In August 1917, at the little-known Battle of Hill 70, the Canadians fought tooth and nail for control of the high ground outside of Lens, France. Although they managed to capture the hill, the Germans mounted a fierce counterattack on August 18.
A 43-year-old Sgt. Frederick Hobson, was tasked with holding a recently captured German trench. As was customary in World War I, the actual infantry assault was preceded by a vicious artillery barrage. By the time it was over, most of Hobson’s unit had been wiped out, and their only remaining machine gun and its operator were buried in the mud. The position was now ripe for the taking. With no time to lose, Hobson used a shovel to dig out the operator and his gun, all while under enemy fire. Despite being wounded, he turned the gun on the advancing Germans, firing until it jammed.
At this point, Hobson could have made a last-ditch attempt to escape. Instead, he decided to buy the operator time to fix the gun. He sprang to his feet and charged straight at the enemy with nothing more than his rifle. Firing until he was out of ammo, Hobson then went to town with his bayonet, killing 14 men in his last stand. He was finally taken down in a hail of bullets, but his sacrifice was not in vain. The operator got the machine gun working, and Canadian reinforcements soon arrived. Hobson was dead, but the hill remained in Canadian hands.
For his actions, Sgt. Hobson was awarded the Victoria Cross.
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And that's how you slay bodies #stayzero #zerofoxtrot #canada #ww1 #badass