Grieve VC

Captain Robert (Bob) Cuthbert Grieve VC,

Grand Nephew of a VC winner from the Charge of the Light Brigade, Crimea War

c. 1917. Captain (Capt) Robert (Bob) Cuthbert Grieve VC, 37th Battalion.

Capt Grieve was awarded the Victoria Cross for "most conspicuous bravery" on 7 June 1917 at Messines, Belgium. During an attack on an enemy position, Capt Grieve located two hostile machine guns and single handedly succeeded in bombing and killing the two crews.

He then reorganised the uninjured men of his company and captured the trench which was the original objective of the attack.

Capt Grieve returned to Australia medically unfit in 1918 and died on 4 October 1957. He was the first member of the 3rd Division to be awarded a Victoria Cross. (Donor R. Arman)


Victoria Cross	British War Medal	Victory Medal	George VI Coronation	QE II Coronation

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, Captain 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, re-organising the remnants of his company, and gained his original objective. Captain 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.

NOTES. On the 17th of August 2003 Melbourne's Shrine of Remembrance opened a new visitor centre and a major feature of the centre is the Victoria Cross awarded to Captain Robert Cuthbert Grieve, 37th Bn ( Victoria ) Australian Imperial Force. On the 31st of July 2003, Wesley College presented the Grieve Victoria Cross into the care of John Taylor, Chairman of the Shrine Trustees, on a permanent loan.

Following his return to Australia in 1918, Robert Grieve became a lifelong supporter of Wesley College, where he was educated. After his death in 1957, a scholarship in his memory was awarded at the school, and in 1959 his Victoria Cross was donated to the college.

Mr John Taylor, Chairman Shrine of Remembrance Trust, receives the WW1 Victoria Cross from Wesley College student Asha Niall. Members from 4 Bde witnessed the handover ceremony. L-R: Pte Karl Colthup, Capt Michael Lee, Capt Matt Haar, SSgt Ian Dunlop and Lt James Jones. Photo provided by Peter Meehan, PACC Vic

VC laid to rest

Four Bde, Victoria’s own reserve unit that grew from the birth of 37th (Vic) Battalion, WW1 Australian Imperial Force, was represented by brigade members at a moving Victoria Cross (VC) ceremony at Wesley College in Melbourne last month.

The WW1 VC, awarded to former Wesley student Robert Grieve and 37th Battalion soldier, was handed over from the College keepers of the medal, to Trust personnel from the Shrine of Remembrance, Melbourne.

The medal ‘For Valour,’ the only VC in possession of the Shrine, will become the centre-piece of a new Gallery of Medals display, when the $2 million Shrine refurbishment project opens to the public on August 17.

More than 500 ceremony attendees were held spellbound when the history behind the VC was unfolded by Maj-Gen (Retd) David McLachlan, State President RSL (Vic Branch.)

With skilful detail, the former top soldier told of the heroics and sacrifice that occurred during the fierce battle that resulted in Robert Grieve (dec.), from the Melbourne suburb of Brighton, being awarded the VC.

Capt Robert Grieve, the great nephew of SM John Grieve, also a VC recipient in the 1854 Crimean War, was awarded the VC for outstanding bravery during the Battle of Messines in Belgium. On June 7, 1917, during an attack on the enemy’s position, and after his own company had suffered very heavy casualties, Capt Grieve located two enemy machine gunners in a concrete ‘pill box’ who were holding up the advance.

Such was the mayhem, 37th Battalion soldiers, many dead, dying or wounded, littered the bomb craters. Grieve, the only officer to survive the battle, was positioned in a shallow crater, 100 metres from the enemy gunners. The desperation of the battle gave rise to a fearless single handed attack by Grieve on the German position.

While under continuous heavy fire from these two gun crews, he advanced by shielding in the smoke haze created by incoming shell fire. Approaching the German gunners on their flank, he was able to insert two Mills grenades inside the pill box by reaching, unnoticed, up to the slit windows.

He then moved to the rear of the enemy gun position and braced himself for arm to arm combat. There was no retaliation.

With the enemy dead at his feet, Grieve climbed onto the parapet of the enemy gun position, stood upright and signaled – all clear! That one movement almost cost him his life.

A lone German sniper took careful aim from 75 metres away and shot Capt Grieve, resulting in a severe shoulder injury that smashed the bone in his upper arm. With utter disregard of danger, he selflessly reorganised the remnants of his own company and pushed forward to gain his original objective.

Grieve finally fell wounded after the position had been secured. Upon his death in 1957, the VC was bequeathed to Wesley College in 1959 and put on display in the War Memorial library, located within the College, until fire completely destroyed the library in 1989.

Fortunately, a College teacher found the medal while rummaging through the ashes, shortly after the fire. As the VC was made of gunmetal, it didn’t melt.

Capt Robert Grieve was an active supporter of Wesley College for many years and contributed towards an annual scholarship. The home room at Wesley College is named in his honour. From ARMY The Soldiers Newspaper.

Name	John GRIEVE VC (Great Uncle to Robert Grieve VC)
Rank	Sergeant-Major.
Force	2nd Dragoons later [Royal Scots Greys], British Army.
Age	Thirty-two.
Campaign	CRIMEAN WAR
VC won	25 October 1854. Charge of the Light Brigade. Balaclava, Crimea.
London Gazette	24 February 1857.
Date of Birth	03 May 1821. Musselburgh, Midlothian, Scotland.
Date of Death	01 December 1873. Inveresk, Lothian, Scotland.
Interred	St. Michael's Churchyard, Inveresk, Lothian. [Mother's grave - not marked].
Location of VC	Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide.
Remarks	Later achieved rank of Lieutenant. Great Uncle of Captain R. C. GRIEVE, VC.