Victoria Cross: Sergeant Ian John McKay, The Parachute Regiment

Sergeant Ian John McKay, The Parachute Regiment

During the night of 11/12 June 1982, 3rd Battalion The Parachute regiment mounted a silent night attack on an enemy battalion position on Mount Longdon, an important objective in the battle for Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands. Sergeant McKay was platoon sergeant of 4 Platoon, B Company, which after the initial objective had been secured, was ordered to clear the northern side of the long east/west ridge feature, held by the enemy in depth, with strong mutually supporting positions.

By now the enemy were fully alert, and resisting fiercely. As 4 Platoon's advance continued it came under increasingly heavy fire from a number of well-sited enemy machine gun positions on the ridge, and received casualties. Realizing that no further advance was possible, the platoon commander ordered the platoon to move form its exposed position to seek shelter among the rocks of the ridge itself. Here it met up with part of 5 Platoon.

The enemy fire was still both heavy and accurate, and the position of the platoons was becoming increasingly hazardous. Taking Sergeant McKay, a corporal and a few others, and covered by supporting machine gun fire, the platoon commander moved forward to reconnoitre the enemy positions but was hit by a bullet in the leg, and command devolved upon Sergeant McKay.

It was clear that instant action was needed if the advance was not to falter and increasing casualties to ensue. Sergeant McKay decided to convert this reconnaissance into an attack in order to eliminate the enemy positions. He was in no doubt of the strength and deployment of the enemy as he undertook this attack. He issued orders, and taking three men with him, broke cover and charged the enemy position.

The assault was met by a hail of fire. The corporal was seriously wounded, a private killed and another wounded. Despite these losses, Sergeant McKay, with complete disregard for his own safety, continued to charge the enemy position alone. On reaching it he dispatched the enemy with grenades, thereby relieving the position of beleaguered 4 and 5 Platoons, who were now able to redeploy with relative safety. Sergeant McKay, however, was killed at the moment of victory, his body falling on the bunker.

Without doubt Sergeant McKay's action retrieved a most dangerous situation and was instrumental in ensuring the success of the attack. His was a coolly calculated act, the dangers of which must have been only too apparent to him beforehand. Undeterred he performed with outstanding selflessness, perseverance and courage. With a complete disregard for his own safety, he displayed courage and leadership of the highest order, and was an inspiration to all those around him.

an unrelated Falklands War pic

Victoria Cross- Able Seacat Simon

I read about a military working dog in Afghanistan that received the Dickin Medal, also known as the Animal Victoria Cross. Reading a little more, I learned about Simon. I think working dogs are great, but I like cats better. If you don't like cats, go to hell.

In 1948, a sailor named George Hickbottom picked up a starving cat in on docks of Hong Kong. he brought the approximately 1 year old cat onto his ship, the HMS Amethyst. Seaman Hickinbottom smuggled Simon aboard and he soon settled in to his new military life, and made himself popular by waging war on the rats that infested the lower decks. As typical with cats, he had no sense of propriety, and became famous for sleeping in the Captain's hat and leaving dead rats in the bunks of his favorite sailors. Simon became the mascot of the ship and stayed on even after the Captain left. The new Captain, Bernard Skinner, was ordered to take the ship up the Yangtze River to Nanking to replace the ship stationed there. On the way, the Amethyst was fired on by Communist Chinese artillery batteries. One of the first shots struck the Captain's cabin and severely wounding Simon. He was able to crawl onto the deck and was rushed to the medical bay where he was treated for burns and had four pieces of shrapnel removed but was not expected to survive the night. Just like any good alley cat, he pulled through and was soon back on duty, exterminating the rats that had invested the ship while it was anchored in the Yangtze River. He was also credited with raising the morale of the sailors on board with his antics and good nature.

Simon soon became a celebrity following the end of the "Yangtze Incident" and was the subject of many stories in the British and International news. He was awarded the Dickin Medal, also known as the the Animal Victoria Cross and also received the Amethyst Campaign medal, the Blue Cross, and the rank of "Able Seacat". he received so much mail that Lt. Stuart Hett was given the title of "cat officer" and the duty of dealing with all of his mail. Simon was presented with honor at all of the Amethyst's ports of call on the cruise back to England.

Sadly, Simon was subject to the quarantine regulations for all animals entering the UK and died of a viral infection caused by his shell wounds. Hundreds of people, including the entire crew of HMS Amethyst attended his funeral in Ilford in East London. His gravestone reads:

IN
MEMORY OF
"SIMON"
SERVED IN
H.M.S. AMETHYST
MAY 1948 — SEPTEMBER 1949
AWARDED DICKIN MEDAL
AUGUST 1949
DIED 28TH NOVEMBER 1949.
THROUGHOUT THE YANGTZE INCIDENT HIS BEHAVIOUR WAS OF THE HIGHEST ORDER

Victoria Cross: John Duncan Grant

John Duncan Grant was born in Roorkee, India. In 1904 he was a lieutenant in the 8th Gurkha Rifles of the British Indian Army. On July 6 he was a par t of the Armed Mission to Tibet he led a storming party up the nearly vertical face of the Gyantse Fortress. There was almost no cover and the defenders were hurling stones down onto the soldiers. Only one man could attempt the assent at a time and they were forced to crawl on their hands and knees. Despite being wounded, Grant and a Halvidar (Sergeant) finally reached the top, but were forced to retreat. Later they breached the defensive curtain while being covered by rifle fire from the rest of the squad.

Grant had a long and distinguished military career, retiring at the rank of Colonel.. He received the Distinguished Service Order and was made a Companion of the Bath.

Just look at this place. Can you imagine trying to get to the top when people inside were trying to prevent it? A rock the size of an apple would be as deadly as a rifle bullet from up there. And I am willing to bet they had a lot of rocks.

Victoria Cross: Sergeant Alfred Henry Hook, 24th Regiment of Foot

I realized that I have featured the citations of several recipients of the Medal of Honor here, but nothing from earlier times or other countries.

The Victoria Cross of the British Empire was first awarded for acts of valor in the face of the enemy, in 1856, by Queen Victoria, during the Crimean War. It is awarded for "most conspicuous bravery, or some daring or pre-eminent act of valour or self-sacrifice, or extreme devotion to duty in the presence of the enemy."

Sergeant Alfred Henry Hook, 24th Regiment of Foot
On 22/23 January 1879 at Rorke's Drift, Natal, South Africa, a distant room of the hospital had been held for more than an hour by three privates, and when finally they had no ammunition left the Zulus burst in, and killed one of the men and two patients. One of the privates (John Williams) however, succeeded in knocking a hole in the partition and taking the last two patients through into the next ward, where he found Private Hook. These two men then worked together - one holding the enemy at bayonet point while the other broke through three more partitions - and they were then able to bring eight patients into the inner line of defence.