LORD ASHCROFT'S "HERO OF THE MONTH" LORD ASHCROFT'S "HERO OF THE MONTH" Lieutenant Thomas Fasti Dinesen VC Lieutenant Thomas Fasti Dinesen VC VICTORIA CROSS HEROES II Lieutenant Lord Ashcroft KCMG PC is a businessman, philanthropist, author and pollster. His sixth book on gallantry, Victoria Cross Heroes Volume II was published in hardback in 2016 and is now available in paperback. Thomas Fasti For more information, please visit: www.victoriacrossheroes2.com Lord Ashcroft’s VC and GC collection is on public display at Imperial War Museum, London. For more information visit: www.iwm.org.uk/heroes. For details about LORD ASHCROFT'S Dinesen his VC collection, visit: www.lordashcroftmedals.com For more information on Lord Ashcroft’s work, visit: "HERO OF www.lordashcroft.com. Follow him on Twitter: @LordAshcroft THE MONTH" VC volunteered for numerous trench ABOVE LEFT raids, though he initially took part in Thomas Dinesen’s no major battles. During their early VC medal group. AGGRESSION days on the front line, Dinesen and his To the left of the comrades were subjected to both gas Victoria Cross is BOLDNESS • INITIATIVE and shell attacks. the Knight’s Cross LEADERSHIP • SACRIFICE In Merry Hell! he wrote: “Hizzz-Crash!! of the Order of The shells are bursting both in front Dannebrog, to SKILL • ENDURANCE and behind our hiding-place; the the right the The many Victoria Crosses and George Crosses in the Lord very ground is trembling and we too Croix de Guerre. Ashcroft Gallery at the Imperial War Museum in London are tremble. Our hair is standing on end (LORD ASHCROFT displayed under one of seven different qualities of bravery. – but – are we scared? Are we down- COLLECTION) Lieutenant Thomas Dinesen’s VC medal group is part of the hearted? No!!” collection and Lord Ashcroft feels that it falls within the In May 1918, during a spell behind LEFT category of aggression: the front line, Dinesen was chosen The 42nd “For many actions killing is the means to the end. To Battalion CEF prevail, maximum force has to be applied. Aggression is to take part in a Non-Commissioned rd invariably fast and adrenalin fuelled. It epitomises the idea Officer (NCO) training course, was part of 3 of ‘hot courage’, acting quickly in the mayhem of battle.” which took up most of June until he Canadian Division returned to the front line in early July. for the duration At times he bemoaned his lowly rank, of its service ABOVE RIGHT HOMAS FASTI Dinesen leave everything and go in search of writing: “I wish I were an officer and objective would be to take the town shot at one of the two, and the other on the Western Canadian was born in Rungsted, near the real war. There was – in my set, could get a chance to follow events! A of Parvillers. Dinesen wrote modestly disappears around a corner. The road Front. This picture journalists talking T Copenhagen, Denmark, anyhow – a firm conviction [that] the private soldier is moved about like a about his own part in the fighting is free! ‘Come on boys, give them hell!’” shows Mk.V to men of the on 9 August 1892. He was the son future of humanity, the continuance tethered cow.” and his VC action, but he did describe tanks passing 42nd Battalion of Captain Adolph Dinesen and his of civilisation, the salvation of the During an offensive, Dinesen noted some of what happened: “I turn a VICTORIA CROSS soldiers of the 3rd CEF (Royal wife Ingeborg (née Westenholz). world, depended on the subjugation of in Merry Hell!: “The whole of the corner quickly – two grey Germans CITATION Canadian Division Highlanders of Thomas Dinesen came from a wealthy, Germany.” western horizon bursts into flame as stand straight in front of me ... Two Dinesen was awarded the VC for as they advance Canada) in the aristocratic, military family and his In April 1917, with Denmark still if the earth had opened.” In his book, red flashes straight into my face – courage displayed during the Battle in the early part reserve trenches grandfather, as well as his father, neutral and Dinesen desperate to fight Dinesen related how he had been told done for already! – but they haven’t of Amiens on 12 August 1918, three of the Battle of in July 1918, prior served as an officer in the Danish the Germans, he sailed to America by an officer that the 42nd Battalion’s hit me, so now it’s my turn. A snap- days after his 26th birthday. Amiens in August to the start of the Army. His sister was Isak Dinesen where once again he was unable to 1918. German Battle of Amiens, (later Baroness Karen Blixen), the enlist into the US forces. He finally prisoners can which, marking author of Out of Africa (in the film of succeeded in being accepted for be seen heading the opening of the same name she is played by Meryl military service when he went to the towards the rear. the Hundred Days Streep) and other works. New York recruiting office of the (DEPARTMENT Offensive, began Thomas Dinesen was educated Canadian Army in June 1917. OF NATIONAL on 8 August 1918. at Rungsted State School and the DEFENCE/LIBRARY Polytechnical School, Copenhagen. PATH TO WAR AND ARCHIVES Before the war, he worked as an Dinesen enlisted as a private CANADA) RIGHT engineer and in 1914 he became a into the Royal Highlanders A portrait of Lt member of the Academic Rifle Corps, of Canada and was posted Thomas Fasti in which he established himself as a to Guy Street Barracks, LEFT Dinesen VC, who first-class shot. After the outbreak Montreal. Three Personnel of the was serving in of the Great War in August 1914, months later he was 42nd Battalion the 42nd Battalion he tried to join the French and sent to the UK, CEF (Royal CEF (Royal British armies, but they would only where he underwent Highlanders of Highlanders accept their own nationals. In his training at Bramshott Canada) moving of Canada) at book about his wartime experiences, and Aldershot in up to the front the time of Merry Hell! A Dane with the Canadians, Hampshire. In March during 1918. his VC action. Dinesen wrote: “But from the very 1918, Dinesen travelled (LIBRARY AND (LORD ASHCROFT first day of August [1914] I knew to France with his ARCHIVES CANADA/ COLLECTION) that, sooner or later, I should have to battalion where he PA-003265) 110 www.britainatwar.com www.britainatwar.com 111 LORD ASHCROFT'SLieutenant "HERO Thomas OF THE Fasti DinesenMONTH" VC RIGHT His citation, announced in the London General Sir Gazette on 26 October 1918, read: “For Douglas Haig, on most conspicuous and continuous horseback and bravery displayed during ten hours of accompanied by hand-to-hand fighting which led to a standard bearer, the capture of over a mile of strongly congratulates garrisoned and stubbornly defended Canadian troops enemy trenches. following the “Five times in succession he rushed Battle of Amiens. forward alone and single-handed put (DEPARTMENT OF hostile machine guns out of action, NATIONAL DEFENCE/ accounting for 12 of the enemy with LIBRARY AND bomb and bayonet. His sustained ARCHIVES CANADA) valour and resourcefulness inspired his comrades at a very critical stage of the BELOW RIGHT action, and were an example to all.” Battlefield salvage On 21 August 1918, during more underway – a heavy fighting, Dinesen displayed was commissioned as a lieutenant and, got off without a scratch, with all my pile of German further bravery that led to the award six days later, when the war ended, he aspirations and dreams fulfilled. And helmets recovered of the French Croix de Guerre. His was based at Mons, Belgium. they rewarded me, into the bargain!” by Canadian other decorations included the Knight’s Dinesen received his VC from From 1920 to 1925, Dinesen lived in units from the Cross of the Order of Dannebrog from King George V at an investiture at Kenya, working as a farmer and civil ground around the King of Denmark. Dinesen was Buckingham Palace on 13 December engineer. In the aftermath of the war, Amiens, pictured promoted to acting corporal in August 1918. He was demobbed in January he helped his sister manage her coffee in August 1918. 1918 and then spent a month at an 1919, still with the rank of lieutenant. farm in the Ngong Hills, south-west (DEPARTMENT OF officers’ school. On 5 November, he Dinesen wrote: “We won the war ... I of Nairobi. From 1925 onwards, and NATIONAL DEFENCE/ having returned to live in Denmark, LIBRARY AND Dinesen farmed an estate in Jutland. ARCHIVES CANADA) He married Joanna Lindhardt, the daughter of the Lutheran Dean of BOTTOM Arhus, in Denmark, in April 1926 Men of the and the couple went on to have 42nd Battalion two daughters. Dinesen was also an CEF (Royal enthusiastic author and penned several Highlanders of books, including a biography of his Canada) stop to famous sister. He died in Leerbaek, rest in the Grand Denmark, on 10 March 1979, aged Place in Mons on 86, and is buried in the family plot at the morning of 11 Hørsholm Cemetery, Rungsted. November 1918. I purchased the medal group of this (DEPARTMENT OF colourful character privately in 2013 NATIONAL DEFENCE/ and I feel privileged to be the custodian LIBRARY AND of such a distinguished set of gallantry ARCHIVES CANADA) and service medals. 112 www.britainatwar.com www.britainatwar.com 113.