Introduction Filippo Illuminato (21 August 1930 to 28 September 1943) was an Italian partisan who died attacking Nazi German troops during the Four days of Naples in World War II. He was posthumously awarded the Gold Medal of Military Valour, Italy’s highest award for gallantry. Background On 03 September 1943, the Allies and the Kingdom… Read More
Introduction William Frederick Stone (23 September 1900 to 10 January 2009) was one of the last five surviving First World War veterans who served in the United Kingdom’s armed forces and one of the last two surviving seamen worldwide, along with Claude Choules. They were also the last two to have also served in the… Read More
Introduction Friedrich Wilhelm Ernst Paulus (23 September 1890 to 01 February 1957) was a German field marshal during World War II who is best known for commanding the 6th Army during the Battle of Stalingrad (August 1942 to February 1943). The battle ended in disaster for the Wehrmacht when Soviet forces encircled the Germans within… Read More
Introduction Sub-Lieutenant Saburō Sakai (坂井 三郎, Sakai Saburō, 25 August 1916 to 22 September 2000) was a Japanese naval aviator and flying ace (“Gekitsui-O”, 撃墜王) of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. Sakai had 28-64 aerial victories (including shared) by official Japanese records, while his autobiography Samurai!, co-written by Martin Caidin and Fred… Read More
Introduction Anders Frederik Emil Victor Schau Lassen, VC, MC & Two Bars (22 September 1920 to 09 April 1945) was a highly decorated Danish soldier, who was the only non-Commonwealth recipient of the British Victoria Cross in the Second World War. He was posthumously awarded the United Kingdom’s highest gallantry award for his actions during… Read More
Introduction Colin Fraser Barron VC (20 September 1893 to 15 August 1958) was a Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Background He was born at Boyndie, Banffshire, Scotland, a son of Margaret… Read More
Introduction Lieutenant Colonel Robert George Cole (19 March 1915 to 18 September 1944) was an American soldier who received the Medal of Honour for his actions in the days following the D-Day Normandy invasion of World War II. Early US Army Career Robert G. Cole was born at Fort Sam Houston, in San Antonio, Texas,… Read More
Boot Camp & Military Fitness Institute 