FILIP KONOWAL
Buckingham Palace would seem a most unlikely place to find an ordinary Canadian soldier, but on 15 October 1917, King George V leaned forward and pinned the coveted crimson ribbon and bronze cross emblazoned “for valour” on the tunic of Corporal Filip Konowal.
The king then offered, “Your exploit is one of the most daring and heroic in the history of my army. For this, accept my thanks.”
The acts of bravery for which Konowal was recognised occurred in August of that year during the fight for Hill 70 near the town of Lens, France. Over two days, Konowal, a member of the Canadian Army’s 47th Battalion, silenced a pair of menacing German machine-gun positions and killed at least 16 enemy soldiers, helping ensure the capture of the high ground. The fight for Hill 70 took place in the wake of the great victory at Vimy Ridge, where the four divisions of the Canadian
