Patrick Anthony Porteous

He rallied the wounded troop and led it on to take the guns.

Patrick Anthony Porteous was born at Abbottabad on 1 January 1918 and educated at Wellington and Woolwich. Commissioned into the Royal Artillery in 1937, he served in France, escaped through Dunkirk and joined No 4 Commando.

During the Dieppe raid on 19 August 1942, he was shot through the hand and arm while attacking the Varengeville battery. After saving a sergeant, he crossed exposed ground to take over another detachment whose leaders had fallen. He led the charge that captured the guns, suffering a further serious wound, and collapsed only after the objective was secured.

Following recovery and his VC investiture, he returned to No 4 Commando and landed in Normandy on D-Day. Later service included Palestine, airborne artillery, staff and training appointments and command at Rheindahlen. He retired as a colonel in 1970, worked in insurance and estate agency, and supported veterans charities. He died at Chichester on 9 October 2000 and was buried at Funtington.

Official Victoria Cross citation

At Dieppe on the 19th August, 1942, Major Porteous was detailed to act as Liaison Officer between the two detachments whose task was to assault the heavy coast defence guns. In the initial assault Major Porteous, working with the smaller of the two detachments, was shot at close range through the hand, the bullet passing through his palm and entering his upper arm. Undaunted, Major Porteous closed with his assailant, succeeded in disarming him and killed him with his own bayonet thereby saving the life of a British Sergeant on whom the German had turned his aim. In the meantime the larger detachment was held up, and the officer leading this detachment was killed and the Troop Sergeant-Major fell seriously wounded. Almost immediately afterwards the only other officer of the detachment was also killed. Major Porteous, without hesitation and in the face of a withering fire, dashed across the open ground to take over the command of this detachment. Rallying them, he led them in a charge which carried the German position at the point of the bayonet, and was severely wounded for the second time. Though shot through the thigh he continued to the final objective where he eventually collapsed from loss of blood after the last of the guns had been destroyed. Major Porteous’s most gallant conduct, his brilliant leadership and tenacious devotion to a duty which was supplementary to the role originally assigned to him, was an inspiration to the whole detachment. ERRATA. The rank of Lieutenant (temporary Captain) Patrick Anthony Porteous (73033), Royal Regiment of Artillery, is as now shown and not as on page 4323 of the London Gazette dated 2nd October, 1942 (Second Supplement to The London Gazette of 2 October 1942. 6 October 1942, Numb. 35730, p. 4339).

Supplement to The London Gazette of 2 October 1942. 2 October 1942, Numb. 35729, p. 4323