Australian Army Museum of Western Australia > Records

Victoria Cross - Private Percy Gratwick

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Overview

The Victoria Cross is the highest award for acts of bravery in wartime. It was instituted in 1856 by Queen Victoria and made retrospective to 1854 to cover the period of the Crimean War. It is possible for any serving member of the armed forces to obtain this award.
The decoration is a bronze cross pattée, 41 mm high, 36 mm wide, bearing the crown of Saint Edward surmounted by a lion, and the inscription "for valour" . The decoration, suspension bar, and link weigh about 27 grams. The cross is suspended by a ring from a seriffed "V" to a bar ornamented with laurel leaves, through which the ribbon passes
The ribbon is crimson, 38 mm wide. Although the army warrants state the colour as being red, it is defined by most commentators as being crimson or "wine-red".

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-32-99-302

Item type

Medallions

Themes

War and Conflict
War and Conflict > World War 2

Inscriptions and markings

. The reverse of the suspension bar is engraved with the recipient's name, rank, number and unit. On the reverse of the medal is a circular panel on which the date of the act for which it was awarded is engraved in the centre. Each Victoria Cross is unique in that the medal is cast and hand finished including a secret identifying mark.

Contextual Information

TheVictoria Cross Citation for Percy Gratwick reads:
During the attack on Trig 29 at Miteiriya. Ridge on the night of 25th-26th October, 1942, the Company to which Private Gratwick belonged, met with severe opposition from strong enemy positions which delayed capture of the Company's objective and caused a considerable number of casualties. Private Gratwick's Platoon was directed at these strong positions but its advance was stopped by intense enemy fire at short range. Withering fire of all kinds killed the platoon commander, the platoon sergeant and many other ranks and reduced the total strength of the Platoon to seven. Private Gratwick grasped the seriousness of the situation and acting on his own initiative, with utter disregard for his own safety at a time when the remainder of the Platoon were pinned down, charged the nearest post and completely destroyed the enemy with hand grenades, killing amongst others a complete mortar crew. As soon as this task was completed, and again under heavy machine-gun fire, he charged the second post with rifle and bayonet. It was from this post that the heaviest fire had been directed. He inflicted further casualties, and was within striking distance of his objective, when he was killed by a burst of machine-gun fire. By his brave and determined action, which completely unnerved the enemy, and by his successful reduction of the enemy's strength, Private Gratwick's Company was able to move forward and mop up its objective. Private Gratwick's unselfish courage, his gallant and determined efforts against the heaviest opposition, changed a doubtful situation into the successful capture of his Company's final objective."

Keywords

Victoria Cross

Links to additional resources

Service Records

Informal photo of Percy Gratwick

Original grave of Percy Gratwick

Hall of Valour

Australian Army Museum of Western Australia

Organisation Details
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