George Gristock

Severely wounded in both legs under German machine-gun fire, George Gristock VC crawled to within twenty yards of an enemy position and destroyed its four-man crew with rifle fire, an extraordinary act of courage that earned him the Victoria Cross. George Gristock was born in Pretoria, South Africa, on 14 January 1905, the son of George and Edith Emily Gristock. His father was a professional soldier serving with the 2nd Dragoon Guards, the Queen’s Bays. After the family returned to Britain, they were living in Aldershot by 1911, where his father’s military service kept them closely connected to Army life. In 1919, Gristock enlisted in the Queen’s Bays before later transferring to the Royal Norfolk Regiment. By the outbreak of the Second World War, he had risen to Warrant Officer Class II and held the appointment of company sergeant-major in the 2nd Battalion, Royal Norfolk Regiment.

In May 1940, the 2nd Battalion, Royal Norfolk Regiment was serving with the British Expeditionary Force during the German invasion of Belgium and France. On 21 May, Gristock’s company was defending a position along the River Escaut, south of Tournai, when repeated German attacks penetrated beyond the company’s right flank. Recognizing the danger, Gristock organized eight riflemen from company headquarters and led them forward to reinforce and protect the threatened position.

An enemy machine-gun had advanced to close range and was inflicting serious casualties. Leaving his covering party behind, Gristock moved forward with one soldier acting as a connecting file. He came under heavy machine-gun fire from across the river and was severely wounded in both legs, with his right knee badly shattered. Despite his injuries, he continued forward until he reached a concealed firing position approximately twenty yards from the German machine-gun post. From there, Gristock opened fire with his rifle, killing the four-man crew and silencing the gun.

Unable to walk, Gristock dragged himself back toward the British position. Despite the severity of his wounds, he refused evacuation until communication with the adjoining battalion had been restored and the defensive line was secure. His determination under fire removed the immediate threat to his company’s exposed flank and, as his Victoria Cross citation later recorded, helped secure the position and prevent further casualties.

Gristock was evacuated to Britain for medical treatment. Later eyewitness accounts state that both of his legs were amputated at the hip as doctors attempted to save his life. He died from his wounds in Brighton on 16 June 1940, aged thirty-five. His Victoria Cross was announced in *The London Gazette* in August 1940 under a War Office notice dated 23 August 1940. The official citation concluded that his gallantry had secured his company’s position and prevented many casualties.

George Gristock VC was buried in the Commonwealth War Graves section of Brighton City’s Bear Road Cemetery, Section Z.G.L., Grave 28. His grave remains a lasting memorial to a soldier whose final act of courage came during some of the most desperate fighting faced by the British Expeditionary Force in the opening campaign of the Second World War.

His Victoria Cross and medal group are preserved in the collection of the Royal Norfolk Regimental Museum in Norwich. The group comprises the Victoria Cross, 1939-45 Star, War Medal 1939-45, and Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct (Military) , preserving the honours of a career soldier whose actions on the River Escaut placed George Gristock VC among the most distinguished recipients of the Victoria Cross during the Second World War.

Sources: The London Gazette; Commonwealth War Graves Commission; Victoria Cross and George Cross Association; Royal Norfolk Regimental Museum / Norfolk Museums Service.