Corporal Konowal was awarded the Victoria Cross at the Battle of Hill 70 in Lens, France for the following actions during 22- 24 August 1917: "For most conspicuous bravery and leadership when in charge of a section in attack. His section had the difficult task of mopping up cellars, craters and machine-gun emplacements. Under his able direction all resistance was overcome successfully, and heavy casualties inflicted on the enemy. In one cellar he himself bayonetted three enemy and attacked single-handed seven others in a crater, killing them all. On reaching the objective, a machine-gun was holding up the right flank, causing many casualties. Cpl. Konowal rushed forward and entered the emplacement, killed the crew, and brought the gun back to our lines. The next day he again attacked single-handed another machine-gun emplacement, killed three of the crew, and destroyed the gun and emplacement with explosives. This non-commissioned officer alone killed at least sixteen of the enemy, and during the two days' actual fighting carried on continuously his good work until severely wounded." Konowal, who was born in Kutkivtsi, Ukraine, is the only Ukrainian recipient of the VC. He served with the Canadian Expeditionary Force during 1915 - 1919 and spent the rest of his life in Canada. He died in Quebec in 1959.
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