Plaque de Filip Konowal

[photo, brass plaque/photo, plaque de laiton]

Filip Konowal, V.C. 1887-1959. Filip Konowal was born in Kudkiv, Ukraine. After immigrating to Canada in 1913, he became a resident of Ottawa and a parishioner of St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Shrine. In July 1915, Filip Konowal joined the 77^th Canadian Infantry Battalion (Governor General’s Foot Guards). On August 21 and 22, 1917, during the Battle of Hill 70 near Lens, France, he single-handedly destroyed three machine gun positions and killed over 16 of the enemy in hand-to-hand combat. After awarding Corporal Konowal with the Victoria Cross, King George V remarked: “Your exploit is one of the most daring and heroic in the history of my army. For this, accept my thanks.”

[replica Victoria Cross/réplique la Croix de Victoria]

Cpl Filip Konowal, VC. 47^th Canadian Infantry Battalion. 21 August 1917. Citation. “For most conspicuous bravery and leadership when in charge of a section in attack. His section had the difficult task of mopping-up cellars, craters and machine-gun emplacements. Under his able direction, all resistance was overcome successfully, and heavy casualties inflicted on the enemy. In one cellar, he himself bayonetted three enemy and attacked single-handed seven others in a crater, killing them all. On reaching the objective, a machine-gun was holding up the right flank, causing many casualties. Cpl Konowal rushed forward and entered the emplacement, killed the crew, and brought the gun back to our lines. The next day, he again attacked single-handed another machine-gun emplacement, killed three of the crew, and destroyed the gun and emplacement with explosives. This Non-Commissioned Officer alone killed sixteen of the enemy, and during the two days actual fighting carried on continuously his good work until severely wounded.”