Arthur Stanley Gurney

Rank: Private
Unit: 2/48th Infantry Battalion, Australian Imperial Force
Awarded: 11th June 1943
Nationality: Australian

The citation in the London Gazette of 8th September, 1942, gives the following details:

For gallant and unselfish bravery in silencing enemy machine-gun posts by bayonet assault at Tell El Eisa on the 22nd July, 1942, thus allowing his Company to continue the advance. During an attack on strong German positions in the early morning of the 22nd July, 1942, the Company to which Private Gurney belonged was held up by intense machinegun fire from posts less than 100 yards ahead, heavy casualties being inflicted on our troops, all the officers being killed or wounded. Grasping the seriousness of the situation and without hesitation, Private Gurney charged the nearest enemy machine-gun post, bayoneted three men and silenced the post. He then continued on to a second post, bayoneted two men and sent out a third as a prisoner. At this stage a stick grenade was thrown at Private Gurney which knocked him to the ground. He rose again, picked up his rifle and charged a third post using the bayonet with great vigour. He then disappeared from view, and later his body was found in an enemy post. By this single-handed act of gallantry in the face of a determined enemy, Private Gurney enabled his Company to press forward to its objective, inflicting heavy losses upon the enemy. The successful outcome of this engagement was almost entirely due to Private Gurney's heroism at the moment when it was needed.

Credit to ww2talk.com forum