Leslie Gaius John Sheppard (6 August 1915 – 26 February 2015) was the first British soldier in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

to destroy a German tank. He has been awarded the

Distinguished Conduct Medal The Distinguished Conduct Medal was a decoration established in 1854 by Queen Victoria for gallantry in the field by other ranks of the British Army. It is the oldest British award for gallantry and was a second level military decoration, ranki ...

. Sheppard used to serve in the

Leicestershire Regiment The Leicestershire Regiment (Royal Leicestershire Regiment after 1946) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, with a history going back to 1688. The regiment saw service for three centuries, in numerous wars and conflicts such as both W ...

References

External links

Bbc.co.ukArmycadets.com
1915 births 2015 deaths Royal Leicestershire Regiment soldiers British Army personnel of World War II Recipients of the Distinguished Conduct Medal People from Hertfordshire Military personnel from Hertfordshire {{British-Army-bio-stub