Honour plea for hero who sank Nazi ship with ‘milk can bomb’
A CAMPAIGNER is calling for a Victoria Cross to be awarded to a black soldier who sank a German ship with a can of milk.
Job Maseko served with South African forces as the Allies fought Rommel’s troops in North Africa in the SecondWorldWar.
Incredibly, for a time his only weapon against the Germans was a spear – as black South Africans were initially barred from becoming combatants.
Yet campaigner Bill Gillespie says Job’s milk-can bomb “could well have assisted in the decisive Allied victory by Montgomery’s troops”.
Bill said: “I hate injustice and this incident concerning Job Maseko requires addressing and redressing. I am starting a petition for Job to be posthumously awarded theVictoria Cross.”
Job worked as a stretcher bearer. When Tobruk fell to the Germans in 1942 he was taken to a POW camp. He was later sent to offload German ships laden with military hardware, ammunition and vehicles.
Bill, from Somerset, explained: “Job created a bomb using a condensed milk tin, some cordite and an extremely long fuse.
“On June 21, 1942, Job placed his home-made bomb deep in the hold. He lit the fuse and a few hours later there was an almighty explosion. It would have resulted in a significant depletion of German equipment destined to oppose Montgomery.”
Job later escaped from the POW camp and walked for three weeks in the desert to safety.
British generals nominated the lance corporal for a VC but he was awarded the Military Medal, the lowest honour at the time, and died a pauper in 1952.