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Auction: 24003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 134

An outstanding Commando's 1944 New Guinea 'behind the lines' United States D.S.C. group of eight awarded to Lieutenant H. D. Henstridge, 2/7th Commando Company, Australian Imperial Force

1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Pacific Star; Defence, War and Australian Service Medals 1939-45, these last six all officially impressed 'SX3800 H. D. Henstridge'; Efficiency Medal, G.VI.R., Australia (SX3800 Lt H D Henstridge AIF), officially engraved naming; United States of America, Distinguished Service Cross (Lt. Henstridge AIF), mounted court-style as worn, traces of lacquer to campaign medals, good very fine (8)

Approximately 64 Amercian D.S.C.'s awarded to the Allied Forces during the Second World War.

American D.S.C. London Gazette 21 June 1945. The citation states:

'The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Lieutenant Hector D. Henstridge, Australian Imperial Force, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving with 25th Liaison Squadron, near Dumpu, New Guinea, from 17 February-12 March 1944. Lieutenant Henstridge voluntarily descended by parachute into a jungle behind enemy lines to rescue an officer and a soldier of the United States Army Air Force.

With full knowledge of the dangers of the jungle and of possible enemy patrols, he made his first parachute jump, after which he led his comrades to safety in a hazardous twenty-four day march. By his heroic action, Lieutenant Henstridge not only saved two lives, but in addition he contributed significantly to our knowledge of the territory through which he traveled.'

Hector David Henstridge was born on 13 October 1910 at Norwood, South Australia and joined the Citizen Military Forces (Reserve) in February 1930, serving in the 23rd Light Horse Regiment. Advanced Corporal in August 1930, Lance-Sergeant in November 1935, he joined the Australian Instructional Corps in January 1939 and was made Warrant Officer Class II in June 1939, being posted to the 3rd Light Horse Regiment that same month.

Henstridge enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force in May 1940 in the same rank and joined the 7th Divisional Cavalry Regiment. Commissioned Lieutenant in July 1941 into the Royal Australian Armoured Corps, he went overseas with the 6th Division Cavalry Regiment to the Middle East in November 1941. Having seen active service, he returned to Australia on the Holbrook in April 1942.

Then it was time for something far more exciting, as Henstridge underwent training and passed into the Commando's and joined the 2/7th Commando Company in New Guinea on 2 December 1943. Having honed his skills in the jungles and clearly become a fine operator in the theatre. His finest hours came when working with the United States 25th Liaison Squadron on the 'Guinea Short Lines', who were based out of Gusap in the Ramu Valley. The strip was encircled by jungle and mountain ranges up to 13,000ft. So it was on 15 February 1944 that a P-40 went down some 100 miles off from the airstrip and three 'A' Flight Stinson L-5's went to investigate, in order to attempt to find any survivors. One of the aircraft was flown by Sergeant Salternik who located the burning P-40 but could not see the pilot. He found a field covered in Kunai grass a mile off and thus attempted a landing, only to find the grass 8ft thick. Too late to pull up, he stuck it, the aircraft flipped and smashed its propeller. Salternik walked away but darkness had come down.

The following day supplies were dropped and an Australian Commando was called for to assist with the rescue. Henstridge gamely made a perfect jump from an L-5 - which transpired to be his first ever - and met Salternik. His citation gives good detail but the following day they found Lieutenant Flack and began their adventure back to the lines. Two days later another Pilot, Staff-Sergeant Nichols again attempted to land but his aircraft was also damaged beyond repair.

There was to be no more lifts and the merry band faced a 35-mile march through virgin jungle to meet an Australian patrol which was in the area. Given the thick bush, swamps and ridges they would face, Henstridge estimated it might take eight days and their rations were low to begin with. Beyond that, Japanese patrols were active in the area at all times.

They started out but their progress could not be tracked and four days in, the party was declared missing in action, assumed killed or captured. The march proved all but impossible, their rations running out on 10 March. It was then down to them to catch fish in the muddy streams and find any nuts they could. Given they were wet at all times, their shoes began to disintegrate and their feet swelled and bled. Leaches, swarms of mosquitoes and other 'creepy crawlies' found their way on the bodies of the party. They were finally found on 12 March and taken to an Australian patrol shelter, being flown out to Gusap. All had lost 25-30lbs each and contracted malaria but lived to tell the tale. Salternik and Nichols took the Silver Star whilst Henstridge earned his Distinguished Service Cross.

He further served with 2/2 Commando and the Australian Commando Training Battalion, being transferred to the Recruiting Staff in March 1946 and being discharged in June 1946. Henstridge retired to Balaklava, South Australia and died at the Soldiers Memorial Hospital on 4 March 1974. He is buried in the Centennial Park Cemetery, Adelaide.

The aircraft wreck was discovered by an RAAF Searcher Team in May 1946 and identified. It remained there until 2004 when the engine and one wing was removed from the crash site, exported to Australia to Precision Aerospace at Wangaretta Airport. In October 2015, with the re-build complete, it was registered in Australia as VH-PFO and is painted in the markings of Flack's aircraft, P-40N 42-104986. Since 2016, Classic Air Adventure Flights have been offering flights in this aircraft from Wangaretta Airport.

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Estimate
£1,000 to £1,400

Starting price
£800

Sale 24003 Notices
The Australian War Memorial hold a named and numbered D.S.C. to this recipient (REL39705.001), together with various items of uniform and documents. The Australian awards in this Lot are all officially named as issued.