history · 08 April 1945 · 79 years ago
In northern Italy, British Army SAS Major Anders Lassen and 19 men were tasked with creating a diversion at Lake Comacchio. The Dane, who joined the British forces after the fall of Denmark and had already won the Military Medal three times in commando operations, destroyed three enemy strong-points before being fatally wounded. As his men withdrew, he refused aid, knowing that he would only slow them down and endanger their escape. His body was later found and buried by partisans. The fighting Dane was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross, the only non-British Commonwealth soldier to win the medal during the war.
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