the bravest people in the world

[Atheus]

I just watched an awesome show about winners of the Victoria Cross:

Ferdinand Maurice Felix West was a WWI pilot flying over france when he was attacked by 7 german fighter planes and hit several times in the leg - partially severing it. He tore the leg off and threw it out of the plane to stop it jamming the controls, and managed to fight off all 7 of the enemy. He continued his mission as normal, returned to base, filed a report on enemy positions, and then sought medical attention...

Apparently his rear gunner didn't know the pilot had been hit until after they landed. He never made a sound or twitched at the controls.

Lachhiman Gurung was single handedly defending a trench in Burma in WWII. The enemy started to throw grenades at his position, each of which he picked up and threw back, until the last one exploded in his hand, blew it off, and mutilated the right side of his body. He stayed where he was, loading and firing his rifle with only his left hand, until the attack was over. 31 dead Japanese were found in front of his unconscious body.

This stuff is incredible! Anyone know where to find any more stories like this? Maybe from other armies and other wars?

 

[RollWave]

Theres a webpage FULL of these that I remember was linked here in ATOT. Someone will remember it and link you up I'm sure. It blows my mind what people have done before....

 

[imported_bum]

Adrenaline is crazy stuff man...

 

[MichaelD]

Pfft. Apparently, those men never baby-sat for toddlers before. :Q Talk about exposure to physical, chemical and biological munitions! The enemy has no sense of fair play or empathy.

 

[Excelsior]

http://www.nepalesekhukuri.com/vcs.html

Rifleman Ganju Lama
7th Gurkha Rifles
Ninthoukhong, Burma June 1944

? B Company, 7th Gurkha Rifles, was ordered to counter-attack and restore the situation. Shortly after passing the starting line it came under heavy enemy medium machine-gun and tank machine-gun fire at point blank range, which covered all lines of approach. Rifleman Ganju Lama, the No.1 of the PIAT gun, on his own initiative, with great coolness and complete disregard for his own safety, crawled forward and engaged the tanks single handed. In spite of a broken left wrist and two other wounds, one in his right hand and one in his leg, caused by withering cross fire concentrated upon him, Rifleman Ganju Lama succeeded in bringing his gun into action within thirty yards of the enemy tanks and knocked out first one and then another, the third tank being destroyed by an anti-tank gun. In spite of his serous wounds, he then moved forward and engaged with grenades the tank crews, who now attempted to escape. Not until he hand killed them all, thus enabling his company to push forward, did he allow himself to be taken back to the Regimental Aid Post to have his wounds dressd??.

Extract from London Gazette
September 1944