I suppose that most of us are familiar with the phrase Jumping the Gun. We have all probably jumped the gun on a few occasions in our lives. While jumping the gun may be a fairly benign oversight in the humdrum of ordinary life, its consequences are far more serious in the theatre of war. Today, I am looking at two soldiers whose actions could be interpreted by some as jumping the gun in two different wars. I would argue that their actions were incredibly brave and self-sacrificing, and for this, they paid the ultimate price. One was Captain Louis Nolan in the Crimean War and the other was Lieutenant Commander Eugene Esmonde in World War ll.

Produced and presented by Bernie Dwan