Wairarapa farmer Keith Elliott was awarded a VC for his efforts at Ruweisat Ridge on 15 July 1942. Serving with 22nd Battalion, Elliott was wounded in the chest while leading his platoon in a successful break-out. Under heavy machine-gun and mortar fire he led a bayonet charge across 500 m of open ground, capturing an anti-tank gun, several machine guns, and 50 prisoners. He then single-handedly captured another machine-gun position and another 80 Germans in all, despite suffering further wounds to his thigh and knee.