Charles French: Belated honour for a hero

The American sailor Charles French saved the lives of fifteen comrades in 1942. It was not until 80 years later that his heroic deed received the recognition it deserved.

In the early hours of 5 September 1942, Japanese warships sink the American troop transport USS Gregory near the Solomon Island of Guadalcanal. A life raft with 16 survivors drifts towards a Japanese-occupied island without propulsion or rudder. Ensign Robert Adrian warns his men of the imminent capture. Sailor Charles J. French, the only raft occupant who is not wounded, spontaneously takes off his uniform and ties a rope around his waist.