John Brunt Captain John Henry Cound Brunt ( 6 December 1922 – 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 others — traits 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 , in Priest Weston , Shropshire to Thomas Henry Brunt and Nesta Mary Brunt ( née Cound ) . 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 . When old enough , John was enrolled at Ellesmere College where his mischievous streak became quickly apparent through pranks and dares ; once , while in the sanatorium with mumps , he slipped a laxative into the matron ' s tea . Nevertheless , he is fondly remembered at the school . It was while he was at Ellesmere that he contracted measles , resulting in his need to wear glasses . An enthusiastic sportsman , John played cricket , hockey , rugby , water polo and wrestling . He was the only pupil at the school to tackle the headmaster while playing rugby , injuring the older man ' s knee in the process . In 1934 , the Brunt family moved to Paddock Wood in Kent and , in his school holidays " Young John " ( as he was known in the village ) would come home . Although he was still a reckless individual , he was thought of very highly , and helped train the Paddock Wood Home Guard between 1940 and 1943 , assisted by his father . He spent his last days in Paddock Wood helping with the hop harvest . Military career . John Brunt joined the army when he left school , training as a Private with the Queen ' s Own Royal West Kent Regiment in 1941 , and got his commission on 2 January 1943 and was posted to North Africa . Although he was commissioned in the Sherwood Foresters , he never served with them , instead being posted to the 6th Battalion , Royal Lincolnshire Regiment , having become friendly with Captain Alan Money , an officer in the Lincolns , on the boat to Africa . On 9 September 1943 , Brunt ' s regiment landed at Salerno in Italy and Lieutenant Brunt was given command of No . 9 Platoon in A Company . The unit subsequently moved South East to establish a base in a farm near the river Asa . Military Cross . Between December 1943 and January 1944 , Lieutenant John Brunt commanded a Battle Patrol and saw near - constant action . In the early hours of 15 December , they received orders to destroy an enemy post based in some houses 200 yards North of the River Peccia . In efforts to break the enemy line , he crossed and re - crossed the river so many times that the troops took to calling it " Brunt ' s Brook " . After an intense five - minute bombardment , Lieutenant Brunt led a section into an assault . The first two houses contained two enemy soldiers , but it was the third house that provided the most resistance . Using grenades and Tommy guns , they managed to kill eight enemy troops outside the house , as well as those inside , all belonging to the 1st Battalion , 2nd Herman Goering Panzer Grenadier Regiment . After thirty minutes of intense fighting , the patrol withdrew , having had one man killed and six wounded . While the rest of the section pulled back , Lieutenant Brunt remained behind with his Sergeant and a Private to retrieve a wounded soldier . For his actions , he was awarded the Military Cross ( MC ) . On 5 January 1944 , Lieutenant Brunt was in a sick bed in a rear hospital . He pleaded with doctors to be allowed to leave to take part in an attack , and was given permission , leading his patrol under heavy fire . He was back in the hospital twenty - four hours later with concussion after a piece of shrapnel almost split his helmet , but would have carried on fighting if it had not been for an NCO who forcibly led him away from the front line . At the end of the campaign , Brunt is said to have commented to his friends , " I ' ve won the M . C . , now for the V . C . ! " Victoria Cross . After resting in Syria and Egypt , John Brunt returned to Italy on 3 July 1944 , having been promoted to temporary Captain and second in command of " D " Company . By early December 1944 , the regiment was operating near Ravenna fighting German troops who were retreating North through Italy and on the night of 3 December , the regiment began their attack on the town of Faenza . On the evening of 6 December , they took the village of Ragazzina near Faenza , and after heavy fighting the Lincolns had established defensive positions in Faenza itself . The full citation appeared in a supplement to the London Gazette of 6 February 1945 : The next morning , having won the battle and the acclaim of his regiment , Captain Brunt was as eager to return to the offensive , keeping alert for more trouble as breakfast was being prepared for the men , their first meal in 48 hours . He was standing in the doorway of the platoon headquarters , having a mug of tea and chatting with friends , when a stray German mortar bomb landed at his feet , killing him outright . He had celebrated his 22nd birthday just four days before . He was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross on 8 February 1945 . John Brunt is buried at Faenza War Cemetery in Italy under a Commonwealth War Grave headstone . Victoria Cross presentation . On Tuesday 18 December 1945 , King George VI presented Brunt ' s MC and VC to his parents at Buckingham Palace . John Brunt ' s father met Field Marshal Harold Alexander at the ceremony and said to him " I expect that you know many men who should have been awarded this medal " , to which the General replied " No , because there is always only one who will do the unexpected and that day it was your son . " Legacy . In 1946 , John Brunt ' s sister Dorothy gave birth to a boy which she named John Brunt Miller , in honour of his heroic uncle . On 3 September 1947 the Kent Arms public house in Paddock Wood , Kent , was named the John Brunt V . C . in his honour . In 1997 , the pub changed its name to The Hopping Hooden Horse ; after local outrage the original name was restored in 2001 . On 17 July 1965 The Victor comic featured a cover story named Brunt V . C . , a two - page strip based on the actions that won Brunt the VC . During his military career , he was awarded the Victoria Cross , Military Cross , 1939 - 45 Star , Africa Star , Italy Star and the British War Medal 1939 – 1945 , all of which are on display at The Royal Lincolnshire Regiment Museum in Lincoln .