Lionel Ernest Queripel

He stayed behind, badly wounded, to cover his men in retreat

Lionel Ernest Queripel was born in Dorset on 13 July 1920 and grew up at Tunbridge Wells. Educated at Marlborough and Sandhurst, he was commissioned in the Royal Sussex Regiment in 1939. He served in North Africa, including El Alamein, and volunteered for parachute service when his battalion helped form the 10th Parachute Battalion. He subsequently served in Italy.

Landing near Arnhem on 18 September 1944, Captain Queripel took command after his company commander’s aircraft was lost. The next day he repeatedly crossed a road under fire to reorganise his men. Wounded while carrying a sergeant to safety, he then led an attack that recaptured a British anti-tank gun and silenced enemy machine guns. Later, surrounded and wounded again, he continued resisting from a ditch. When withdrawal became necessary, he insisted on remaining behind with a pistol and grenades to cover his men.

He was not seen alive again and died during the Arnhem fighting. His posthumous Victoria Cross was announced in February 1945. He was buried in Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery.

Official Victoria Cross citation

In Holland on the 19th September, 1944, Captain Queripel was acting as Company Commander of a composite Company composed of three Parachute Battalions.

At 14.00 hours on that day, his Company was advancing along a main road which ran on an embankment towards Arnhem. The advance was conducted under continuous medium machine-gun fire which, at one period, became so heavy that the Company became split up on either side of the road and suffered considerable losses. Captain Queripel at once proceeded to reorganize his force, crossing and recrossing the road whilst doing so, under extremely heavy and accurate fire. During this period he carried a wounded Sergeant to the Regimental Aid Post under fire and was himself wounded in the face.

Having reorganized his force, Captain Queripel personally led a party of men against the strong point holding up the advance. This strong point consisted of a captured British anti-tank gun and two machine-guns. Despite the extremely heavy fire directed at him, Captain Queripel succeeded in killing the crews of the machine-guns and recapturing the anti-tank gun. As a result of this, the advance was able to continue.

Later in the same day, Captain Queripel found himself cut off with a small party of men and took up a position in a ditch. By this time he had received further wounds in both arms. Regardless of his wounds and of the very heavy mortar and spandau fire, he continued to inspire his men to resist with hand grenades, pistols and the few remaining rifles.

As, however, the enemy pressure increased, Captain Queripel decided that it was impossible to hold the position any longer and ordered his men to withdraw. Despite their protests, he insisted on remaining behind to cover their withdrawal with his automatic pistol and a few remaining hand grenades. This is the last occasion on which he was seen.

During the whole of a period of nine hours of confused and bitter fighting Captain Queripel displayed the highest standard of gallantry under most difficult and trying circumstances. His courage, leadership and devotion to duty were magnificent, and an inspiration to all. This officer is officially reported to be wounded and missing.