 26 April 2008 Anthony Millsom, then a Wing Commander serving in the Royal New Zealand Air Force, was at home at Whenuapai when he heard the sound of a small aircraft as it nose-dived into the ground from a low altitude. Looking out of the window, he saw billowing smoke and immediately ran from his house towards the crash site, which was inside the perimeter of the Air Base. As he approached the crumpled aircraft he saw it engulfed in flames. The surrounding grass, which extended to the concrete base of a nearby building, was also burning. Wing Commander Millsom recognised the building as one used to store highly inflammable liquid oxygen.

Grabbing a nearby fire hose he ran to the aircraft and quickly realised that one of its occupants was lying face down half out of plane. The person’s legs were burning and flames were licking up their back, melting their shirt. Wing Commander Millsom ran up to the aircraft, but couldn’t see all of it because of the flames and smoke. He called out to the accident victim, but did not receive a response. Despite the risk to himself, he attempted to get the occupant out of the aircraft, but was initially beaten back by the flames and heat. He then made another attempt and managed to grab the victim’s belt and pull him out and away from the aircraft.

Others had now arrived at the scene and were shouting warnings. The fire had increased in intensity and was getting ever closer to the liquid oxygen store, heightening the risk of an explosion. Wing Commander Millsom therefore had no option but to retire to safety.

In attempting to rescue the occupant of the aircraft, Wing Commander Millsom suffered burns and blisters to both hands and flash burns to the side of his face. He acted selflessly, and with great courage and persistence, not knowing if the person he was attempting to rescue was alive or dead. All the time, he was at risk from the surrounding fire and a possible explosion.

James Alexander MUIR
Constable, New Zealand Police
Citation

At 3.00 a.m. on 23 June 2007 a stolen vehicle was observed entering Mt Maunganui. The vehicle was being driven by two 14-year-old youths who had escaped from a Child, Youth and Family residential bush programme in the Upper Ruatoki Valley. They had burgled two rural residences, from which they had obtained firearms and ammunition, as well as the car, and had committed further offences in Whakatāne. Constable James Muir, aged 41 years, and his Police dog, Neo, were called out to join the pursuit.

While the vehicle was being pursued, the passenger climbed into the back seat, armed himself with a 0.303 rifle and began to fire at the Police vehicles, including Constable Muir’s car. About this time the offenders’ car began to slow, as its tyres had been spiked by the Police earlier in the pursuit. The offending vehicle was forced to stop. Constable Muir, seeing that his colleague was in a dangerous situation, came to his aid by parking immediately behind the offenders’ vehicle.

By this time, another officer had got out of his car and attempted to apprehend the driver of the offenders’ car. The youth in the back of the car pointed the rifle at the Constable who, fearing he would be shot, took cover behind a nearby wall. The two constables then verbally challenged the two youths to surrender. The youth with the rifle then pointed it first at the other officer and then at Constable Muir. At one stage Constable Muir saw the youth work the bolt and heard a ‘click’ as the trigger was pulled. Fortunately the rifle chamber was empty. The driver of the offenders’ car then got out of his vehicle and surrendered. The youth with the rifle also got out of the vehicle and moved towards the other officer’s Police car, which still had its engine running. Before he could reach it, Constable Muir released his dog, Neo, who apprehended him. While this was going on, the other youth attempted to escape, and was also apprehended.

Constable Muir acted calmly and professionally in a dangerous and rapidly changing situation over which he had no control, and in which he had no alternative but to render assistance to his colleague. Throughout the incident there was the risk of being shot by an offender who showed that he was prepared to use a firearm to effect his escape.

Mervyn Raymond NEIL
Senior Firefighter, New Zealand Fire Service
Citation

At 4.00 p.m. on Saturday 5 April 2008 two Hamilton fire crews responded to a monitored smoke alarm at the cool store complex in Tamahere. Senior Firefighter Mervyn Neil was a member of one of those crews. Immediately after the crews gained entry to the cool store a massive explosion occurred with flames and debris propelled tens of metres into the air. The officer in charge was killed in the explosion and seven other firefighters were severely injured. The most severely injured survivor was Senior Firefighter Neil who received burns to 73% of his body.

Nearby citizens, including several qualified medical personnel, ran to the scene to assist the victims. They tended to the victims’ injuries and, unaware of the increasing danger to which they were exposed, helped remove firefighters trapped by the debris. Senior Firefighter Neil, though grievously injured, was aware of the developing danger and quietly and professionally took charge of the situation and led people away from the danger area. Despite being urged to rest and receive treatment, he continued to work to ensure the safety of his colleagues and their rescuers, cooling the burns