Late in the evening of May 14th, 1940, Great Britain’s then Secretary of State for War – the Right Honorable Anthony Eden MC – issued a call to arms, urging “all men who wish to do something for the defense of the country, to come forward for a new force…”
(Here, Great Britain’s Secretary of State for War – Anthony Eden – can be seen in uniform bearing not just his hard-earned Military Cross, but also, a slew of additional medals he was awarded for his conspicuous gallantry during the First World War. First elected as a Conservative Member of Parliament in 1923, Eden was made Foreign Secretary in 1935; but resigned three years later in protest against then Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain’s policy of “friendship” toward Mussolini’s Italy. After Chamberlain’s resignation in May 1940, he was appointed Secretary of State for War by Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill, who, in turn, reappointed him as Foreign Secretary. In 1955, he succeeded Sir Winston as Prime Minister, and, further to calling an immediate general election, led the Conservatives to a landslide victory. Succeeded by his fellow Great War hero – Harold MacMillan – the latter exalted “the many qualities of Sir Anthony Eden” by saying the following on his passing in 1957: “Throughout his whole political life, he has shown complete integrity in every sense of the word. He has also shown on, many occasions, rare courage. He has always done what he thought was right, and we can pay no greater tribute to any man.”)
Among the more than 1.7 million who volunteered for what became the British Home Guard, was then 17-year-old John Brunt, who, having tried to enlist with the British Army in September 1939, was turned away for being too young at the time.
Treating his service with the Home Guard as a “dress rehearsal” for the career he wanted with the army, he devoted himself to learning as much as he could from the Great War veterans who took him under their wing, until he was able to become a professional soldier on turning 18.
(Here, British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill can be seen reviewing men of the Home Guard’s Admiralty Company, in September 1942. Although portrayed as a comedic, rag-tag militia of old and aging men in the famed British sitcom, “Dad’s Army”, the British Home Guard was, in reality, a well-trained and highly disciplined force of veteran and soon-to-be soldiers, who, if the Germans had invaded, were more than ready to “give them a run for their money…” In addition to guarding key infrastructure, military installations, and other sensitive facilities, the Home Guard also performed other crucial duties, such as bomb disposal and firefighting; anti-aircraft and coastal defense; and, for those who were selected for its elite “Auxiliary Units”, sabotage and subversion in the event of a German invasion. Despite being stood down when the invasion threat receded in December 1944, the Home Guard remained in existence until December the following year, when it was finally disbanded. All told, more than 1200 of its volunteers were killed on home soil during the war. Many former members, though, like John, made the ultimate sacrifice abroad.)
By 1943, John had advanced to the rank of lieutenant and, for having proved himself such an "effective leader" in the desert sands of North Africa, was then entrusted with leading the spearhead of his regiment – the "Lincolns” – when they stormed the beaches of Salerno, Italy.
(A photograph showing the striking cap badge of John’s regiment – the “Lincolns”. Consisting of a distinctive sphinx resting on a tablet inscribed with the word, “EGYPT”, the regiment gained its badge following its incredible 120-mile march across the Egyptian desert in 1801. Formed in the summer of 1685, the Lincolnshire Regiment was one of several units that were raised to help King James II suppress a rebellion led by his eldest illegitimate son, James Scott, the 1st Duke of Monmouth. From that date onwards, the Lincolns saw combat in almost all major wars and conflicts involving the British Army – including the wars of Spanish Succession and American Independence; the Napoleonic and Crimean Wars; and, of course, both world wars, where it added a combined total of 82 battle honors to its name. Designated a Royal Regiment at the war’s end, it was later amalgamated with the Northamptonshire Regiment to form the 2nd East Anglian Regiment, which, in turn, was subsequently converted into what is now known as the “East of England’s premier infantry regiment” – the Royal Anglians.)
There, he wasn't just awarded the Military Cross for the mortal risk he took to evacuate a wounded comrade but, so too, he was promoted to temporary captain, and made second-in-command of a new unit designated “D” Company.
(Taken soon after John was awarded his Military Cross for the mortal risk he took to evacuate one of his comrades in Italy, here, he can be seen (on the left) wearing the ribbon of his hard-earned medal while enjoying some well-deserved leave with one of his comrades in Naples.)
With them, he helped push the Germans back toward their formidable “Gothic Line”, where, in the city of Faenza, the greatest test of his courage and leadership transpired…
(A detailed map showing the Allied advance toward the Germans’ “Gotenstellung”, or, “Gothic Line”, in Northern Italy, 1944. The city of Faenza can be seen in the eastern sector of the line – near to the Adriatic Sea. Built to serve as the last major line of defense against the advancing Allied Armies in Italy, the near 200-mile Gothic Line consisted of more than 3,000 defensive fighting positions; almost 480 cannons; 16,000 sniper hides; 2,400 machine nests; and almost 100,000 anti-personnel mines. Although, incredibly, the Allies succeeded in breaching those defenses during “Operation Olive”, in the summer of 1944, the 300,000-strong German Army – under the command of Generalfeldmarschall Albert Kesselring – withdrew consistently in good and effective order, inflicting heavy casualties and death along the way. As a consequence, for the Allies, a decisive breakthrough was not achieved until they launched their final offensive of the Italian campaign – “Operation Grapeshot” – in early April 1945.)
Struck by a strong and unexpected counterattack there, first, he and his men were ravaged by intense artillery fire, and then, numerically superior Panzer Grenadiers surrounded them on all sides.
(When John and his compatriots were counterattacked during the battle for Faenza, they were struck by Panzergrenadiers of the Wehrmacht Heer’s 90th Panzergrenadier Division. Supported by several Panzerkampfwagen IVs at the time, here, a line of Panzer IVs that belonged to the 90th can be seen in Sardinia, Italy, in 1943.)
As the Germans closed in on the outgunned and outnumbered Englishmen, naturally, they expected the latter to unfurl the white flag of surrender...
Rather than play to their expectations, however, John instructed his troops to dig in and cover him, while he leapt atop a solitary Sherman tank, and ordered its commander to drive him straight into the heart of the action.
(Although the Sherman tank in this photograph is not the one of which John leapt atop during his magnificent show of gallantry, it does provide a clear illustration of the model he commandeered. Interestingly, this particular Sherman belonged to New Zealand’s 19th Armoured Regiment, whose tankmen – as seen here in December 1944 – fought alongside John and his compatriots during the battle for Faenza, and, likewise, throughout the Italian campaign.)
Once there, he mounted such a fierce and tenacious defense, he not only halted the Germans in their tracks but, he bought the precious time he and his compatriots needed for life-saving reinforcements to arrive and relieve them.
(Here, a number of John’s fellow “Lincolns” can be seen forging their way through thick, unforgiving mud, on the outskirts of Faenza in the winter of 1944. Fought as a series of ferocious engagements beginning on November 6th, 1944, the widely forgotten Battle of Faenza culminated with the Allied capture of the city nearly six weeks later on December 14th. Although a fierce German counterattack – codenamed “Case Wintergewitter” – was launched on December 26th, “Operation Winter Thunderstorm” was resolutely repulsed by the Allies – thus enabling the latter to consolidate their hard-fought-for victory, and push on toward their ultimate objective: the Metropolitan city of Bologna.)
Despite being awarded the Victoria Cross for his "conspicuous bravery", sadly, John never did receive his medal personally…
Tragically, his young life was brought to a cruel and untimely end, on this day, in 1944, when, less than 24 hours after his “magnificent show of gallantry”, a stray mortar shell landed at his feet – just as he paused to enjoy a well-deserved cup of tea.
When John’s beloved parents were presented with his posthumous VC, his commanding officer – Colonel Bell – described their son as “one of the most forceful and courageous leaders” in the field.
(John’s commanding officer – Colonel Francis Cecil Leonard “Bill” Bell. Commissioned into the Lincolnshire Regiment in 1931, Bill accompanied the “Lincolns” to France as part of the British Expeditionary Force in 1939. Evacuated from Dunkirk in 1940, he returned to the UK a hero for saving no fewer than 80 of his comrades during the evacuation. Then shipped out to North Africa, it was there, Bill distinguished himself again, fighting as a company commander, first in Algiers, and then in Tunisia. Awarded the Military Cross for “attempting to rescue a wounded officer in the face of relentless sniping”, Bill was then given command of his battalion, which, in September 1943, he landed with on the beaches of Salerno, Italy. Pausing only for a brief period of recuperation in February 1944, Bill fought with his battalion throughout the Italian campaign – the latter of which he concluded with a Distinguished Service Order to his name. Appointed Honorary Colonel of his regiment in 1967, Bill passed away shortly after celebrating his 100th Birthday in December 2012. Described as “a man of considerable charm”, who “loved good food and wine”, he is said to have “enjoyed several glasses of his favorite vintage” during his celebration.)
“Captain Brunt wasn’t just a soldier of the highest caliber”, the Colonel said to them. "To the Hun, he was a terror, and to us, an inspiration."
(Here, John’s final resting place in the Commonwealth War Cemetery in Faenza, Italy, can be seen. There, he rests alongside 874 of his compatriots; 224 New Zealanders; 25 Canadians; 7 South Africans; 5 Indians; 4 Australians; and 13 souls whose names and nationalities remain unknown.)
Addendum: -
When John was a child, his parents moved with him from their family farm in the village of Priest Weston, Shropshire, to the market town of Paddock Wood in Kent. Not far from their home was the then-named “Kent Arms”, which, as John grew older, he spent a considerable amount of time enjoying its locally brewed ales and bitters. As can be seen in this photograph, the pub now bears John’s name – thus making the “John Brunt V.C” the only public house in England to be named after a recipient of Great Britain’s highest military accolade.
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