Sergeant Maurice Albert Wyndham Rogers VC MM (July 17, 1919 - June 3, 1944) was a British soldier who was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross, Britain's highest military award, for his actions at the Battle of Anzio during the Second World War.
At the time of his death, Rogers was 24 years old and a sergeant in the 2nd Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment, British Army. During the Battle of Anzio from January - June 1944, Rogers' regiment was ordered to attack high ground controlled by enemy forces at Ardea. The assault took place on June 3 and succeeded in taking the first position, but was unable to capture the final objective, which was heavily fortified with barbed wire and land mines, due to heavy machine gun fire and casualties. Rogers' battalion advanced 70 yards towards the enemy position before being pinned down by fire from seven machine guns, unable to advance through barbed wire.
At this point, Rogers leapt over the barbed wire and ran alone across the minefield firing his Thompson Machine Gun. With no assistance from his battalion, he advanced a further 100 yards, penetrating 30 yards behind enemy lines and successfully destroying two machine gun posts with his grenades. With all machine gun fire focused on Rogers, his battalion were able to breach the barbed wire fortifications and continue the assault while Rogers charged a third machine gun post. He was blown off his feet by a grenade, injuring him, but got back up and continued charging towards the post and firing his Thompson, at which point he was shot and killed. He was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross and the Military Medal.