3 Acts of Insane Bravery During The First World War

the first world war remains one of the central disasters of european history perhaps even world history at a time of groundbreaking scientific discoveries massive economic growth and incredible cultural exchange europe's leading powers were sending their best and their brightest to industrial slaughter on an unprecedented scale the trenches of the western front are poignant symbols of the pointless killing that is so prolific in the ruefully named war to end all wars months spent shivering in hovels dug into the rank earth enduring disease and artillery bombardment ended only by pointless frontal assaults on machine gun positions what could better demonstrate the futility of war but alongside this apocalyptic vision of war another vision emerges one not so much of confidence and hope but of honor and duty despite the hopelessness of it all this story of bravery is a story of everyday young men and women making sacrifices for the most selfless of reasons sometimes even the ultimate sacrifice thucydides the ancient greek historian and general once said the bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them glory and danger alike and yet notwithstanding go out and meet it the soldiers of the first world war were tragically only too aware of the terrible dangers they faced for those dangers surrounded them hour after hour day after day these troops glimpsed into something not unlike hell that makes these stories of heroism all the more shocking and moving here are three stories of bravery from soldiers of the first world war that i found particularly incredible each show a very different account of the war and also with what it means to be brave itself they act as a reminder of the folly of mass conflict and attributes to those courageous men and women who gave their lives in world war one this is wars of the world [Music] [Music] so on july 24th 1915 george v awarded lance corporal albert jacker britain and the commonwealth's most prestigious recognition of bravery in the face of the enemy the victoria cross he was the first australian to receive this honor in the course of the war thought to be one of the most courageous frontline soldiers of the entire first world war neither the honor of the victoria cross nor the others that followed gave adequate accounts of this man's heroism jaco was born on a farm near winchelsea victoria australia on january 10 1893. he was the fourth of seven children born to a timber worker and his english-born wife known affectionately as burt by his family jacka was a talented sports person as a child later working with his father on september 8th 1914 shortly after the outbreak of the great war jacker enlisted in the australian imperial force as a privates the lowest rank in the forces on november 10th jaco was posted to 14th battalion aif as an acting lance corporal and two months of training followed in the middle east the ottoman empire had just become an ally of the central powers and the middle east was soon to become the next region of the world to see conflict with brits fighting in the trenches of western europe and on the high seas it would fall to the australia and new zealand army corps to open this new front his first taste of action could hardly have been more brutal on april 25th 1915 he took part in the landings at gallipoli arriving at anzac cove the horrific battle that followed was the prelude to an eight-month campaign that claimed the lives of more than eight thousand australians 3 000 new zealanders and 45 000 brits and frenchmen jackers victoria cross was awarded for his actions at courtney's post where some of the severely depleted 14th battalion had been sent to support the anzacs under a relentless turkish attack at 3 30 a.m on may 19 1915 a party of turks threw eight bombs into the trench occupied by jacka and his comrades three men were killed the rest except jacka were injured the turks then jumped into the trench and most of the remaining australians fled but not jakka he kept up a relentless fire on the enemy and thereby prevented their advance jacker just five foot six but muscular agreed to launch a counter-attack and told the three young privates to fix bayonets and then added i'll go first follow me after a failed initiative in which one of his men was shot jakka asked another brave volunteer to keep up a steady fire while jacka himself planned a flanking maneuver he went along several trenches crossed the ever dangerous no man's land and then ambushed the turks from the rear in an instant jacker shot five turks and bayonetted two others this incredibly daring maneuver took the turks completely by surprise unsure of how many men were attacking and from where most broke and fled from the trench allowing jakka to take another three turkish soldiers captive despite his tremendous achievements he then held down the trench for an entire night refusing to leave and preventing any chance of that section of the trench from being retaken his victoria cross was announced in july of 1915 making him at 22 the first australian of the conflict to receive the award it also entitled him to 500 pounds a large sum of money back then as well as a gold watch offered by a melbourne businessman to the first compatriots to be awarded the victoria cross over the next three years his bravery on the battlefields of france and belgium would inspire others to enlist and led to a 1 000 strong battalion calling themselves jackas mob few men regardless of their achievements in the field of battle could boast such a massive impact but the war was not over for jakka at prasia during the somme offensive on august 7th 1916 he again displayed exceptional bravery while it was still semi-dark the germans swept through the anzac ranks jakka had just returned from a reconnaissance sweep of the area he entered his dugout only to find two germans appear at the entranceway shortly afterwards a bomb was rolled down the hallway and the two men he was next to were immediately killed in the blast emerging unharmed some time later he left the dog out to find the germans rounding up some 40 prisoners with some seven other men with him to fight jackal led the charge charged the bastards he shouted whilst germans fired upon them from their hip with their rifles a fierce melee of hand-to-hand combat ensued in the chaos not one of the party of seven was uninjured four of those brave men would die of the prisoners the germans had been marching many took the opportunity to join the fray and help those courageous men fighting for their release jacka himself was wounded seven times with one bullet passing right through his body beneath his right shoulder yet the australian refused to fall the germans broke those who were once rounding up prisoners were themselves turned into captives and some 50 germans were taken as prisoners of war jacka was said to have single-handedly killed at least 12 men perhaps even as many as 20. his bravery that day spared his men from spending the rest of the war in a pow camp and ensured that his key section of the trench remained under allied control when jakka was lifted from the bloodied earth one stretcher bearer described him as the bravest man in the aussie army but he received only a lukewarm recommendation for a second galatory award from senior officers perhaps it was his failure to notice the german attack despite personally being on a reconnaissance mission or perhaps it was because of his outspoken views against officers and british colonial snobbery on this matter only personal speculation is possible what isn't undoubted is the heroism of this man who time after time rolled the dice with his own life refusing to surrender in the face of overwhelming odds his bravery was a great inspiration to his own men as it is to us now and we should remember too that though small in number the anzac contributions to the war effort were heroic more men died from those nations as a percentage of population compared to the entire of great britain herself their recognition and remembrance is well warranted the great war was only three weeks old when lieutenant otto vonderland found himself celebrated in all of germany as an authentic hero the first and youngest junior officer to win the most coveted of german military decorations per lemeret established by one of the greatest most enlightened monarch any european state has ever had frederick the great the per limerite was a prestigious recognition of achievement you may have heard of another notable german to be awarded one of these the fighter ace manfred ron rickthoven or the red baron if you're sitting there thinking this decoration sounds not too german then you're quite right frederick loved french and used it more than his native language an officer in the crack fifth regiment of foot guards wonderland was already mobilized when the war was declared his regiment was to lead the westward advance of the german army through it was planned belgium france and then on to paris a speedy conclusion of the war with france was vital if germany had any chance of winning this war the vast russians to their east would be slow to mobilize but impossible to defeat once assembled especially if paris remained belligerent to move slowly was to invite certain defeats this plan the plan to end the war in france quickly and then move to the eastern front was known as the schlieffen plan otto would have understood it well berlin hoped to have paris around the negotiation table by winter of 1914. the unlooked for resistance of the belgians however threw the german general staff's timetable out of gear by some two weeks threatening the entire nation with an early defeat the path of the fifth guards was blocked on august 23rd by the forts of neymar fort malone a well laid out stronghold in their path refused to capitulate to the germans its approach was a bare flat plane to cross that plane exposed any advancing force to the withering fire of the fortress attempting to pass it by let alone to take the impregnable installation was suicide without concentrated artillery support however the commander of the fifth guards knew all too well there was no time to wait for this something else had to be done otto was close to his men many of whom he'd grown up with and was greatly troubled about what might befall those close to him frantic discussions began and a number of officers seemed to think the situation was hopeless that is before the young wonderland spoke up he claimed that he knew how to capture the fort without having to wait for any artillery supports and asked to be given some men to that end the senior officers stared at the boy in amazement and not a small amount of disbelief at the suggestion one officer inquired how many men's mothers he intended to leave heartbroken to achieve this and how many men he would lead to certain death oh about four he is said to have replied the officer laughed in otto's face following this remark but undaunted otto stuck to the idea asking what he could be relying on taking on the entire fort with a mere four men when a thousand could not do it otto exclaimed that this was a bluff the young man's earnest attitude so impressed these senior officials that they against a healthy amount of better judgement decided to give him a chance he had risked his reputation and respect to be listened to by senior officers now he would risk his own life vandalin then asked around for volunteers no less than 40 came forward he chose those he deemed best suited for the mission and set off towards the fortress army of four following behind marching towards the fort through the open plain otto and his men must have looked doomed brave or not and with more than one warning shot fired to discourage them each man made peace with himself on that long path towards fort malone in plain sight of the bemused belgian defenders the small party of men walked up towards the moat in front of the fort's gate and shouted up to the defenders demanding the surrender of the fort claiming to have artillery surrounding the fort in the forests trained directly upon the position of the defenders otto beseeched the belgians to save their own lives and spare all involved of bloodshed and simply surrender for a minute after agonizing minutes the belgians remained silent and gave no answer likely pondering their options behind their stout defenses turrets machine guns grenade launchers and men on for conflicts surrounded the five german soldiers leaving them with little doubts as the importance of their mission finally the drawbridge was let down the ponderous gates were opened vondalin's party of four marched into the forts it was there that they accepted the surrender of the belgians taking their weapons and securing the fort though not before 400 defenders escaped otto's plan had succeeded his idea which most thought would lead him and the men who followed him to a certain death had paid off and the fort was under german control legend has it that wanting to signal success to the commanding officers otto hauled down the belgian flag from its flagpole then with no german flag available up went the black breaches of otto himself the white shirt of an officer and the red shirt of a private soldier so as to create a makeshift german tri-color flag a key strategic position was thus taken without the loss of a single life the intelligence compassion and bravery of otto vonderlind avoided much bloodshed and secured his adoration from many a german soldier but such victories were to be short-lived for an autumn of 1914 otto and the fifth foot guards would find themselves in the bloodbath that was the first ipra remembered in germany as the massacre of the innocence these men would suffer a mind-boggling 50 000 casualties over the course of a 34-day battle still otto's actions risked his own life for the welfare of his comrades that he lived for this story to be remembered is as unlikely as his bravery was exceptional despite the inhumanity of the war such acts of bravery were seen from germans as much as the french the hungarians the czechs and the turks as much as the russians the brits or the italians heroism belongs to no single nation we owe it to the truthful memory of that awful war to remember those who sacrifice themselves for others not just on the side of the victorious forces but wherever they may be found jack cornwall was only 16 when he lost his life at the battle of jutland his ship came under heavy fire and he was mostly wounded he did not panic or flee nor lie in despair instead he remained at his post a 16 year old boy calm and ready to take more orders it was this devotion to duty that earned him both the nation's respect and a posthumous victoria cross born into a working-class family in essex in january 1990 john jack cornwell left school in 1913. too young to join the navy he became a delivery boy until july of 1915 with britain now at war he was able to enlist jack was trained as a ship boy a special category of very young men who still found a niche role in the navy he achieved high marks while demonstrating gunnery and seamanship skills writing home to his parents jack said of his drills and training that he was pretty tired you can bet before signing the letter off you're ever loving jack addressing kisses to his family members their chickens and his cats then at the end of may 2016 with his training completed jack joined the crew of the hms chester and set sail the hms chester was a newly constructed light cruiser fitted with breach loading 5.5 inch naval guns originally intended to serve the greek navy the outbreak of the war saw the british government worried about naval power so they purchased it themselves the ship was then tasked to join the scapa scapaflo fleet situated in scapaflow in the orkney islands in the far north of great britain this natural harbour had sheltered fleets since the viking invasions now it was home to the steel mites of the modern british navy despite weighing no less than 5 000 tons and being propelled forward by 12 massive yarrow boilers the hms chester was dwarfed by the larger ships in this fleet for example the queen elizabeth class battleships were 33 000 tons and used over a ton of fuel oil for every kilometer traveled at top speed the guns of this aptly named super dreadnought were monumental capable of throwing shells 875 kilograms each towards targets over 20 000 meters away they were the super weapons of the most powerful nation of the era not one man who saw them wasn't awestruck youngjack must have been amazed and perhaps filled with trepidation because every man there knew the germans would deploy similarly sized and equally capable ships jack's ship the hms chester was attached to rear admiral horace hood's third battle cruiser squadron cornwell would be the sight setter for the forward 5.5 inch gun an important and high risk role especially for a new young rating with no battle experience cornwall was responsible for relaying the orders of the gunnery control officer to the gun's crew and for adjusting the brass sight setting disc on the gun his work required intense concentration and meant he had to stand outside the protective gun shield leaving him exposed to danger late in the afternoon of may 31 1916 hud's battle cruisers were 25 miles ahead of the rest of the fleet as it raced at full speed to support an action against the germans at around 5 30 pm chester was sent to investigate gun flashes detected to the southwest of the british ships suddenly through the mist four german light cruisers appeared in the confusion of the battle chester had run into the german second scouting group and was seriously outgunned despite this chester turned and opened fire on the enemy ships but this was in vain the german-like cruises began to bombard the chester within three minutes three of the chester's 10 guns were put out of action the scene on deck was one of panic and devastation the gun crews lay dead or wounded among the smashed up debris of the ship cornwall's team were all killed early on in the action and he was horribly injured flying metal shards from german shells had ripped through the 16 year old's legs and stomach but as the german light cruisers continued to submit the chester to a withering fire jack cornwell courageously remained at his post despite his unimaginable pain and isolated position the 16 year old boy courageously stayed put awaiting orders determined to see out the battle and to do his duty for nearly 20 minutes hms chester was under intense shell fire and received at least 17 direct hits its captain managed to skillfully guide it away from the german ships and out of danger the ship had somehow survived but the carnage that had been wrought meant that chester was out of action for the rest of the battle in addition to the three guns that had been destroyed the ship was hauled along the side and had suffered more than 70 casualties among the crew the following day hms chester was ordered to the river humber and its wounded were taken to grimsby hospital it was there on june 2nd 1916 jack cornwell died from the extensive wounds he had received at jutland but jack's heroic conduct was not to be forgotten the admiral of the entire fleet at the battle of jutland admiral sir david beatty had a dispatch printed in the newspapers in this jack was described by name as a splendid instance of devotion to duty the public response was huge and this dispatch was followed by a large public funeral in london and demands for further recognition of the young man's bravery thus cornwell was posthumously awarded the victoria cross in recognition of his bravery in this face of the enemy an unfaltering sense of duty his mother attended buckingham palace and was presented this honor from king george v himself the adoration of this hero boy from jutland did not end there the 21st of september became jack cornwell day funds and scholarships for the navy and victims of the war were set up in the boy's name and a special badge for courage was commissioned for the boy scouts the cornwell scout badge jack's heroism is undoubtable the young man showed a kind of courage exceptional even in war and paid the ultimate price what exactly motivated jack to endure what he did and to act with such bravery can never truly be known was it for the great british king and country was it for a sense of duty or was it for his fellow navy comrades and friends we will never know for sure but what we can know for sure is that amongst all these acts of bravery and heroism from legends like albert jacker war heroes like otto vandolins and icons like jack cornwell there is a story to be told that story is often hard to confirm with reality separating facts from fiction in these stories driven and retold by nationalists who seek to highlight and promote war is very difficult fortunately honoring the fallen doesn't and shouldn't mean condoning the first world war or any war for that matter most of those who die in these conflicts did so with heroism of a different kind they passed away not with gallant acts that defy the norms and expectations of them but in an unrealized moment or while paralyzed with shock and fear in their final moments few thought of the great war of a clash of civilizations or even of wrong and right their minds were fixed on the simpler things that give our lives colour and joy the humble worries and delicate fears of loved ones of hopes and of dreams there are truly thousands of stories of bravery that can be told of the men and women who fought and died in the first world war each shows the war through another set of eyes and allows us to think about it and ourselves differently here were just three of such stories they will not be forgotten and there you have three incredible acts of bravery during the first world war please leave a comment down below with your own thoughts and reactions and remember to like this video and subscribe to support the channel thank you for watching and i'll see you next time

Channel: WarsofTheWorld

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Length: 25min 35sec (1535 seconds)

Published: Sat Oct 17 2020