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The Royal Norfolk Regiment WW2 Victoria
Crosses |
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| | | | | Battalion |
Date/
Location |
Name |
Citation | | | | |
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1 | 1st |
6th August, 1944
near Sourdeval, France |
5779898 Corporal
Sidney Bates | (Posthumous award)
No. 5779898 Corporal Sidney Bates, The Royal Norfolk Regiment
(London, S.E.5). In North-West Europe on 6th August, 1944, the
position held by a battalion of the Royal Norfolk Regiment near
Sourdeval was attacked in strength by 10th S.S. Panzer Division. The
attack started with a heavy and accurate artillery and mortar
programme on the position which the enemy had, by this time,
pin-pointed.
Half an hour later the main attack developed and heavy machine-gun
and mortar fire was concentrated on the point of junction of the two
forward companies. Corporal Bates was commanding the right forward
section of the left forward company which suffered some casualties,-
so he decided to move the remnants of his section to an
alternative position whence he appreciated he could better counter
the enemy thrust. However, the enemy wedge grew still deeper, until
there were about; 50 to 60 Germans, supported by machine-guns and
mortars, in the area occupied by the section.
Seeing that the situation was becoming, desperate, Corporal Bates
then seized a light machine-gun and charged the enemy, moving
forward through a hail of bullets and splinters and firing the gun
from his hip. He was almost immediately wounded by machine-gun fire
and fell to the ground, but recovered himself quickly, got up and
continued advancing towards the enemy, spraying bullets from his gun
as he went. His action by now was having an effect on the enemy
riflemen and machine gunners but mortar bombs continued to fall all
around him.
He was then hit for the second time and much more seriously
and painfully wounded. However, undaunted, he staggered once more to
his feet and continued towards the enemy who were now seemingly
nonplussed by their inability to check him. His constant firing
continued until the enemy started to withdraw before him. At this
moment, he was hit for the third time by mortar bomb splinters—a
wound that was to prove mortal. He again fell to the ground but
continued to fire his weapon until his strength failed him. This was
not, however, until the enemy had withdrawn and the situation in
this locality had been restored.
Corporal Bates died shortly afterwards of the wounds he had
received, but, by his supreme gallantry and self sacrifice he had
personally restored what had been a critical situation.(LG 2nd
Nov 1944) |
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2 | 2nd |
21st May, 1940 River Escaut, Belgium, south of Tournai |
391398 CSM
George Gristock | (Posthumous award)
No. 391398 Warrant Officer Class II (Company Sergeant-Major)
George Gristock, The Royal Norfolk Regiment. For most
conspicuous gallantry on the 21st May 1940, when his company was
holding a position on the line of the River Escaut, south of
Tournai. After a prolonged attack, the enemy succeeded in
breaking through beyond the company's right flank which was
consequently threatened. Company Sergeant- Major Gristock having
organised a party of eight riflemen from company headquarters,
went forward to cover the right flank. Realising that an enemy
machine-gun had moved forward to a position from which it was
inflicting heavy casualties on his company, Company
Sergeant-Major Gristock went on, with one man as connecting
file, to try to put it out of action. Whilst advancing, he came
under heavy machine-gun fire from the opposite bank and was
severely wounded in both legs, his right knee being badly
smashed. He nevertheless gained his fire-position, some twenty
yards from the enemy machine-gun post, undetected, and by well
aimed rapid fire killed the machine gun crew of four and put
their gun out of action. He then dragged himself back to the
right flank position from which he refused to be evacuated until
contact with the battalion on the right had been established and
the line once more made good. By his gallant action, the
position of the company was secured, and many casualties
prevented. Company Sergeant-Major Gristock has since died of his
wounds.
(LG 23rd Aug 1940) |
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3 | 7th |
7th & 8th August 1944 south of Grimbosq, Normandy, France |
Captain David Jamieson |
Captain David Jamieson. (90577), The Royal Norfolk Regiment
(King's Lynn, Norfolk). Captain Jamieson was in command of a
Company of The Royal Norfolk Regiment which established a
bridgehead over the River Orne, south of Grimbosq, in Normandy.
On August 7th, 1944, the enemy made three counter-attacks which
were repulsed with heavy losses. The last of these took place at
1830 hours when a German Battle Group with Tiger and Panther
tanks attacked and the brunt of the fighting fell on Captain
Jamieson's Company. Continuous heavy fighting ensued for more
than four hours until the enemy were driven off, after suffering
severe casualties and the loss of three tanks and an armoured
car accounted for by this Company. Throughout these actions,
Captain Jamieson displayed outstanding courage and leadership,
which had a decisive influence on the course of the battle and
resulted in the defeat of these determined enemy attacks.
On the morning of August 8th the enemy attacked with a fresh
Battle Group and succeeded in penetrating the defences
surrounding the Company on three sides. During this attack two
of the three tanks in support of the Company were destroyed and
Captain Jamieson left his trench under close range fire from
enemy arms of all kinds and went over to direct the fire of the
remaining tank, but as he could not get into touch with the
commander of the tank by the outside telephone, he climbed upon
it in full view of the enemy. During this period Captain
Jamieson was wounded in the right eye and left forearm but when
his wounds were dressed he refused to be evacuated. By this time
all the other officers had become casualties so Captain Jamieson
reorganised his Company, regardless of personal safety, walking
amongst his men in full view of the enemy, as there was no
cover. After several hours of bitter and confused fighting, the
last Germans were driven from the Company position.
The enemy counter-attacked the Company three more times during that
day with infantry and tanks. Captain Jamieson continued in
command, arranging for artillery support over his wireless and
going out into the open on each occasion to encourage his men.
By the evening the Germans had withdrawn, leaving a ring of dead
and burnt out tanks round his position. Throughout this
thirty-six hours of bitter and close fighting, and despite the
pain of his wounds, Captain Jamieson showed superb qualities of
leadership and great personal bravery. There were times when the
position appeared hopeless, but on each occasion it was restored
by his coolness and determination. He personally was largely
responsible for the holding of this important bridgehead over
the River Orne and the repulse of seven German counter-attacks
with great loss to the enemy.(LG 26th Oct 1944)
obituary (The Independent) | | | |
4 | n/a
(attached Commandos) |
31st January 1945 near Kangaw, Burma. |
Lieutenant
George Arthur Knowland | (Posthumous award)
Lieutenant George Arthur Knowland (323566), The Royal Norfolk
Regiment (attached Commandos) (London, S.E.1). In Burma on 31st
January, 1945, near Kangaw, Lieutenant Knowland was commanding the
forward platoon of a Troop positioned on the extreme North of a hill
which was subjected to very heavy and repeated enemy attacks
throughout the whole day. Before the first attack started,
Lieutenant Knowland's platoon was heavily mortared and machine
gunned, yet he moved about among his men keeping them alert and
encouraging them, though under fire himself at the time.
When the enemy, some 300 strong in all, made their first assault
they concentrated all their efforts on his platoon of 24 men, but,
in spite of the ferocity of the attack, he moved about from trench
to, trench distributing ammunition, and firing his rifle and
throwing grenades at the enemy, often from completely exposed
positions.
Later, when the crew of one of his forward Bren Guns had all
been wounded, he sent back to Troop Headquarters for another crew
and ran forward to man the gun himself until they arrived. The enemy
was then less than 10 yards from him in dead ground down the hill,
so, in order to get a better field of fire, he stood on top of the
trench, firing the light machine gun from his hip, and successfully
keeping them at a distance until a Medical Orderly had dressed and
evacuated the wounded men behind him. The new Bren team also (became
casualties on the way up, and Lieutenant Knowland continued to fire
the gun until another team took over.
Later, when a fresh attack came in, he took over a 2 in. Mortar and
in spite of heavy fire and the closeness of the enemy, he stood up
in the open to face them, firing the mortar from his hip and killing
six of .them with his first bomb. When all bombs were expended he
went back through heavy grenade, mortar and machine gun fire to get
more, which he fired in the same way from the open in front of his
platoon positions. When those bombs were finished, he went back to
his own trench, and still standing up fired his rifle at them. Being
hard pressed and with enemy closing in on him from only 10 yards
away, he had no time to re-charge his magazine. Snatching up the
Tommy gun of a casualty, he sprayed the enemy and was mortally
wounded stemming this assault, though not before he had killed and
wounded many of the enemy.
Such was the inspiration of his magnificent heroism, that, though
fourteen out of twenty-four of his platoon became casualties at an
early stage, and six of his positions were over-run -by the enemy,
his men held on 'through twelve hours of continuous and fierce
fighting until reinforcements arrived. If this Northern end of the
hill had fallen, the rest of the hill would have been endangered,
the beach-head dominated by the enemy, and other units farther
inland cut off from their source of supplies. As it was, the final
successful counter-attack was later launched from the vital ground
which Lieutenant Knowland -had taken such a gallant part in holding.
(LG 12th Apr. 1945) | | | |
5 | 2nd |
4th May, 1944, Kohima, Assam |
Lieutenant (temporary Captain)
John Neil Randle | (Posthumous award)
Lieutenant (temporary Captain) John Neil Randle (130097), The Royal
Norfolk Regiment (Radlett, Herts.). On the 4th May, 1944, at Kohima
in Assam, a Battalion of the Norfolk Regiment attacked the Japanese
positions on a nearby ridge. Captain Randle took over command of the
Company which was leading the attack, when the Company Commander was
severely wounded. His handling of a difficult situation in the face
of heavy fire was masterly and although wounded himself in the knee
by grenade splinters he continued to inspire his men by his
initiative, courage and outstanding leadership, until the Company
had captured its objective and consolidated its position. He then
went forward and brought in all the wounded men who were lying
outside the perimeter.
In spite of his painful wound Captain Randle refused to be
evacuated and insisted on carrying out a personal reconnaissance
with great daring in bright moonlight prior to a further attack by
his Company on the positions to which the enemy had withdrawn.
At dawn on 6th May the attack opened led by Captain Randle and one
of the platoons succeeded in reaching the crest of the hill held by
the Japanese. Another platoon, however, ran into heavy medium
machine gun fire from a bunker on the reverse slope, of the feature.
Captain Randle immediately appreciated that this particular bunker
covered not only the rear of his new position but also the line of
communication of the Battalion and therefore the destruction of the
enemy post was imperative if the operation was to succeed.
With utter disregard of the obvious dangerto himself Captain
Randle charged the Japanese machine gun post single-handed with
rifle and bayonet. Although bleeding in the face and mortally
wounded by numerous bursts of machine gun fire he reached the bunker
and silenced the gun with a grenade thrown through the bunker slit.
He then flung his body across the slit so that the aperture should
be completely sealed. The bravery shown by this officer could not
have been surpassed and by his self sacrifice he saved the lives of
many of his men and enabled not only his own Company but the whole
Battalion to gain its objective and win a decisive victory over the
enemy.
(LG 8th Dec. 1944) | | |
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