Matrix Games Forums

ORIGINAL: Halsey

He was one of thirty-six SF soldiers that participated in the Son Tay raid outside Hanoi. Anyone remember that one?

The operational aspects are replicated in the HPS game "War Over Vietnam".

People may want to look for a book called "Yesterday's Heroes" detailing all WW2 recipients. I believe the soft cover edition is around $9USD new. Hardcover volumes also cover Korea and Vietnam. The Pearl Harbor stories are relentless.

Adam, thanks for the info. I found it on Amazon.com ordered it and should be here soon.[:)]

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... s&n=507846

ORIGINAL: kew

The last few days I've spent at least an hour a day reading some of these stories and I'm just awestruck by what I've read so far.

Me too.....

The twice awarded man was Tom Custer,brother of G.A.Custer,(not bro-in-law)..He was awarded twice for actions approx a week apart!..(BTW,the Custers did have a brother-in-law with them at the Little Big Horn,I believe he was Boston Corbett(?)..
AFAIK T.Custer was the only double award..Prior info about the Gyrene's may be right,I don't know..I do know a Gyrene awardee from WW2 was killed in his home a few years ago by a worthless piece of scum in a burglary!..Fame is fleeting...

what's England's equivalant of this Medal?

Or for that matter is there a list anywhere of all the nations top Medal?

Seems to me it was Sgt Dan Dailey and Major Smedley Butler that won more than one medal of Honor. Been a while since I did Marine History.

The Victoria Cross..I believe the most decorations of the cross for a single action was Rorke's Drift where 7(?) Brit troopers received it at the same battle..

Along the same lines, the following website might of interest:- The Victoria Cross is the highest award within the Commonwealth and under 1200 have been awarded since it was first introduced.
Lots of interesting facts on this site, such as 5 yanks have won this award. The youngest person to win the VC was 16, while the oldest was 61.

http://www.victoriacross.net/default.asp

Thanks RaverDave...The 1st VC awardee I was ever aware of when I was a kid was Lanoe G Hawker..Ever heard of him and what he became "famous for" after having the award??

Thanks Raverdave, great website and very user friendly.

INDEED!!!!..19 repeat MOH awardees!!!!..
http://www.homeofheroes.com/moh/history ... ouble.html
Please note some were awarded to the same person by different branches of service for the same action,(as each branch has it's own version of the MOH),and since 1917 nobody can be awarded it twice..

Ok looked at site....

Dan Daly as a private in the Boxer REBELLION recieved his first MoH, in the Haiti Campaign in 1915 as a GySgt he recieved his second MoH, he was at some point also awarded a Navy Cross

Major Smedly Butler recieved his first MoH in the Mexican Campaign taking the city of Vera Cruz ( between 1911 and 1915, think 1914) He won his second MoH in the Haiti Campaign in 1915. He was also at some point won a Distinguished Service Medal.

ORIGINAL: Raverdave

Along the same lines, the following website might of interest:- The Victoria Cross is the highest award within the Commonwealth and under 1200 have been awarded since it was first introduced.
http://www.victoriacross.net/default.asp

Did you know that the VC medal is made of metal cut from two captured artillery pieces? Original captured from Russians in Crimea but also metal used from some guns captured from the Chinese (when?) I've see the Russion guns in the artillery museum at Woolwich Arsenal, London.

For some of the most extreme VC actions in world war two, check out the Gurkha and Indian winners http://www.nepalesekhukuri.com/vcs.html - that's what they mean by a 'martial people'!

An eg

"Havildar Gaje Ghale
5th Royal Gurkha Rifles (FF)
Chin Hills, Burma (Myanmar) May 1943

….while preparing for the attack the platoon came under heavy mortar fire but Havildar Gaje Ghale rallied them and led them forward.

Approaching to close range for the well-entranced enemy, then latoon came under withering fire and this NCO was wounded in the arm, chest and leg by an enemy hand grenade. Without pausing to attend to his serous wounds and with no heed to the intensive fire from sides, Havildar Gaje Ghale closed hi men and led them to close grips with the enemy when a bitter hand to hand struggle ensued.

Havildar Gaje Ghale dominated the fight by his outstanding example of dauntless courage and superb leadership. Hurling hand grenades, covered in blood from his own neglected wounds, he led assault after assault, encouraging his platoon by shouting the Gurkha’s battle cry.
Spurred on by the irresisitible will of their leader to win, the platoon stormed and carried the hill by a magnificent all out effort and inflicted very heavy casualties on the Japanese."

The other amazing one is Rifleman Tul Bahadur Punm, who single handly cleared a house of 8 japanese in hand to hand. Tough lad.

Yes been many multiple MOH winners last one was a Marine Major Gen Butler he won for 1922 Nicarugua.

There was 13 Victory Crosses given out for Rorkes Drift, Highest VC total for a battle.

There were several winners of the VC that won it twice. Im trying to remember the name of the New Zealander that won it Twice in WWII the only one to do that.

He won it in Crete then at Sidi Rezeigh where he was captured.

ah found it



Charles Hazlitt Upham

Second Lieutenant, 20th Bn., 2nd N.Z.E.F. (The Canterbury Regiment), New Zealand Expeditionary Force Campaign Second World War
Age 32
Nationality New Zealander
Deed Between 22 and 30 May 1941 in Crete, Greece, Second Lieutenant Upham displayed outstanding leadership and courage in the very close-quarter fighting. He was blown up by one mortar shell and badly wounded by another. He was also wounded in the foot, but in spite of his wounds and a severe attack of dysentery, he refused to go to hospital. He carried a wounded man back to safety when his company was forced to retire on 22 May and on 30 May he beat off an attack at Sphakia, 22 Germans falling to his short-range fire.
BAR: On 14/15 July 1942 at El Ruweisat Ridge, Western Desert, Captain Upham, in spite of being twice wounded, insisted on remaining with his men. Just before dawn he led his company in a determined attack, capturing the objective after fierce fighting; he himself destroyed a German tank and several guns and vehicles with hand grenades. Although his arm had been broken by a machine-gun bullet, he continued to dominate the situation and when at last, weak from loss of blood, he had his wounds dressed, he immediately returned to his men, remaining with them until he was again severely wounded and unable to move.