During the first Battle of El Alamein, on El Ruweisat Ridge (July 15 1942), Sgt. Keith Elliot and the men from the 2nd NZ Exp. Force were attacked on three flanks by overwhelming German forces.
Under heavy tank, MG and shell fire, Sgt. Elliott was shot in the chest, but with no fucks to spare, he led his men in a bayonet charge across 500 yards of open ground destroying 5 enemy MG crews, and AT gun, killing scores of enemy soldiers and taking over 130 prisoners.
During his assault he was wounded another 3 separate times, and by the end of the fight, his entire company was reduced to only 19 survivors.
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Sgt. Elliott recovered from his wounds, commissioned to 2nd LT. and awarded the VC in September 1942.
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Elliott was then ordered back to NZ, an order that made him very unhappy because he did not feel right going home while his friends remained in the field. He was also uncomfortable with the attention he received from the public when he arrived back home and remained modest about his achievements.
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Upon his discharge from the military, Elliott chose the quite life, becoming a farmer and subsequently a priest until his death in 1989.
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SIDENOTE: Charles Upham, also from NZ, was awarded his second VC for his actions which occurred on the same day and same battle as Elliott's. #hardfuckapproved #ww2 #nz #zerofoxtrot #stayzero