Ron Guthrey
|
Ron Guthrey OBE MC |
|
|---|---|
Ron Guthrey in 1950
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|
| 40th Mayor of Christchurch | |
|
In office 1968–1971 |
|
| Preceded by | George Manning |
| Succeeded by | Neville Pickering |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
15 January 1916 Rawene, New Zealand |
| Died | 8 September 2008 (aged 92) Christchurch, New Zealand |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Guthrey |
| Awards | Military Cross |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 New Zealand
|
| Service/branch | New Zealand Army |
| Rank | Second Lieutenant |
| Unit | 20th Battalion |
| Battles/wars |
World War II |
World War II
Albert Ronald Guthrey OBE MC (15 January 1916 – 8 September 2008) was a councillor for Christchurch City Council for 22 years before being elected Mayor of Christchurch. He was a World War II veteran and he and his family were (and still are) well known business operators in Christchurch.
Guthrey was born in Rawene, Hokianga on 15 January 1916. He attended Waitaki Boys' High School. He was an entrepreneur from a young age, as shown by his insurance scheme for caning. Guthrey charged a shilling a term and paid out a penny per whack. The insurance scheme folded when a number of boarders staged a sleep in and were disciplined accordingly. He saved himself by walking into town, buying a case of small apples, and because there was no tuck shop at school, was able to sell them at 100% mark-up.
Guthrey was a member of the New Zealand 20th Battalion during World War II. The battalion left Lyttelton on 5 January 1940 for Egypt.
In November 1941 Guthrey's battalion was part of the New Zealand 4th Infantry Brigade in the 2nd New Zealand Division, he was the second lieutenant commanding the Bren Gun Carrier platoon. For a series of actions on 22 November, 23 November and on 25 November, he was recommended for the Military Cross by his battalion commander, Lieutenant-Colonel Howard Kippenberger. Kippenberger praised Guthrey's "skill and dash" on the Bardia Road on 22 November, and called Guthey's flank attack on Bir Cleta on 23 November "probably decisive"; but most praise was reserved for his rescue of the crew of another Bren Gun Barrier under heavy artillery fire on 25 November. A few days later, during the Battle of Belhamed on 1 December 1941, Guthrey was wounded and lost a leg. He lay on the battlefield until a German burial party in a captured New Zealand truck found him and took him to a hospital. His MC was duly gazetted on 20 January 1942. He did not learn of it until some time later when his parents sent him a newspaper clipping containing this news.
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Wikipedia