The last WWII hero, Ted Kenna

But on Wednesday night, following surgery in Geelong Hospital, Ted Kenna died a few days after his 90th birthday.

There was little about Mr Kenna to distinguish him from the rest of his generation - except for a single moment in 1945, when he made a choice he was compelled to explain over and over for the rest of his life.

Winning the Victoria Cross, the highest award for bravery, was both a privilege and burden. He had met the Queen 13 times and appeared on a postage stamp.

Invariably, when asked about his VC, Mr Kenna would say he didn't think about his actions. The way he told it, it just happened.

He was shot in the face three weeks later. He spent nine months recuperating in hospital, dropping to seven stone, and he would always carry a scar from his mouth, like a red-wine stain.

Depending on which of them recounted the courtship, he either climbed out of his death bed to woo her, or she couldn't keep her hands off him. They would marry in 1947 and have four children.

Citation

The KING has been graciously pleased to approve the award of the VICTORIA CROSS to:-

No. VX. 102142 Private Edward KENNA, 2/4 Australian Infantry Battalion, Australian Military Forces.

In the South West Pacific at Wewak on 15th May, 1945, during the attack on the Wirui Mission features, Private Kenna's company had the task of capturing certain enemy positions. The only position from which observation for supporting fire could be obtained was continuously swept by enemy heavy machine gun fire and it was not possible to bring Artillery or Mortars into action.

Private Kenna's platoon was ordered forward to deal with the enemy machine gun post, so that the company operation could proceed. His section moved as close as possible to the bunker in order to harass any enemy seen, so that the remainder of the platoon could attack from the flank. When the attacking sections came into view of the enemy they were immediately engaged at very close range by heavy automatic fire from a position not previously disclosed. Casualties were suffered and the attackers could not move further forward.

Private Kenna endeavoured to put his Bren gun into a position where he could engage the bunker, but was unable to do so because of the nature of the ground. On his own initiative and without orders Private Kenna immediately stood up in full view of the enemy less than fifty yards away and engaged the bunker, firing his Bren gun from the hip. The enemy machine gun immediately returned Private Kenna's fire and with such accuracy that bullets actually passed between his arms and his body. Undeterred, he remained completely exposed and continued to fire at the enemy until his magazine was exhausted. Still making a target of himself, Private Kenna discarded his Bren gun and called for a rifle. Despite the intense machine gun fire, he seized the rifle and, with amazing coolness, killed the gunner with his first round.

A second automatic opened fire on Private Kenna from a different position and another of the enemy immediately tried to move into position behind the first machine gun, but Private Kenna remained standing and killed him with his next round.

The result of Private Kenna's magnificent bravery in the face of concentrated fire, was that the bunker was captured without further loss, and the company attack proceeded to a successful conclusion, many enemy being killed and numerous automatic weapons captured.

There is no doubt that the success of the company attack would have been seriously endangered and many casualties sustained but for Private Kenna's magnificent courage and complete disregard for his own safety. His action was an outstanding example of the highest degree of bravery.

Plenty of heros don’t get medals though.

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Exactly. My uncle is one of the thousands who fit this description. He was a tanker with a recon company in Patton's 14th Armored Division. According to the official record (and acknowledged by both Brokow's book and the Holocaust Museum) his tank led the desperate drive behind German lines to get to the POW camp at Moosburgh before the SS could. The SS was sent to kill the POWs. There was a pitched battle at the gate. All the SS were killed and not a single POW was hurt.

In the early part of this decade my uncle wrote up some of the things he saw and did in 187 days on the line. Much of what he did and witnessed other nineteen year old US soldiers do was equal to what Kenna did. The medals go to those whose actions are witnessed and recorded by the right parties.

I do not in any way at all wish to disregard the courageousness that Kenna portrayed or to suggest that he was less than deserving of the VC. My only point is that he was in the company of legions of heroes, most of them unsung.

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