Gazette Information: VICTORIA CROSS,: http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/35862/supplements/319. No. QX.1071 Corporal John Alexander French, 2/9th Battalion (Queensland), Australian Military Forces. On 4th September 1942 at Milne Bay, New Guinea, the advance of Corporal French's section was held up by fire from three enemy machine-gun posts, whereupon he ordered the section to take cover, advanced and silenced the first two posts with grenades. He then attacked the third post with a sub-machine-gun, and although obviously badly wounded, continued to advance. The enemy guns ceased to fire and the section pushed on to find that all members of their crews had been killed and that Corporal French had died in front of the third gun. His courageous action enabled the section to complete its task.
Fold3_Team · Oct 31, 2023
Gazette Information: VICTORIA CROSS,: http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/35862/supplements/319. No. QX.1071 Corporal John Alexander French, 2/9th Battalion (Queensland), Australian Military Forces. On 4th September 1942 at Milne Bay, New Guinea, the advance of Corporal French's section was held up by fire from three enemy machine-gun posts, whereupon he ordered the section to take cover, advanced and silenced the first two posts with grenades. He then attacked the third post with a sub-machine-gun, and although obviously badly wounded, continued to advance. The enemy guns ceased to fire and the section pushed on to find that all members of their crews had been killed and that Corporal French had died in front of the third gun. His courageous action enabled the section to complete its task.