Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Private

Unit:

No.10 Platoon, "B" Company, The Stormont Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders, 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade, 3rd Canadian Infantry Division, Canadian Army

Awarded on:

August 21st, 1945

Recommendation:
On the afternoon of 25 March 1945 during the consolidation of the bridgehead across the Rhine River at Rees, Private James Allan William Whitacre of Number 10 Platoon "B" Company Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders, by his outstanding bravery, extricated his platoon from a position of extreme danger and strongly influenced the capture of the Command Post of the 6th German Paratroop Battalion.
Private Whitacre's platoon had been assigned the task of taking a fortified house on the outskirts of Grietebusch. Surrounding the house were trenches and machine gun emplacements and the windows of the house were loopholed. The enemy manning the defenses resisted stubbornly.
As Private Whitacre's section advanced onto its objective, it came under intense machine gun fire from concealed flanking positions as well as from its objective and was pinned down. Another section of Number 10 Platoon was brought up and came under the same fire. It was forced to ground with heavy casualties. Private Whitacre courageously faced the machine gun fire, exposed himself in order to return to his Company for tanks to assist in overcoming the strongpoint. Reaching his headquarters, he immediately obtained the tanks and once again showed extreme bravery by guiding them to his platoon position under heavy machine gun fire.
Despite this fire, he gathered two men from his pinned-down section and bravely assaulted the strongpoint. The fanatical enemy resistance was overcome by this determined attack and the strongpoint was captured. The prisoners taken included the Colonel of the battalion and the Adjutant.
During the whole of this action Private Whitacre displayed courage, devotion and initiative far beyond the call of duty. His efforts contributed largely to the capture of this most important strongpoint.