VCs of the Second World War
Ten Stories of Bravery and Courage
Published on 30. August 2020
144 pages
978-1-5267-2581-3 (ISBN)
Description
Dramatic accounts of ten Victoria Cross recipients and what they did to earn this highest of honors during WWII.
During the Second World War, the Victoria Cross-the highest honor to be given to British or Commonwealth forces-was awarded on 182 occasions to 181 recipients, 85 of which were bestowed posthumously.
Presented here are ten examples of those who showed the utmost gallantry and bravery "in the presence of the enemy," with each individual case and the circumstances in which the award was won examined in close detail. One example is the story of Charles Upham, 2nd Division, New Zealand Expedition Force, who was the only recipient of two Victoria Crosses: the first awarded during the Battle of Crete in 1941, and the second during fighting at El Ruweisat Ridge, Egypt, in 1942. Others include Premindra Singh Bhagat of the Indian Army, who rapidly cleared fifteen minefields despite close enemy fire and personal injury, and RAF pilot Leonard Cheshire, who received the honor after his fourth tour of duty. These and other rousing and dramatic stories are true profiles in courage.
During the Second World War, the Victoria Cross-the highest honor to be given to British or Commonwealth forces-was awarded on 182 occasions to 181 recipients, 85 of which were bestowed posthumously.
Presented here are ten examples of those who showed the utmost gallantry and bravery "in the presence of the enemy," with each individual case and the circumstances in which the award was won examined in close detail. One example is the story of Charles Upham, 2nd Division, New Zealand Expedition Force, who was the only recipient of two Victoria Crosses: the first awarded during the Battle of Crete in 1941, and the second during fighting at El Ruweisat Ridge, Egypt, in 1942. Others include Premindra Singh Bhagat of the Indian Army, who rapidly cleared fifteen minefields despite close enemy fire and personal injury, and RAF pilot Leonard Cheshire, who received the honor after his fourth tour of duty. These and other rousing and dramatic stories are true profiles in courage.
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08/2020
Pen & Sword Military
€36.11
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Person
Stephen is a retired police officer having served with Essex Police as a constable for thirty years between 1983 and 2013. He is married to Tanya and has two sons, Luke and Ross, and a daughter, Aimee. His sons served five tours of Afghanistan between 2008 and 2013 and both were injured. This led to the publication of his first book, Two Sons in a Warzone ? Afghanistan: The True Story of a Father' s Conflict, published in October 2010. Both Stephen' s grandfathers served in and survived the First World War, one with the Royal Irish Rifles, the other in the Mercantile Marine, whilst his father was a member of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps during the Second World War.
When not writing Stephen can be found walking his three German Shepherd dogs with his wife Tanya, at some unearthly time of the morning, when most normal people are still fast asleep.
Content
- Cover
- Book Title
- Copyright
- Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Chapter One Charles Groves Wright Anderson
- Chapter Two Premindra Singh Bhagat
- Chapter Three Edward Colquhoun Charlton
- Chapter Four Leonard Cheshire
- Chapter Five Thomas Frank Durrant
- Chapter Six John Hollington Grayburn
- Chapter Seven Guy Gibson
- Chapter Eight Stanley Hollis
- Chapter Nine James Joseph Magennis
- Chapter Ten Charles Upham
- Chapter Eleven John Wallace Linton
- Chapter Twelve Victoria Cross Winners of the Second World War
- In Closing
- Index
- Sources
- About the Author
- Back Cover
