Dr Lennox Douglas was posthumously awarded a Medal of Honour in a ceremony at the Waitaki Boys’ High School Hall of Memories last Friday.
The Waitaki Boys’ High School old boy was killed in April 1941 in the Slamat disaster during the battle of Greece when a Dutch troopship, the Slamat, and two British destroyers that went to its aid, were attacked and sunk by German dive-bombers.
Dr Douglas’s family was presented with the World War 2 medal given by the Royal Rotterdam Lloyd Heritage Foundation.
Heritage foundation founder Ed van Lierde presented the medal.
The Dutch soldiers who were killed in the disaster had been honoured with an award but those from other Allied countries, including Dr Douglas, were not.
When Mr van Lierde met Dr Douglas’s youngest daughter Mary "Meem" Saxton, she expressed her dream to see her father honoured.
Mr van Lierde then tried to go through official channels with various governments to do so.
Those attempts were unsuccessful and led him to creating the foundation which now gives out its own medal of honour.
Unfortunately, Meem died before she was able to see her wish fulfilled.
Her two sisters, Catherine Robins and Ann Boys, accepted the medal on behalf of their father.
Meem’s children, Kate and Hamish Saxton, spoke at the ceremony during which Kate read letters her grandfather wrote to his wife — her grandmother, Joan.
She also read out one of the poems he wrote while he was away.
The ceremony was a "very special" moment for the family, Mr Saxton said.
"Almost 83 years on from Len’s death, to have him still in our memory and to have him recognised in such a way is a great honour.
"It’s really important in keeping that memory alive and to understand what is that he was fighting for and why he paid an ultimate sacrifice."
A surgeon by profession, Dr Douglas earned the rank of captain and served in the New Zealand Medical Corps.
He received a World War 2 Medal and a New Zealand War Service Medal.
