Heroism and cowardice on the frontline..., real life stories on the battlefield...

[ANDREAS]

After a recent discussion with a war veteran I heard a story that I also found in several (few) books, so I open this topic to find out real stories, heard by you ... in which the heroism, courage and steadfastness of some soldiers are intertwined with fear, evasion and cowardice of other soldiers... maybe of the same unit...
I speak here not of military ranks, because the situations described above were alike to officers, sergeants or simply soldiers, but to situations found on the same unit -cowardice and later courage, flee and later bitter struggle with the enemy...
Have you heard or read books with these situations?
Please do not give doubtful examples like the fightings at Stalingrad, where it was considered by the germans cowardice the flight before an overwhelming numerical and technical enemy... I also I do not want necessarily stories of cowardice and ran in front of an opponent, but stories of real human behavior with moments of weaknesses followed by bravely and stubbornly in combat...
I'll tell the heard and read stories later...

[Mihai Popteanu]

In " Cavalerii bimotoarelor de asalt " by Cornel Marandiuc you can see a situation like you describe related to Cpt av. Pretor Dimitrie from Group 8 Assault . In fact later this man was awarded with Michael the Brave Order at 3 October 1944 .

[contras]

Interesting topic, ANDREAS, but it is difficult to came with examples, because are so many. In many memoires of veterans, you could find both of examples. Most visible are cases of officers or NCO's, many times in same unit are both kinds, from the ones who fought with bravery in front of the troop, give personal example, to those who looked for comfort behind the lines in critical moments.