Warfare History

8 WWII Soldiers Whose Heroism Landed Them in the History Books

Maria - June 10, 2016

Every soldier makes his mark in the war effort. After all, bravery doesn’t only amount to singular moments, but to waking up every day and throwing yourself onto the battlefield.

But there are those who go above and beyond the call of duty, not even for the fame or glory, but simply to fight for their country, or to save a life. Keep reading and learn about eight courageous soldiers who fought in WWII and left a lasting impression.

8. James Hill

James Hill, a British Army officer stationed in North Africa, took on three Italian tanks – and won. Seem unbelievable? To many it probably would, but somehow Hill managed to find it within himself to take down the enemy all on his own.

On November 22, 1942, Hill and his brigade were looking to commandeer Gue Hill from the Italians. Initially, some Royal Engineers on their side were going to force the 300 Italian soldiers and their three tanks back into the minefields. However, an unplanned explosion left 25 of the engineers dead, and Hill realized his next decision would either spell victory or defeat for his unit.

Charging into the fray and dodging heavy artillery fire, Hill managed to storm in and take down two of the three tanks by firing his revolver into their observation holes. On his way to the third, he was met with three bullets to his person – and yet he still carried on to finish his mission. Hill led his men to a victory, and he even recovered from his three wounds in the hospital after the fighting had ceased.

7. Dirk J. Vlug

Vlug, a Private First Class based in the Philippines, was also not wary of tanks coming his way. In a single day, he decimated five different enemy tanks, all by his lonesome.

Under fire from the Japanese, Vlug left his cover and shot out into the line of fire, carrying only a rocket launcher and five rounds of ammo. Loading them into the launcher one by one, Vlug sidestepped constant fire and took out various tanks, sending his fifth and final one down a steep embankment. His heroic jump into the center of the action saved not only his own life, but that of his crew.

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6. Fritz Christen

A member of the Totenkopf division of the Waffen-SS, Christen was used to a life of combat. On the morning of September 24th, 1941 however, his bravery would really be put to the test.

As one of the soldiers in charge of an anti-tank battery, Christen was in the right place at the right time when a Soviet attack was suddenly underway, and he was the last one standing. He immediately took control, manning the 50mm cannon by himself without food, supplies or sleep for three days straight. Christen managed to bring down 13 tanks and killed almost 100 soldiers in an epic three-day period.

5. Charles Carpenter

Never underestimate a man with such crazy ideas as fashioning deadly weapons onto an aircraft like magnets on a refrigerator.

Lieutenant Colonel Charles Carpenter, otherwise known as “Bazooka Charlie,” worked as an observation pilot for the US during the war. However, not feeling as though he was fulfilling his duties, Carpenter decided to attach six rocket launchers to his plane and go on solo missions to take down the enemy. Carpenter did find success with his plan, wiping out six tanks and a few armored tanks along the way.

Carpenter’s upgraded plane, which he aptly named “Rosie the Rocketeer,” certainly was his best friend that day.

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4. Aubrey Cosens

Cosens faced an enemy unit on his own, yet sadly his fate didn’t end as well as the previous men on this list.

A Canadian who served in the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada during the war, Cosens was in Germany with his crew, hoping to gain control of three farmhouses under German guard, when they were surprised with a counterattack. Cosens took control of the operation, directing an Allied tank to fire into one of the farmhouses. After firing at the second, Cosens stormed in and annihilated any enemies in sight on his own, killing the majority from all three farmhouses but also taking some prisoner.

Sadly, before Cosens could even enjoy his moment of glory, an enemy sniper took his life with a bullet to the head. His brave actions, however, left him as a WWII hero.

3. Havildar Lachhiman Gurung

Any man who successfully takes down enemy combatants – with only one usable hand – certainly deserves recognition.

Gurung, a rifleman in the Indian army, set out to Burma with his unit to go up against the Japanese Empire. In May 1945, front and center of his platoon, Gurung was the target of over 200 Japanese soldiers who knew of his position. While stationed there, two grenades tossed his way were thrown back at the enemy as quickly as they came in.

But the third would prove less successful. Detonating on impact, Gurung lost his right hand immediately. Despite this pitfall, Gurung kept fighting and loaded his rifle with one arm repeatedly over the next four hours.

He shot down 31 soldiers on his own before help arrived.

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2. Fazal Din

A mere flesh wound wasn’t going to take down Din before he finished his task.

Fighting with the 7th Battalion of the British Indian Army, Din was on duty in Burma when he got caught under fire from Japanese troops, whose position Din and his crew were going after. Lining up against a bunker in what Din presumed would be a safe place, their unit was abruptly interrupted by six Japanese soldiers and two officers with swords.

Din, seeing one of his men get slashed, charged the officer and ended up on the bad end of it as well. But when others would quickly panic and retreat with their bleeding wound, Din kept fighting, using the same sword that impaled his body to attack and kill the officer and another soldier. Din’s impeccable strength carried him back to his camp, but he succumbed to his wound and died shortly thereafter – but not before reporting what had happened to his fellow soldiers.

1. Leo Major

Leo Major, a Canadian soldier, wasn’t happy just putting in the bare minimum of effort. Major wanted to make a name for himself, and that he did – by taking it upon himself to save an entire town.

In April 1945, Major and one fellow soldier decided to liberate the city of Zwolle, Holland (where they were based) from bombardment, all on their own. While they were successfully on their way, Major’s partner was killed by machine gun fire from a German soldier driving past as they approached. Not daunted by this, he carried on anyway, taking control of the vehicle and heading into town.

Major fooled the Germans by running through the streets, shooting bullets into the air and tossing grenades, making them believe they were under a full attack from the Canadians. While the Germans were distracted, Major took down each position one by one, and helped numerous groups of prisoners escape to the outskirts of the city, where his fellow Canadian soldiers were waiting.

Finally coming across the Gestapo headquarters, Major not only set the place on fire, but he managed to eliminate four Nazi officers, while the remaining four simply ran away.

By the brink of dawn, the Germans had evacuated and Zwolle was spared. Major had become a hero over the course of one evening, carrying out a brilliant sneak attack in spectacular fashion.

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