   captain john henry cound brunt  (6 december 1922 â 10 december 1944) was an english recipient of the victoria cross, the most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to british and commonwealth forces. he served in italy during the second world war and was twice decorated for bravery in action before being killed by mortar fire. as a young man, he had a reputation for mischief and daring, but was always respected due to his consideration for othersâtraits that continued in his military career and would earn him the respect of his comrades and superiors. the actions that won him the victoria cross exemplified this behaviour, as despite being wounded he single-handedly held off enemy troops, allowing his men to reach safety. == early life == john henry cound brunt was born on wednesday 6 december 1922, on a farm in priest weston, near chirbury, shropshire to thomas henry brunt and nesta mary brunt (nÃ©e cound), and began his education at chirbury village school. he had an elder sister named dorothy (born 13 may 1920) and a younger sister isobel (born 5 october 1923). when dorothy was eight, the family moved to a farm near whittington, shropshire where john grew up. as he became older, his fearless nature became more apparent; every week, he read the comic "tiny tots", which featured instructions on "how to teach yourself to swim". one day, he asked dorothy to take him to the shropshire canal which went through their farmland. before his sister could stop him, john had taken off all his clothes and jumped into the canal. when they finally arrived home, their mother wanted to know why he had no clothes on, and john responded that he had been teaching himself to swim. as he got older, his daredevil attitude became even more serious; on one occasion, he was found swinging himself along the guttering of a dutch barn sixty feet above the farmyard.{{cit
1922_births 1944_deaths British_Army_personnel_of_World_War_II British_Army_recipients_of_the_Victoria_Cross British_World_War_II_recipients_of_the_Victoria_Cross British_military_personnel_killed_in_World_War_II People_educated_at_Ellesmere_College People_from_Shropshire Queen\'s_Own_Royal_West_Kent_Regiment_soldiers Recipients_of_the_Military_Cross Sherwood_Foresters_officers