For Valour (Wellington) Multi-Cache
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By accident I came across one of our Nation's VC recipients. Unbeknown to myself, and probably many others, it turned out he was buried in the Returned Serviceman's Lawn Section.of the Paraparaumu cemetery. This inspired me to set up a cache honouring both Rev Keith Elliott and those who have given service for their country.
Queen Victoria chose the design for the award and approved the wording 'for valour' on the front of the medal, beneath the royal crest. The Victoria Cross medals are made of bronze and are still cast from the metal melted down from cannons captured at Sebastopol during the Crimean War. The Victoria Cross takes precedence over all other Orders and medals.
FOR VALOUR: The REV KEITH ELLIOTT VC
Keith Elliott (1916-1989) enlisted in Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force (2NZEF) in 1940, and drafted into No.11 Platoon, B Company, 22nd Battalion. Elliott, who at the time held the rank of sergeant, was awarded the VC for his actions in the Western Desert of North Africa, on 15 July 1942:
"At Ruweisat at dawn on 15 July 1942 the battalion to which Sergeant Elliott belonged was attacked on three flanks by tanks. Under heavy tank, machine gun, and shell fire Sergeant Elliott led the platoon he was commanding to the cover of a ridge three hundred yards away, during which he sustained a chest wound. Here he re-formed his men and led them to a dominating ridge a further five hundred yards away, where they came under heavy enemy machine gun and mortar fire. He located the enemy machine gun posts on his front and right flank, and while one section attacked on the right flank Sergeant Elliott led seven men in a bayonet charge across five hundred yards of open ground in the face of heavy fire and captured four enemy machine gun posts and an anti-tank gun, killing a number of the enemy and taking fifty prisoners.
His section then came under fire from a machine-gun post on the left flank. He immediately charged this post single-handed and succeeded in capturing it, killing several of the enemy and taking fifteen prisoners. During these two assaults he sustained three more wounds in the back and legs. Although badly wounded in four places, Sergeant Elliott refused to leave his men until he had reformed them, handed over his prisoners, which were now increased to one hundred and thirty, and had arranged for his men to rejoin their battalion.
Owing to Sergeant Elliott's quick grasp of the situation, great personal courage and leadership, nineteen men who were the only survivors of B Company of his battalion, captured and destroyed five machine guns, one anti-tank gun, killed a great number of the enemy, and captured one hundred and thirty prisoners. Sergeant Elliott sustained only one casualty amongst his men, and brought him back to the nearest advanced dressing station." [London Gazette, 24 September 1942]
So now to the quest. There are two photos to help you in your quest.
The first shows the chained off area for those who have served their country in combat.
The given co-ordinates take you to the flagpole adjacent to the "Lest We Forget Wall"
at the West end of the area.
Go to this area and then your task is to locate Keith Elliott's plaque
and using your powers of observation by checking adjacent plaques
obtain some of the digits required to decipher the required co-ordinates for the final cache.
You will also need to locate the two identified graves in the second photo
and by using the information on these it will enable you to complete the remaining co-ordinates
which when all put together will lead you to the final cache.
A = Third numeral at top left of Elliott’s plaque
B = Second digit of age reached for WCT Foley’s wife Margaret
C = Last digit on Holden’s “R” number
D = Number of letters in first Christian name on Wise’s obelisk
E = Number of “O’s” in line two of Wise’s obelisk plus 2
F = Half the sum of digits for age at death from influenza for Tuckey’s wife
G = Last digit on L J Miner’s plaque
H = Date in February on Bryan Treen’s plaque
I = Last digit in year of Alexander Wakelin’s year of death
J = Penultimate digit in Elliott’s wife’s age on plaque minus 2
The final is a double sleeved pill container within easy walking distance and does not entail any further close inspection of any monument or gravesite.
FINAL = S40 AB.CDE E 174 FG.HIJ
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
1.Xrvgu Ryyvbggf cyndhr 12J10R
2.Svany. purfg yriry, jrfg fvqr avpur, ab arrq gb yrnir gur frny
Treasures
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