 For the Papuan Campaign , MacArthur awarded Blamey the American Distinguished Service Cross , and Blamey was created a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire on 28 May 1943 . This was unusual as it was the Australian Labor Party 's policy not to award knighthoods , but was done as a response to the British government 's awards to British and American officers for the North African campaign . Blamey 's and Herring 's knighthoods would be the last that the Labor government would award to Australian soldiers . 
