The Victoria Cross
- Airborne Division Awards in WWII
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration for British and Commonwealth forces. It bears the inscription "For Valour", and is awarded for exceptional bravery witnessed on the field of battle. Each award is approved and presented by the sovereign. The Victoria Cross was instituted in 1856 by Queen Victoria as a response to the Crimean War. The crosses themselves are only produced from the bronze of two Russian cannons captured at Sebastopol, in Crimea.
Two members of the Parachute Regiment won the Victoria Cross in WWII, both during the fighting at Arnhem, Holland in September, 1944 with the 1st Airborne Division. Two members of 2nd South Staffordshire Regiment, a glider-borne battalion of the 1st Airlanding Brigade in the 1st Airborne Division, won Victoria Crosses during the same campaign. In addition, a member of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion of the 3rd Parachute Brigade won the Victoria Cross during Operation Varsity in March 1945 when Allied forces crossed the Rhine into Germany. Both crosses won by members of the Parachute Regiment during WWII are on public display at the Airborne Forces Museum at Aldershot, Hampshire. The two Victoria Crosses won by members of the South Stafforshires at Arnhem are on public display at the Museum of the Staffordshire Regiment in Lichfield, Staffordshire. Cpl Topham's VC is owned by the Canadian War Museum, but is not currently on public display.
L/Sgt John Daniel Baskeyfield2nd Bn., The South Staffordshire Regiment
Age 21, Killed In Action
Sgt Baskeyfield was a veteran NCO commander of 6-pder anti-tank gun crews. On September 20th, 1944, his gun was positioned along the perimeter of the hard-pressed airborne troops around Oosterbeek as the enemy began their most desperate attempts to destroy the pocket of airborne troops outside Arnhem. In repelling an initial attack his gun crew was credited with the destruction of two Mk VI Tiger tanks and a self-propelled assault gun. During this action Sgt Baskeyfield was wounded in the leg and all of the other members of his gun crew were out of action having been either killed or wounded. Refusing medical aid for himself, Sgt Baskeyfield remained at his gun when a second major enemy attack began. Firing single-handedly he held off a determined enemy attack. When his gun was destroyed Sgt Baskeyfield crawled to a second, undamaged 6-pder. Again firing the weapon alone he disabled a second self-propelled assault gun. Shortly afterwards, as he continued to fire, Sgt Baskeyfield was killed and his gun destroyed by enemy fire.
Major Robert Henry Cain2nd Bn., The South Staffordshire Regiment
Age 35, Survived Action
Major Cain was the commanding officer of "B" Company of the 2nd Battalion of the South Staffordshire Regiment, a glider-borne battalion of the 1st Airborne Division. Major Cain took part in the hard-fought attempts to break through to the troops on Arnhem Bridge, personally leading his troops in house-to-house fighting on the outskirts of Arnhem against enemy armour. With his troops out of anti-tank ammunition they were forced to abandon their push into the city, and withdrew to the Oosterbeek perimeter. In the fighting that took place over the next few days Major Cain was determined to destroy as many enemy armoured vehicles as possible. Using a PIAT, and often alone, he would rush to threatened areas of his company's defenses to fight off armoured attacks. In the process he was credited with destroying or disabling six tanks (four of which were the Mk VI Tigers) and a number of self-propelled assault guns. He was wounded in the face and suffered burst eardrums from the volume of firing. Major Cain saw to the eventual evacuation of his men and then paddled across the river in a sinking boat paddled by rifle-butts.
Arnhem in Rubble
Lieutenant John Hollington Grayburn2nd Parachute Bn., The Parachute Regiment
Age 26, Killed In Action
Lt Grayburn commanded No. 2 Platoon of "A" Company in the 2nd Parachute Battalion during the fighting at Arnhem, Holland in September, 1944. His platoon were some of the first men to reach the bridge on the 17th of September. Lt Grayburn led his platoon in a night assault attempting to capture the south side of the Arnhem Bridge, which ended unsuccessfully due to heavy casualties. Lt Grayburn suffered a wound to the shoulder during this action. His platoon took over the defense of a critical section of the bridge perimeter, and tenaciously fought off repeated enemy attacks, including armour. When their position was set afire his men fought from the rubble, often engaging in aggressive patrols and counter-attacks led by Lt Grayburn. On the 20th September the enemy attempted to destroy the bridge. Lt Grayburn successfully led an attack to clear the demolition wires. While returning under fire from nearby armour Lt Grayburn directed his men to safety, although in doing so he was exposed to enemy fire, and was killed by machinegun fire from an enemy tank at close range.
Captain Lionel Ernest Queripel10th Parachute Bn., The Parachute Regiment
Age 24, Killed In Action
Captain Queripel was the acting commanding officer of "A" Company in the 10th Parachute Battalion during the fighting at Arnhem, Holland in September, 1944. His unit was fighting through the woods outside Arnhem, at first to break through to those who had reached the bridge, and later to defend an ever-shrinking perimeter against the Rhine. Captain Queripel led his company in an attempt to outflank the enemy forces that impeded the battalion's advance into Arnhem, but were blocked in turn by a strong force of infantry and armour, against which they could make little progress despite a huge effort and high cost in casualties. The company became split across the raised road that led into Arnhem. He exposed himself to fire numerous times while organizing his men, and was wounded in the face while carrying a wounded NCO across this road to an aid station. In an attempt to break the enemy's resistance Captain Queripel led a successful assualt against a machingegun and anti-tank position. Later in the battle his company was forced back from untenable position. Althougth wounded in both arms and again in the face, Captain Queripel remained in the position with only a pistol and grenades, holding the enemy back in order to allow his men to withdraw. He was captured but died several days afterwards from his wounds.
Woods outside Arnhem
Cpl Frederick George Topham1st Canadian Parachute Battalion
Age 27, Survived Action
Corporal Topham was a medical orderly in the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion during Operation Varsity, when Allied forces crossed the Rhine River into Germany on March 24th, 1945. On the landing zone covered by enemy machinegun fire Cpl Topham went to the aid of a wounded parachutist caught in the open, despite having witnessed two other medical orderlies having been killed in an attempt to reach this casualty. While attending to the wounded man Cpl Topham was wounded in the face by enemy fire. Nevertheless, he evacuated the casualty from the field and, refusing treatment for himself, he continued to attend to all the wounded in the area. Later in the same day Cpl Topham pulled three severly wounded men from a burning carrier, despite the fact that it was being heavily shelled by enemy mortars and was itself filled with ammunition that had already begun to explode.
Online References
http://www.chapter-one.com/vc/default.asp
An exceptional site containing a complete listing of all winners, indexed and searchable. Winners listed by country, unit, name and campaign. Includes photos of winners and gravesite if won pothumously. Also contains details on the Cross itself, along with further sources.
http://www.extraplan.demon.co.uk/
A highly recommended and comprehensive site on the Battle of Arnhem. Contains sections on biographies, equipment, photos, order of battle, and actions.