War is a brutal, terrible event. And amidst the destruction, there are heroes that not only show bits of humanity but also turn the tides of war to come out on top. These heroes are not always acknowledged, either. And as for these World War II heroes, they deserve much more recognition than they get.
Of course, when thinking of World War II heroes, you might think of Winston Churchill, Dwight Eisenhower, and Virginia Hall. But what about some heroes that really don’t get enough spotlight? Let’s dive into their history and the amazing work they did during World War II.
6. Bruce Kingsbury
World War II heroes that need recognition start with Bruce Kingsbury, an Australian soldier who initially served in the Middle East, but later gained renown for his actions during the Battle of Isurava.
During the battle in 1942, Kingsbury was one of the few survivors of a platoon that had been overrun by the Japanese. He immediately volunteered to join a different platoon, which had been ordered to counter-attack. Rushing forward and firing his Bren gun, he cleared a path through the enemy and inflicted several casualties.
While he was killed in battle by a sniper, his actions delayed the Japanese long enough for the Australians to fortify their positions and helped save his battalion’s headquarters. His bravery during the battle was recognized with the Victoria Cross, the highest decoration for gallantry that can be rewarded to members of the British and Commonwealth armed forces.
Read More: Rare World War II Artifacts and the Stories They Tell
5. Eileen Nearne
Eileen Mary “Didi” Nearne was a member of the UK’s Special Operations Executive in France during World War II and is one of the many World War II heroes who deserve more acknowledgment. Her position required her to conduct espionage, sabotage, and reconnaissance in countries occupied by Nazi Germany and other Axis powers.
Nearne served as a radio operator under the codename “Rose”, but that’s not all that she’s known for. Awarded the Croix de Guerre by the French government, faced a horrific life during World War II. During her work as a secret agent, she was eventually captured and sent to Ravensbruck concentration camp, where she was brutally tortured.
However, she never revealed anything. She spent her time in multiple death camps, underwent horrendous torture, and escaped multiple times before US troops found her. She never spoke about her time and spent her days in a flat with her cats until she passed in 2010 at the age of 89.
Check Out: World War I Heroes Who Are Often Overlooked
4. Matt Urban
One of the many World War II heroes who deserve more recognition is Matt Louis Urban, a United States Army lieutenant colonel and one of the most decorated American soldiers of World War II.
If you’re familiar with famed American soldier Audie Murphy, then to compare, Urban matches him in being the most decorated soldier. However, Murphy is more recognizable. Urban was awarded the French Croix de Guerre and the Legion of Merit but never knew until his military records were reviewed to award his Medal of Honor.
Nicknamed “The Ghost”, Urban did heroic actions, even when injured, and seemed to always come back after he was supposedly killed by Nazis. Some of his most memorable actions were when he was ordered to stay on board a landing craft off the Tunisian coast, but when he heard his unit came upon resistance, he hopped in a raft and rowed to help fight.
At the Battle of the Kasserine Pass, Urban destroyed a German observation post and led his company in a frontal assault on a fortified enemy position. During an encounter, Urban killed an enemy with his trench knife, took the man’s machine pistol, and wiped out the rest of the oncoming Germans with wounded hands and arms. The man was persistent and should be talked about more often.
Also Read: Korean War Heroes Who Are Often Overlooked
3. Charlie Brown and Franz Stigler
During times of war, it’s important to hear that humanity is still out there. While these two individuals did not serve their country in turning epic tides of war, these two are World War II heroes nonetheless, providing an example that even through destruction, there is hope.
This incident happened on December 20, 1942, after a successful bomb run on Bremen. 2nd Lt. Charles “Charlie” Brown’s B-17F Flying Fortress Ye Olde Pub of the United States Army Air Forces was severely damaged by German Fighters.
When Luftwaffe pilot Franz Stigler noticed it, he had the opportunity to shoot it down but didn’t, and instead, took the opportunity to show the world humanity by flying by Brown’s plane and escorting it over and past German-occupied territory to protect it. What’s amazing is that after a lot of searching, the two met 50 years later and developed a close friendship.
2. Ivan Pavlovich Sereda
Not every hero starts out as a soldier. Some are cooks, like Ivan Pavlovich Sereda, who has one of the best stories during his time in World War II. In 1941 at a field kitchen in a forest near Dünaburg, Latvia, Sereda was preparing dinner for his assigned 91st Tank Regiment, 46th Tank Division of the 21st Mechanized Corps.
While he stays at camp to cook and defend, he hears a distant rumble and finds a German tank lurking near the camp. But instead of hiding, Sereda finds it within himself to grab a rifle and an ax he used to cut wood, and charges at the tank screaming like a maniac. The Germans are terrified and think they’re outnumbered, so they take cover in the tank and start firing the machine gun.
But Sereda is on top of the tank and is cutting the gun barrel with his ax. As he yells to his non-existent comrades for a grenade, the Germans surrender, making Ivan Pavlovich Sereda one of the top World War II heroes that deserves more recognition, and a movie.
Read More: Deadliest Wars In History: From World Wars to Civil Wars
1. John Basilone
One of the many World War II heroes who don’t receive enough recognition is Sgt. John Basilone, a United States Marine Corps gunnery sergeant who received the Medal of Honor for actions during the Battle of Henderson Field in the Guadalcanal campaign, and the Navy Cross posthumously for extraordinary heroism during the Battle of Iwon Jima.
He was the only enlisted Marine to receive both of these decorations in World War II. What made his actions incredible is that in 1942, on the night of October 24, a Japanese regiment of 3,000 men began to attack the small crews of Marines as they dug in for the night. The Marines successfully held off the attack until one gun crew was disabled by enemy fire.
Basilone did what he thought necessary, running back and forth between gun pits, supplying ammunition, and assisting the junior Marines for a total of three days. Even when he lost his asbestos gloves — used to switch the hot barrels of the heavy machine guns — he persevered, receiving burns on his hands and arms in the process.
