Alfred Hulme
Encyclopedia
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
(24 January 1911-2 September 1982) was a New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
recipient of the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
forces.
He was the father of champion Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
racing driver Denny Hulme
Denny Hulme
Denis Clive "Denny" Hulme, OBE was a New Zealand racing driver, the 1967 Formula One World Champion for the Brabham team....
.
Citation
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
in the 23rd Battalion, (The Canterbury Regiment) 5th Brigade, 2nd Division, 2NZEF during the Second World War when the actions took place during the Battle of Crete
Battle of Crete
The Battle of Crete was a battle during World War II on the Greek island of Crete. It began on the morning of 20 May 1941, when Nazi Germany launched an airborne invasion of Crete under the code-name Unternehmen Merkur...
for which he was awarded the VC.
The citation from the London Gazette dated 10 October 1941 reads:
Further details
Clive Hulme's brother Harold Charles ("Blondie") Hulme, was killed while also fighting in Crete.Hulmes use of an acquired German parachutists' smock
Knochensack
Knochensack was the nickname for German parachute jump smocks designed to wear over a paratrooper's equipment made for the Luftwaffe Fallschirmjäger during World War II. They were made in a variety of camouflage patterns and made from tough cotton material.There were several models in use in 1936,...
during some of his stalking has occasionally been criticised.
His Victoria Cross was one of nine stolen from the QEII Army Memorial Museum
QEII Army Memorial Museum
The National Army Museum is the museum of the New Zealand Army. It was formerly known as the Queen Elizabeth II Army Memorial Museum. It is situated 94 minutes south of Taupo on State Highway One, on the southern side of the small military town of Waiouru. The 1300 square metre museum is...
in 2007. Along with all the others, it was recovered in February 2008 as a result of a reward offered by Michael Ashcroft and Tom Sturgess.
Personal life
Hulme was born in Dunedin, New Zealand and worked as a farm labourer before he enlisted in the 23rd Battalion.After the war he lived at Pongakawa, near Te Puke
Te Puke
Te Puke is a town located 28 kilometres southeast of Tauranga in the Western Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand. It is particularly famous for the cultivation of kiwifruit...
, running a cartage company and involved with water divining and oil prospecting.
His son Denny Hulme
Denny Hulme
Denis Clive "Denny" Hulme, OBE was a New Zealand racing driver, the 1967 Formula One World Champion for the Brabham team....
won the Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
World Drivers' Championship in 1967.
Clive Hulme died at Te Puke
Te Puke
Te Puke is a town located 28 kilometres southeast of Tauranga in the Western Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand. It is particularly famous for the cultivation of kiwifruit...
on 2 September 1982, and was buried in the civilian section of the Dudley-Vercoe Cemetery in the town.
External links
- "Alfred (Clive) HULME, VC", www.armymuseum.co.nz
- "Hulme, Alfred Clive", Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand
- Archived (brief biography details)