Robert Grieve (VC)

Alone he stormed a pillbox and broke the enemy machine guns.

Robert Cuthbert Grieve was born in Brighton, Victoria, on 19 June 1889. Educated at Caulfield Grammar School and Wesley College, he became a commercial traveller before enlisting in the Australian Imperial Force in June 1915. He reached France with the 37th Battalion in 1916 and became a captain commanding A Company.

At Messines, Belgium, on 7 June 1917, a concrete strongpoint stopped his company's advance. Machine-gun fire struck down more than half its men and the other officers. Grieve advanced alone, using grenades to approach and silence the position. He then signalled his men forward. A sniper wounded him in the shoulder, but the company secured its objective. His courage earned the Victoria Cross.

After recovering, Grieve returned briefly to his battalion before serious illness ended his active service. He returned to Australia in 1918 and married army nurse May Isobel Bowman. He established the Melbourne soft-goods business Grieve, Gardner and Co. and later served in the Volunteer Defence Corps during the Second World War. He died on 4 October 1957 and was buried with military honours at Springvale.

Official Victoria Cross citation

For most conspicuous bravery. During an attack on the enemy’s position, in the face of heavy artillery and machine gun fire, and after all his officers had been wounded and his company had suffered very heavy casualties, Capt. Grieve located two hostile machine guns which were holding up his advance. He then, single-handed, under continuous fire from these two machine guns, succeeded in bombing and killing the two crews, reorganised the remnants of his company and gained his original objective. Capt. Grieve, by his utter disregard of danger, and his coolness in mastering a very difficult position, set a splendid example, and when he finally fell wounded, the position had been secured and the few remaining enemy were in full flight.

Fourth Supplement to The London Gazette of 31 July 1917. 2 August 1917, Numb. 30215, p. 7905