Bill Henry (Willie) Apiata
Lance Corporal, 1st New Zealand Special Air Service Group (NZSAS)
VC
Living holder
- Award
- Victoria Cross for New Zealand
- Rank
- Lance Corporal all Lance-Corporals →
- Unit
- 1st New Zealand Special Air Service Group (NZSAS) all 1st New Zealand Special Air Service Group (NZSAS) VCs →
- Date of action
- 2004, Rural Afghanistan (location not disclosed) all of 2004 →
- Conflict / campaign
- War in Afghanistan (2001–2014) (War in Afghanistan)
- London Gazette
- 2 July 2007 on this day → all of 2007 →
- Born
- 28 June 1972 at Mangakino, New Zealand
- Status
- Living holder of the Victoria Cross all living VCs →
- Medal held by
- Gifted by Apiata to the NZSAS Trust in April 2008 (he retains the right to wear it). In April 2025 he handed the medal to Veterans Minister Chris Penk as a gesture in support of veterans' legislation; later custody not confirmed.
- Investiture
- 26 July 2007, Government House, Wellington, by Governor-General Anand Satyanand
Summary of the action
In 2004 Apiata's NZSAS troop was attacked at night by around 20 fighters while laid up in a rural area of Afghanistan. A rocket-propelled grenade destroyed their vehicle and wounded Apiata and two comrades, one of them bleeding heavily from an arterial wound. Under fire and in total disregard of his own safety, Apiata stood up, lifted the wounded man onto his shoulders and carried him some 70 metres across open, bullet-swept ground to the shelter of the main troop position. Having handed over the casualty, he armed himself and rejoined the fight until the attackers were driven off.
A summary in our own words; the official citation can be read in The London Gazette (link below).
Awarded after Alf's death. This entry was compiled by his family in 2026 from public sources so that the register remains complete. Sources: en.wikipedia.org, victoriacross.org.uk, 1news.co.nz
Places connected with Apiata
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