Squadron Leader John Pendreigh
John Lambert Alexander Pendreigh. 624159. Squadron Leader. Royal New Zealand Air Force. Attached 9 Sqn RAAF. New Zealand Gazette 37 dated 20 May 1971. Squadron Leader Pendreigh enlisted into the Royal New Zealand Air Force on 20 June 1958. He was posted to Vietnam as a helicopter pilot with 9 Squadron Royal Australian Air Force on 8 October 1969. This award is for gallantry during flying operations in Vietnam. Squadron Leader Pendreigh displayed outstanding leadership, professional ability and courage under fire whilst supporting a long range reconnaissance patrol of the Australian SAS Sqn that was under attack by the enemy and required immediate air support assistance. His conduct during this patrol extraction saved lives and reflected great credit on himself, his unit and the Royal New Zealand Air Force. A special note to this citation: During the year he was in Vietnam, Squadron Leader Pendreigh logged 873 flying hours and completed 3,218 missions. Squadron Leader Pendreigh was the Flight Commander for 9 Sqn and was heavily involved in planning all missions carried out by the Squadron. These missions ranged from troop carrying tasks, resupply tasks of men, water, ammunition and food, medical evacuations of sick and wounded soldiers, hot and cold Special Air Service patrol insertions and extractions, gunship missions, plus periodic support missions delivering reinforcements, ammunition, food, clothes and the always welcome mail from home. The troop carrying helicopters were always escorted by a helicopter light fire team. As a result of this constant use of helicopters, the sound of an Iroquois helicopter resonates an emotional response in every Vietnam veteran.