Bill Jenkins (Royal Marines officer)

43 Commando went to Italy in January 1945 and, two months later, as part of the last major offensive of the Italian campaign, it moved up to its new front on the river Reno, north of Ravenna. In the first few days of April, as part of 2nd Commando Brigade, it launched "Operation Roast", a curtain-raiser for the Eighth Army's spring offensive (in which the British 78th Infantry Division, supported by armour, attacked towards Argenta from the east, while, to the west of the town, 10th Indian Division was poised for a thrust north of Bologna).

As reported in Jenkins' obituary:

In the early hours of 18 April, 43 Commando passed through 2 Commado’s position with the aim of clearing a pumping station and the fortified houses that dominated the surrounding country. When the commanders of 'D' and 'E' Troops were wounded, Jenkins, a 20-year-old subaltern, took over both troops and led the left prong of the attack. Reconnoitring ahead of his men, he was wounded in the neck and then hit in the back with a force which flattened him. After picking himself off the ground, astonished to be still alive, he found that he was on the edge of a German slit trench.

Cocking his Colt .45 pistol, Jenkins fired blind into the trench. A terrified man jumped up shouting, 'Don't shoot! I'm an Austrian!' Jenkins first took him prisoner, and then the Spandau gunners who were little more than shapes in the darkness beside him. After sending them to the rear under the escort of a corporal with orders to return with a section of 'E' Troop, he found himself alone again. In the improving light, Jenkins saw a file of seven German soldiers with slung rifles emerge from behind a building. There was not a stitch of cover, so all that he could do was crouch down. The Germans stopped and started chatting to each other and, a few moments later, they were joined by two more.

Jenkins stood up, marched forward, pointed his Tommy gun at them and bellowed: Hande hoch! After a moment of indecisiveness, they lowered their rifles to the ground and were sent to the rear with a group of marines which had made a timely reappearance.

43 Commando was now exposed on a narrow salient with Germans on both flanks. Its diversionary assault had proved highly effective and it was ordered to pull back. When Jenkins had seen his troops into their new position, a doctor removed some metal splinters from his neck; the bullet that had knocked him down was discovered lodged among the biscuits in his 24-hour pack.

He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his actions.