What does it take to earn the Victoria Cross?
Well if you're a Corporal in the Royal Marines, and your name is Thomas Hunter, and you have a Bren gun at the Battle of Lake Comacchio, here's a brief "by numbers" guide on how to secure one for yourself:
1) Ping a load of German positions inside houses and quickly assess they will probably take out your entire troop - proceed to charge alone towards the enemy across 200 yards of open ground.
2) When 6+ MG-42 positions open up on you, continue to charge, but fire your Bren gun from the hip for good measure.
3) Once you reach the enemy occupied houses, don't bother waiting for support, just clear the houses yourself. Change magazines whilst on the move when necessary.
4) Take 6 prisoners as the rest of the enemy falls back.
5) When the rest of your troop get to you don't ask for support, ask for more ammunition.
6) For a second time, offer yourself as a target and lay down fire at concrete pillboxes.
Corporal Hunter continued to shout encouragement to his men whilst laying down fire until he was finally killed from a burst of machine gun fire - he was just 21 years old.
