DELVILLE WOOD

LONGUEVAL - SOMME - FRANCE

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Corporal

 

Lucas MAJOZI, D.C.M.

(1916-1969)

 

 

Native Military Corps

DCM - El Alamein - 23rd/24th October 1942.

The 1/2 Field Force Battalion, soon after the battle began, was pinned down in the minefield by German machine gun and artillery fire. The regiment suffered very severe casualties. Majozi accompanied his company into action as a stretcher-bearer. In the later stages of the action when he was within 100 yards of the enemy and under heavy fire, he thought nothing of his personal safety and continued to evacuate casualties assisted by co-bearers. He was then wounded by shrapnel, but he continued evacuating the wounded. Told by a medical corporal to go back to the regimental aid post, he replied that there were many wounded men still in the minefield. He went back, and with the assistance of other stretcher-bearers, he brought back more wounded. After his co-bearer had become a casualty, he did not waver, but carried wounded men back alone on his back to the aid post. When he was eventually told by the Company Commander to go back, he smilingly refused and remained on duty, working incessantly till he collapsed next morning through sheer exhaustion, stiffness, and loss of blood. His extreme devotion to duty and gallant conduct under continuous enemy fire throughout the night saved the lives of many wounded men who would otherwise have died through loss of blood or possible further wounds.


Lance Corporal

 

Job MASEGO, M.M.

(. . . .-1952)

 

 

Native Military Corps

Military Medal (MM) - Tobruk (Libya) - 21st July 1942.

When the War broke out, he volunteered for service with the Native Military Corps and served in North Africa with the 2nd South African Division. Maseko became a prisoner of war at Tobruk on 21st June 1942. He made a bomb with a small tin filled with gunpowder from cartridges. On 21st July, while being employed by the Germans unloading a ship, he hid it among petrol drums, then laid the fuse. He lit the fuse as he left the ship. The ship blew up in the harbour and sank that night. A few days later Lance Corporal Maseko, with a comrade, escaped and walked for 23 days before reaching the British lines.