1917: In the Middle East, Sir Archibald Murray launched the first attempt by the Egyptian Expeditionary Force to advance north from Suez into Ottoman territory. The attack was stopped by the Turks at the First Battle of Gaza. An initial cavalry attack in mist proved successful but the infantry were unable to make much headway despite a superiority of 2:1 over the Ottoman troops led by the German general Kressenstein. Eventually water shortages forced the British and ANZAC troops to withdraw.

Captain Cherry of the Queensland and Tasmanian Battalion led his company in an attack on a German-held village on the Western Front. Despite the loss of all his junior officers, he managed to organise a successful clearance of the village, then held it against repeated counter-attacks. He was wounded the following morning but refused to be evacuated, and was killed a few hours later by an artillery shell whilst leading the defence once again. He was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross.

1918: During the continuing rearguard actions against the German Michael offensive, Sergeant Mountain of the West Yorkshire Regiment advanced with just ten men to ambush a force of 200 German troops spearheading the attack in that sector.

He and his men killed some 100 enemy, routing the remainder. Then, with just four survivors, he then proceed to hold off the main German force of 600 troops for half an hour until his unit had been able to withdraw safely. Rejoining the battalion, he took command of a key position on the flank which he then held for over 27 hours until finally surrounded and forced to surrender. He was awarded the Victoria Cross.

1943: In Tunisia, 2nd Lieutenant Moana-nui-a-Kiwa Ngarimu, a Maori, led his platoon in an assault on a hill during the battle at Tobaga Gap. First up the hill, he himself destroyed two machine-gun nests. He then organised a defence of the position, beating off several counter-attacks during the night. He was twice wounded but remained at his post. By morning, only two members of his platoon had not been killed or wounded, but support was finally able to reach him. However, during the next Axis counter-attack, Ngarimu was hit a third, fatal, time. He was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross.

1945: The British Pacific Fleet, operating with the United States Navy as Task Force 57, mounted Operation Iceberg against Japanese airfields on the Sakishima islands. The aircraft carriers Illustrious, Indefatigable, Indomitable and Victorious launched heavy airstrikes, supported by the battleships King George V and Howe, plus numerous cruisers and escorts.