major january recipient victoria_cross highest award gallantry face enemy awarded british commonwealth forces grew joined working overseas given emergency commission army transferred joined saw action following year battle company closely engaged enemy tanks self propelled guns infantry continually exposed danger leading men personally dispatched enemy armour possible despite sustaining injuries refused medical attention gallantry awarded victoria_cross later war took operation oversaw german surrender norway left army late returned pre war job died cancer early life born shanghai january parents returned young educated college joined unit volunteer reserve force british_army members continued civilian work worked thailand malaya shell placed reserve list february second world war april shortly start second world war given emergency commission second lieutenant temporarily promoted rank major april position granted rank 2nd landed sicily july month took command battalion operation market garden attempt secure string bridges netherlands british 1st polish 1st tasked securing bridges final objectives operation airborne forces dropped september aware 9th 10th divisions near rest refit presence added substantial number tanks self propelled guns german defenses allies suffered heavily ensuing battle small force managed hold end road bridge overrun 21st rest division trapped small pocket west bridge evacuated 25th allies failed cross rhine remained german control allied march advance allies planned fly british polish separate lifts days major general decided deploy 1st troops assemble quickly parachute infantry secure landing areas took lift companies minutes departing tow rope connecting pulled leading aircraft landing safely occupants able fly following day second lift allied plan quickly small group 1st mainly elements lieutenant colonel able reach bridge 1st unable penetrate outer suburbs city advance stalled order support lift sent forward morning 18th arrived second lift sent forward arriving outskirts night 18th lieutenant colonel proposed concentrated attack narrow railway line advance bridge remnants 1st 3rd battalions right flank 11th remained reserve moved forward lead followed companies reserve area elizabeth hospital lead company met heavy resistance clearing houses company took lead getting far near men encountered enemy armour time company armed mortars company opened fire tanks guns manage disable run ammunition tanks dominated area position clearly hopeless lieutenant colonel commanding officer ordered withdraw fell men able escape men companies forced surrender senior officer battalion escape later described south staff surviving men fell 11th battalion positions major 11th battalion met told tanks coming unable positions roughly surviving men forming small command lieutenant colonel commander ordered capture piece wooded high ground known cover fresh advance bayonet charge quickly cleared enemy thick tree roots hill impossible dig suffering severe casualties took decision withdraw perimeter remnants battalions fell disarray main divisional positions gathered defensive units lieutenant colonel 1st light artillery regiment forcibly stopped panicked troops alarmed retreating units soon leave sought senior officer ordered form men defensive screen ahead gun positions thompson later sent major command outlying troops wednesday strong german attacks falling main divisional perimeter sector designated thompson force renamed thompson wounded following day north west units fell face strong german resistance days thumb shaped perimeter formed town rhine base sector covered southern end eastern perimeter majors defending sector line battle progressed determined destroy enemy armour possible sited laundry garden dutch owner coming days dealing armour encouraging men afternoon thursday 21st tanks approached position guided colleague building waited trench tank actually iii self propelled gun close engage fired building killing colleague masonry despite kept position staff remembered clouds dust fired round round disabled whilst engaging second tank round exploded bright flash thrown backwards recalled thinking blind shouting like shouted somebody tank colourful language dragged aid post british brought forward guns blew tank apart witnesses believed half hour sight returned refused advice returned lines deciding wasn wounded stay following day burst constant firing barrage content stuff ears continue fighting sunday 24th shortly truce allow evacuation casualties alerted approach tiger tank gunner raced pounder anti tank gun position fired disabled tank wanted continue gun mechanism destroyed september area occupied saw heavy fighting self propelled guns tanks infantry available force instead armed inch mortar mortars muzzle loading indirect fire weapons forced fire horizontal plane enemy proximity citation states leadership ensured gave ground drove enemy complete disorder end battle reportedly responsible destruction tanks tigers number self propelled guns night division began withdraw men shaved faces removed week growth beard face drying dirty blood soaked successfully crossing rhine led brigadier comment officer shaved reply brought sir sure men river dawn crossed old boat victoria_cross decorations published small group men successfully escaped awarded ceremony buckingham palace december survivor battle receive victoria_cross currently awarded medal posthumous announced later including 2nd anti tank platoon british battalion receive engagement second world war 2nd november king pleased approve awards victoria cross captain temporary major devon holland 19th september major commanding rifle company company cut rest battalion days closely engaged enemy tanks self propelled guns infantry germans repeated attempts break company position succeeded situation major outstanding devotion duty remarkable powers leadership large extent personally responsible saving vital sector falling hands enemy 20th september tiger tank approached area held company went deal armed taking position held fire tank yards away opened tank immediately halted turned guns shooting away corner house near officer lying wounded machine gun bullets falling masonry continued firing scored direct hits tank supervised bringing completely destroyed consent wounds dressed morning officer drove tanks fearless use occasion leaving cover taking position open ground complete disregard personal safety following days major danger threatened moving men encouraging fearless example hold refused rest medical attention spite fact hearing seriously impaired suffering multiple wounds september enemy attack position self propelled guns flame throwers infantry time action armed light mortar use weapon daring leadership men command completely enemy engagement lasting hours withdrew disorder course major showed superb gallantry powers endurance leadership admiration fellow officers stories constantly exchanged troops courage fire surpassed errors citation action described occurring 20th actually took place 21st day building killed tiger tank engaged fact iii later life hostilities europe officially ended allies accepted surrender german forces large number german units norway places europe german control allies feared german commander attempt fight operation travelled oslo norway 1st working norwegian resistance british took surrender german troops norway incident returning august having remained service officially relinquished wartime commission december granted honorary rank major leaving army went pre war occupation shell living west_africa elected working returned britain settled retirement died cancer sussex cremated worth buried family grave memorials honour king william college memorial scholarship chapel douglas dedicated oak tree planted gathered christened oak memory bravery medal wore held daughter unveiled set commemorative coins father married acts agent british television journalist presented bbc documentary victoria cross winners unaware father died according thought mention medals decorations
Robert Henry Cain