2-24-18 Garand Picture of the Day - more Tarawa Color

[Mark in Rochester]

Information

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[Bob Womack]

A fellow from my hometown earned a MOH there... posthumously. His remains were just discovered and re-interred with fully military honors in his family's plot, a mile and a half from my family home.




Lt. Alexander Bonneyman

FIRST LIEUTENANT ALEXANDER BONNYMAN JR.
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS RESERVE


for service as set forth in the following CITATION:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as Executive Officer of the 2d Battalion Shore Party, 8th Marines, 2d Marine Division, during the assault against enemy Japanese-held Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands, 20–22 November 1943. Acting on his own initiative when assault troops were pinned down at the far end of Betio Pier by the overwhelming fire of Japanese shore batteries, 1st Lt. Bonnyman repeatedly defied the blasting fury of the enemy bombardment to organize and lead the besieged men over the long, open pier to the beach and then, voluntarily obtaining flame throwers and demolitions, organized his pioneer shore party into assault demolitionists and directed the blowing of several hostile installations before the close of D-day. Determined to effect an opening in the enemy's strongly organized defense line the following day, he voluntarily crawled approximately 40 yards forward of our lines and placed demolitions in the entrance of a large Japanese emplacement as the initial move in his planned attack against the heavily garrisoned, bombproof installation which was stubbornly resisting despite the destruction early in the action of a large number of Japanese who had been inflicting heavy casualties on our forces and holding up our advance. Withdrawing only to replenish his ammunition, he led his men in a renewed assault, fearlessly exposing himself to the merciless slash of hostile fire as he stormed the formidable bastion, directed the placement of demolition charges in both entrances and seized the top of the bombproof position, flushing more than 100 of the enemy who were instantly cut down, and effecting the annihilation of approximately 150 troops inside the emplacement. Assailed by additional Japanese after he had gained his objective, he made a heroic stand on the edge of the structure, defending his strategic position with indomitable determination in the face of the desperate charge and killing 3 of the enemy before he fell, mortally wounded. By his dauntless fighting spirit, unrelenting aggressiveness and forceful leadership throughout 3 days of unremitting, violent battle, 1st Lt. Bonnyman had inspired his men to heroic effort, enabling them to beat off the counterattack and break the back of hostile resistance in that sector for an immediate gain of 400 yards with no further casualties to our forces in this zone. He gallantly gave his life for his country.

Bob

[Bob Seijas]

It's truly astonishing what some of these ordinary guys did... and you have to realize that the dry citation hits the highlights but doesn't come close to telling the whole story. I'm reminded of Hector Cafferata's MOH plaque in our town hall that says he killed "more than 15" of the enemy -- the officer who put him in for it said he was personally convinced it was "more than 100" but he was afraid it would not be believed so cut it down to 35. The board cut it further to just the first two clips of ammo from his M1. The next day, Marines on Fox Hill tried to count the bodies in front of his position and lost count at 200.

[CINDERS]

James Brindley Nicolson

Victoria Cross citation (The only one awarded to a fighter pilot in WWII)

The announcement and accompanying citation for the decoration was published in supplement to the London Gazette on 15 November 1940, reading

Air Ministry, 15 November 1940.

The KING has been graciously pleased to confer the Victoria Cross on the undermentioned officer in recognition of most conspicuous bravery : —

Flight Lieutenant James Brindley NICOLSON (39329) — No. 249 Squadron.

During an engagement with the enemy near Southampton on 16th August 1940, Flight Lieutenant Nicolson's aircraft was hit by four cannon shells, two of which wounded him whilst another set fire to the gravity tank. When about to abandon his aircraft owing to flames in the cockpit he sighted an enemy fighter. This he attacked and shot down, although as a result of staying in his burning aircraft he sustained serious burns to his hands, face, neck and legs. Flight Lieutenant Nicolson has always displayed great enthusiasm for air fighting and this incident shows that he possesses courage and determination of a high order. By continuing to engage the enemy after he had been wounded and his aircraft set on fire, he displayed exceptional gallantry and disregard for the safety of his own life.

What the citation misses is how Nicolson described the affair that engaging enemy aircraft he was bounced by another fighter from 6 o'clock and hit by 4 20mm cannon shells.
Apart from admonishing himself for being bounced he noticed that the german plane had over shot him and was now in a position ahead of him he was half out the burning cockpit.
So sitting back down into the flames and in his words "I will teach you some manners you Hun!" he opened fire on the enemy and shot it down.
He then said to himself what bloody idiot would put a fuel tank directly behind the instrument panel!
By then he says it was high time to abandon the aircraft as it was getting very hot which was made somewhat easier as all the plexi glass had melted from the canopy so he just grabbed the hot bare frame work and baled out.
Then of course his hands were very badly burned he had to pull the rip cord which he accomplished under extreme duress.

In one of my books I think it is about Geoffrey Page who also suffered horrific burns in action and became like Nicolson one of McIndoes Army.
Geoffrey stated that the temperature in the cockpit when the plane is burning goes from about 5 degrees to approximately 350 degrees in about 3 seconds.
These guys just wore uniforms made out of wool & leather not flame retardant gear just like the ground troops who wore no body armour.
How any of them stuck it out for days & years is a testament to their resilience to the cause.

[browningautorifle]

These guys just wore uniforms made out of wool & leather not flame retardant gear just like the ground troops who wore no body armour.
How any of them stuck it out for days & years is a testament to their resilience to the cause.

And, like the rest of us it was what there was at the time. Without knowledge of what would be invented, no one knew better and used what they had which was state of the art at the time...