| Birth: | Jun. 29, 1919 | | Death: | Nov. 26, 1995 | 
World War II Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient. He served in the United States Army during World War II as a Captain in the 3rd Infantry Division. He was awarded the CMOH for his bravery as a Lieutenant north of Mignano, Italy, on November 10, 1943. His citation reads "For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Disdaining enemy hand grenades and close-range machine pistol, machinegun, and rifle, Lt. Britt inspired and led a handful of his men in repelling a bitter counterattack by approximately 100 Germans against his company positions north of Mignano, Italy, the morning of 10 November 1943. During the intense fire fight, Lt. Britt's canteen and field glasses were shattered; a bullet pierced his side; his chest, face, and hands were covered with grenade wounds. Despite his wounds, for which he refused to accept medical attention until ordered to do so by his battalion commander following the battle, he personally killed 5 and wounded an unknown number of Germans, wiped out one enemy machinegun crew, fired 5 clips of carbine and an undetermined amount of Ml rifle ammunition, and threw 32 fragmentation grenades. His bold, aggressive actions, utterly disregarding superior enemy numbers, resulted in capture of 4 Germans, 2 of them wounded, and enabled several captured Americans to escape. Lt. Britt's undaunted courage and prowess in arms were largely responsible for repulsing a German counterattack which, if successful, would have isolated his battalion and destroyed his company." His Medal was awarded to him on March 24, 1944. A standout football player for the University of Arkansas, he played for the Detroit Lions in 1941, but joined the United States Army after the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. He later served two terms as Arkansas' Lieutenant Governor.
Family links:
Spouse:
Patricia A Britt (1930 - 1993)*
Children:
Nancy Britt McDurmont (1948 - 2013)*
*Calculated relationship
Search Amazon for Maurice Britt | | | Burial:
Little Rock National Cemetery
Little Rock
Pulaski County
Arkansas, USA
Plot: Section 20, Grave 319
GPS (lat/lon): 34.43587, -92.15466 |
Maintained by: Find A Grave
Record added: Jun 04, 2000
Find A Grave Memorial# 9816 |
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