Filip Konowal

Filip Konowal VC (Ukrainian: Пили́п Миронович Конова́л; Pylyp Myronovych Konoval; 15 September 1888 – 3 June 1959) was a highly decorated Ukrainian Canadian soldier. He is the only Ukrainian (and all Eastern Europe) recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy given to British and Commonwealth forces. He was also entitled to the Cross of St George, 4th Class.

He is the patron of Royal Canadian Legion Branch 360 (Konowal Branch) in Toronto.

First World War

Konowal was born in a peasant family on 15 September 1888 in Kutkivtsi, in the Podolia Governorate of the Russian Empire (now Ukraine) near the border with Austria-Hungary. In earlier age he was helping out his dad Myron who was earning money by working as a mason. Soon after his marriage Konowal decided to join the Imperial Russian Army where he was an instructor of a hand-to-hand combat. After demobilization, Konowal returned home, but, due to difficult economic situation in the country, he worked first a feller in Siberia when in the beginning of 1913 managed to sign up with some Canadian company that was recruiting fellers. Through Vladivostok on a steamboat, Konowal crossed the Pacific to Vancouver in British Columbia. After four months of working in the west, sometime in August of 1913 he moved to the east Canada where he found the same job. By beginning of 1914 Konowal was let go from his job as a feller and he worked at some temporary jobs until the start of World War I.