the following is a list of men who were recipients of the NEW ZEALAND BRAVERY DECORATION

the names were taken from the site: The PRO PATRIA PROJECT some names lead to bios
BENNETT, Craig David
- On 7 May 2005 at about 7.15 a.m., Constable Bennett was off duty and driving past 36 Cooper Street, in Dunedin, when he noticed that the house was on fire. By his exceptional bravery he was able to effect the rescue of three people from the blazing building .. more at site

BERTRAND, Ngakina Jane
- On 17 and 18 January 2005, there were riots at Yandina in the Solomon Islands during an industrial dispute. Ngakina took the risk of placing herself at the front to protect the children and calling upon those slinging stones to cease their activities .. more at site

CANTLEY, Allan Donald
- At Morrinsville on 29 July 1993, a mentally deranged man with a number of explosive devices strapped to his body, entered the Police Station. He held both the Police and three members of the public hostage and threatened to detonate bombs attached to his body. Sergeant Cantley entered the building and confronted the man and was able to facilitate most of the hostages escapes, including his own. Sergeant Cantley then re-entered the building in an attempt to release the remaining hostage and overpower the man. Together with two other members of the Police he was able to achieve the release of the hostage but during this another Police Constable was wounded and the offender was fatally shot by Police. Throughout the incident Sergeant Cantley showed complete disregard for his own safety

CREAN, Christopher Michael
- On 13 March 1996 Mr Crean witnessed a confrontation between two gangs in the New Plymouth suburb of Marfell where he lived. A young man was severely beaten in front of a number of people. Mr Crean was the only witness to this brutal assault who was prepared to testify against the assailants. Despite enormous intimidation, including verbal death threats made by gang members at the Court, Mr Crean did not waver and he insisted on giving evidence against the gang members involved. His performance of his civic duty encouraged other witnesses to come forward, as a result of which gang activity in the area was curtailed and successful prosecution of two of the three defendants ensued. However, on 6 October 1996, Mr Crean, then aged 27, answering a knock at the front door of his home, was gunned down in the presence of his wife and young children. Four members of a gang are now serving life sentences for his murder. Mr Crean's performance of his civic duty undoubtedly placed his life in danger, with subsequent tragic consequences.

FA?AUI Pes Sia?atoutai
- On the afternoon of 28 November 2005, Pes Sia?atoutai Fa?aui, an environmental officer employed by the Waitakere City Council, was on duty in Railside Avenue, Henderson. Nearby, a man with a knife had stabbed and injured a sport shop owner, who had to flee his shop after receiving stab injuries to his back, stomach, arm and hand. The offender then crossed the road and fatally stabbed a 65-year-old man who was getting into his car. Mr Fa?aui?s act of exceptional bravery led to the arrest of a dangerous offender and possibly saved a police officer from serious injury .. more at site

GIBSON Robert Bruce
- On 5 June 2005 at 9.20 am, a man drove into the St Lukes shopping centre carpark in Auckland after being pursued by Police for driving dangerously through inner-city Auckland. Once in the carpark the offender, who was armed with a cut-down AK47 style assault rifle, tried unsuccessfully to hijack a car occupied by a mother and her six year old daughter. The offender then tried to hijack a second car, but was distracted by the arrival of a Police car driven by Constable Pennington and Constable Gibson .. more at site
- see Karl Hugh PENNINGTON above also

HOOD, Terence Albert
- On the evening of 4 July 1989 Mr Hood, a security guard, accompanied an electrician as he carried out routine tests on newly installed 11,000 volt oil circuit breakers in the MED substation located in an area under construction at the Defence Department Building, Stout Street, Wellington. The electrician noticed there was a serious problem as one of the circuits breakers had been installed with no oil in the contact chamber. As he switched off the circuit breaker it exploded throwing out molton copper and flames. It also threw the electrician against a wall opposite the exit and blasted Mr Hood backwards out of the door. However, hearing the cries from the electrician, who was on fire he came back into the room past the burning equipment and dragged the electrician to safety and used his bare hands to extinguish the man's burning hair and clothes. Mr Hood's actions saved the life of the electrician

HUNT, Graeme James
- At Flaxmere on 21 April 1996 Mr Hunt was at his home when he heard a noise like a gun shot. Going outside, he saw a police car on the street in front of his house. He ran to the vehicle, accompanied by his two daughters, aged 12 and 10 years, where they discovered a shot police officer lying by the car. As Mr Hunt attempted to assist the officer, another bullet travelled in front of Mr Hunt, lodging in the driver�s door of the car. Looking up, he saw a man in another car pointing a rifle at him through the vehicle's window, only some 5 to 6 metres in from of the police car. At this time Mr Hunt was with the constable between the two doors of the police car, the eldest daughter was standing in front of the car and the youngest behind her father. Mr Hunt moved quickly to the rear corner of the police car, before a further shot was fired, which also lodged in the driver's door. The other car then left the scene, after which Mr Hunt returned to the constable, whose wounds were unfortunately fatal. Mr Hunt placed his own life at risk to help the fatally wounded police officer

JONES, Heath Courtenay
- On 7 May 2009, Sergeant Heath Jones was one of the first Police Officers to arrive at the scene of the fatal shooting of Senior Constable Len Snee, and the wounding of Mr Len Holmwood, and Senior Constables Grant Diver and Bruce Miller, by Mr Jan Molenaar in Chaucer Road South, Napier .. more at site
- see also Anthony MILLER

KNIGHT, Geoffrey Frank
- of Tapanui. Shortly after midnight on 4 June 2001, Constable Knight attended a violent domestic incident near Tapanui. The two occupants of a house had been traumatised by the actions of the male occupant's brother, who had broken into the house and assaulted the male occupant, causing serious injury. He threatened to kill the female occupant and her children and had unsuccessfully attempted to open their fire-arms cabinet. By this time, the female occupant and children had sought safety in a bedroom. Unable to gain access to them, the intruder retreated, armed with a knife and threatening to kill. At this point, Constable Knight arrived alone and called for Police backup, which he knew would be up to 30 to 40 minutes away. The intruder reappeared, resisted arrest and engaged in a violent struggle with Constable Knight, who managed to restrain him for approximately 30 minutes until local Fire Brigade members arrived to assist. The offender was subsequently charged with numerous offences

MILLER, Anthony James
- On 7 May 2009 Senior Sergeant Anthony Miller was one of the first Police Officers to arrive at the scene of the fatal shooting of Senior Constable Len Snee, and the wounding of Mr Len Holmwood, and Senior Constables Grant Diver and Bruce Miller, by Jan Molenaar in Chaucer Road South, Napier
- see also Heath JONES

MILLSOM, Anthony Frederick Ronald
- 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 .. more at site

MUIR, James Alexander
- 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 Whakatane. Constable James Muir, aged 41 years, and his Police dog, Neo, were called out to join the pursuit .. more at site

NEIL Mervyn Raymond
- 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 .. more at site

O'LEARY, Michael Ross
- At 3.55 p.m. on 24 April 2009 Inspector Michael O'Leary was off duty and driving with his family along State Highway One some 17km north of Taupo, when the vehicle in front of him, a Toyota van, crashed head-on with a black sedan coming the opposite way. The Toyota, which contained six people, flipped into the air, landed on its rear, and rolled four times before going off the road and down a grass embankment and bursting into flames .. more at site

PENNINGTON, Karl Hugh
- photo and bio at site
- see Robert Bruce GIBSON also

PICKERING, Brian John
- of Rotorua. On 25 September 2000, Mr John Painting and his son Matthew were tramping in the Kaimanawa Ranges. At an altitude of almost 5,000 feet, they were caught in what was later reported as a "50 year storm" with freezing temperatures, 70 knot winds and blizzard conditions. They were found by chance in a distressed condition and suffering from hypothermia by Mr Brian Pickering, who was on the first day of a six day journey into the Kaimanawa Forest Park. Using his skill and experience, Mr Pickering positioned the two men below a track, placed them in their sleeping bags and gave them food. He also tried to wrap them with a tent to shield them from the driving wind. He then dialled 111 on his cell phone and alerted the Police to the situation. He was able to provide details of their location and names, and requested assistance from the search and rescue organisation. He managed to get both men into one sleeping bag and remained with them, keeping them as warm as possible until help arrived. Throughout the incident he kept in regular contact with the search and rescue headquarters. Mr Pickering put his own life at risk by staying with the two men, who would have died in the storm had it not been for his actions

POMARE, Hakihana Jackson
- At Matauri Bay, on the evening of 21 June 1997, Hakihana Pomare, aged 11 years, rescued his younger brother from their burning temporary accommodation. He re-entered the burning structure, amid thick smoke and intense heat, to rescue another brother and his sister but all three tragically died in the fire. He displayed exceptional bravery

ROONEY, Kevin Lawrence
- On 7 May 2009 Constable Kevin Rooney was one to the first Police Officers to arrive at the scene of the fatal shooting of Senior Constable Len Snee, and the wounding of Mr Len Holmwood and Senior Constables Grant Diver and Bruce Miller, by Jan Molenaar in Chaucer Road South, Napier .. more at site

SLOSS, Warren Gilbert
- of Wanganui. On 12 October 1996, Constable Sloss responded to a call from a woman about the presence of her former boyfriend at her house. After accompanying her there from another address, he followed her inside. The boyfriend appeared from behind a door and attacked the woman with a large knife. Constable Sloss intervened and was himself attacked with the knife. The woman, who had suffered repeated blows from the knife in an attempt to kill her, was able to leave the house to get help, convinced that the Constable was about to be killed. Constable Sloss was then engaged in a fight for his life, being stabbed three times in the back, once in the abdomen, once in the right forearm, and a serious injury to his left hand. However, he succeeded in overpowering and handcuffing the man, before calling for assistance. The Constable�s actions saved the life of the intended victim at the cost of his own severe injuries

TEMPLETON, David
- On 21 January 2003, following a bizarre mutilation of two women in the Thames area, the offender fled to South Auckland. Once there, he shot and killed a man outside a cinema and restaurant complex, then left the scene in a motor vehicle. Sergeant Templeton, then Senior Constable, was on duty with his police dog nearby and came across the offender fleeing the scene .. more at site

WHITE George William
- On 17 and 18 January 2005, there was a riot at Yandina in the Solomon Islands during an industrial dispute. On 17 January, Constable Ngakina Jane Bertrand had been assaulted during an incident and Sergeant White, then an acting inspector, together with another officer went to her assistance, using pepper spray to force a number of strikers to withdraw. They were punched and kicked while doing so .. more at site