Victoria Cross medal awarded for 'magnificent courage' of teenage WW2 soldier gifted to Scottish museum

The medal, awarded to Fusilier Dennis Donnini, who was killed in action aged 19 just months before the end of the war, has been donated to Glasgow’s Royal Highland Fusiliers (RHF) Museum by his family.

The medal commemorates the extraordinary bravery of Private Donnini, who died during fierce fighting in the village of Stein, Germany, on 18 January 1945. His actions took place during Operation Blackcock, a major Allied offensive in northwest Europe.

Private Donnini, who served with the 4/5 Royal Scots Fusiliers, served only nine months in the army and three months with his battalion before his death. Despite being wounded twice in intense street fighting, he continued in combat until he was fatally struck by a bullet that detonated one of his grenades.

His Victoria Cross citation praises his “dash, determination and magnificent courage” which enabled his comrades to overcome an enemy force more than twice their number. Private Donnini’s medal was the only one gained by the 52nd Lowland Division during the war.

The citation explained how, after being hit in the head by a bullet, Private Donnini threw a grenade into a building occupied by enemy soldiers and chased them across four gardens.

It added: “Under heavy fire at 70 yards range Donnini and two companions crossed an open space and reached the cover of a wooded barn, 30 yards from the enemy trenches. Donnini, still bleeding copiously from his wound, went into the open under close range fire, and carried one of his companions, who had been wounded, into the barn.

“Taking a Bren gun, he again went into the open, firing as he went. He was wounded a second time, but recovered, and went on firing until a third bullet hit a grenade he was carrying and killed him.”

The Donnini family said they had chosen to donate the medal to the RHF Museum to ensure their relative’s legacy is preserved and accessible to the public in Scotland and beyond.

The soldier’s nephew, Tony Putsman, said: “We are incredibly proud to donate Dennis’s Victoria Cross to the museum. It means a great deal to us that his bravery and sacrifice will be honoured and shared with the wider public. We hope his story will inspire future generations to remember the courage and dedication of those who served.”

The medal joins six other Victoria Crosses in the museum’s collection, which spans awards dating back to 1858. In total, 19 Victoria Crosses have been awarded to soldiers from the Highland Light Infantry and Royal Scots Fusiliers, the antecedent regiments of the Royal Highland Fusiliers, now known as 2nd Battalion (2 SCOTS), The Royal Regiment of Scotland.

Niall Campbell, chair of trustees for the RHF Museum, said: “We are deeply honoured to receive Dennis Donnini’s Victoria Cross. His extraordinary courage at such a young age embodies what it meant to be a Scottish soldier in the Royal Highland Fusiliers.

“This medal enriches our collection and allows us to tell a powerful story of sacrifice and valour that resonates strongly with visitors today. We thank the Donnini family for their generosity in entrusting us with this remarkable piece of history.”

During World War Two, the Victoria Cross was awarded 182 times to 181 individuals, with only one, Captain Charles Upham, receiving the medal twice.