history · 24 January 1944 · 81 years ago
At Anzio, Italy, Private George Mitchell charged alone through intense machine-gun fire, jumped into the weapon pit and killed the crew. Shortly afterwards, he similarly assaulted a second position, killing six of the enemy and taking 12 prisoners. He was killed moments later when one of the Germans who had supposedly surrendered snatched up a discarded rifle and shot him. Mitchell was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross medal.
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