Francis Mann

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Francis Mann, Trooper, Royal British Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy on 21 September 1944, during the battle of Arnhem, Belgium. Trooper Mann was detailed to eliminate an enemy self-propelled gun which was moving up towards the 156th Battalion area. He crawled to within fifty yards of the vehicle with his Piat. With his first bomb he knocked out the vehicle, but its gun, which was still in action, then opened fire at point-blank range on Trooper Mann, who was completely buried in his slit trench by a double hit. However, he managed to get out under heavy fire. As a result of this act of bravery, the gun was eventually abandoned by the enemy and the position consolidated.