Under heavy machine gun fire from the enemy near the occupied French town of Marcoing, Private Henry Tandey led his regiment into the gun fire.
After a long battle in which the British regiment secured the German machine gun nest and incredible acts of bravery, Tandey and his men advanced towards the town.
Whilst the battle was coming to an end, a wounded German soldier emerged from some nearby bushes. Tandey raised his rifle. Yet instead of shooting or imprisoning the young man, Tandey showed mercy to the enemy and waved him on.
The man that Tandey let go was Adolf Hitler.
Hitler would often tell this story. But not to show the outstanding acts of humanity that can be found in war. Hitler saw that lucky escape as a signal that he was destined for greater things.
