Major Evan Torrance
Major Torrance joined the New Zealand Army on 24 January 1955 and graduated into the Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment from the Royal Military College Duntroon on 10 December 1958.
Major Torrance began the raising and training of his Whiskey Company, 1st Battalion the Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment at Terendak Camp in May 1969. The company joined the 6th Royal Australian Regiment/New Zealand (ANZAC) Battalion in operations in South Vietnam in November 1969 and was subsequently transferred to the 2nd Royal Australian Regiment/New Zealand (ANZAC) Battalion on 15 May 1970.
During its year of service in Vietnam, Whiskey Three Company showed itself to be a well-organised, well-trained and very competent rifle company which could be relied upon to tackle aggressively any task allotted to it. The success of the company is due largely to the leadership of Major Torrance who has shown himself to be an imaginative, determined and aggressive officer and whose control of the company in action has been an inspiration and high example to the other officers of the ANZAC Battalion
Major Torrance’s leadership, integrity and professional competency reflect great credit upon himself, his Regiment and the New Zealand Army.