Colin Grazier
Encyclopedia
Able Seaman Colin Grazier was posthumously awarded the George Cross
for the "outstanding bravery and steadfast devotion to duty in the face of danger" which he displayed on 30 October 1942 in action in the Mediterranean.
RN also won the George Cross for the courage that he displayed during the same incident. On 30 October 1942, the destroyer on which they served, HMS Petard
, attacked and badly damaged the German U Boat U-559
, in conjunction with the Destroyers HMS Pakenham and HMS Hero
, the escort destroyers HMS Dulverton
and HMS Hurworth, and an RAF Sunderland flying boat of 47 Squadron based in Port Said
. The crew of the U-559 surrendered and her crew was taken off with no casualties. Fasson and Grazier, along with NAAFI canteen assistant Tommy Brown, swam naked to the U-559 and entered the sinking submarine in complete darkness to capture instruments and documentation, fully aware that the submarine could sink without warning at any time. Grazier and Fasson continued to search for and hand over documents and equipment until suddenly the submarine sank, drowning them both. The awards were published in the London Gazette
on 14 September 1943. It has been speculated that due to the significance of their actions they might have been awarded VC
s, however secrecy of the cracking of the German Enigma ciphers had to be maintained. Despite this speculation, it should be pointed out that VCs can only be awarded for acts of valour while under enemy fire.
, takes the form of three anchors, and the date of the unveiling was chosen to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the action against U559.
George Cross
The George Cross is the highest civil decoration of the United Kingdom, and also holds, or has held, that status in many of the other countries of the Commonwealth of Nations...
for the "outstanding bravery and steadfast devotion to duty in the face of danger" which he displayed on 30 October 1942 in action in the Mediterranean.
WW2 heroics
Lieutenant Francis FassonFrancis Anthony Blair Fasson
Lieutenant Francis Anthony Blair Fasson RN was posthumously awarded the George Cross for the "for outstanding bravery and steadfast devotion to duty in the face of danger" he displayed on the 30 October 1942 in action in the Mediterranean....
RN also won the George Cross for the courage that he displayed during the same incident. On 30 October 1942, the destroyer on which they served, HMS Petard
HMS Petard (G56)
HMS Petard was a "P"-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy that saw service during World War II. She was one of the three "P" class ships, out of the original eight, to survive the war in a serviceable condition....
, attacked and badly damaged the German U Boat U-559
Unterseeboot 559
German submarine U-559 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for the German Kriegsmarine for service during World War II.Built in 1941 at the Blohm & Voss shipyards in Hamburg, she was most famous for an incident during her sinking in the Mediterranean Sea in 1942, in which British sailors seized...
, in conjunction with the Destroyers HMS Pakenham and HMS Hero
HMS Hero (H99)
HMS Hero was an H-class destroyer built for the Royal Navy in the mid-1930s. During the Spanish Civil War of 1936–1939 the ship enforced the arms blockade imposed by Britain and France on both sides as part of the Mediterranean Fleet...
, the escort destroyers HMS Dulverton
HMS Dulverton (L63)
HMS Dulverton was a Type II Hunt class destroyer of the Royal Navy. Launched in 1941, she saw service during the Second World War until being damaged by German aircraft in 1943 during the Battle of Leros, and was scuttled....
and HMS Hurworth, and an RAF Sunderland flying boat of 47 Squadron based in Port Said
Port Said
Port Said is a city that lies in north east Egypt extending about 30 km along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, north of the Suez Canal, with an approximate population of 603,787...
. The crew of the U-559 surrendered and her crew was taken off with no casualties. Fasson and Grazier, along with NAAFI canteen assistant Tommy Brown, swam naked to the U-559 and entered the sinking submarine in complete darkness to capture instruments and documentation, fully aware that the submarine could sink without warning at any time. Grazier and Fasson continued to search for and hand over documents and equipment until suddenly the submarine sank, drowning them both. The awards were published in the London Gazette
London Gazette
The London Gazette is one of the official journals of record of the British government, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, in which certain statutory notices are required to be published...
on 14 September 1943. It has been speculated that due to the significance of their actions they might have been awarded VC
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
s, however secrecy of the cracking of the German Enigma ciphers had to be maintained. Despite this speculation, it should be pointed out that VCs can only be awarded for acts of valour while under enemy fire.
Legacy
In Grazier's home town of Tamworth there is a Hotel named after him, which contains a gallery of photographs, and an Avenue, and an office block named after Colin Grazier. In October 2002, a commemorative sculpture was unveiled in Tamworth to honour Grazier and his two colleagues involved in the capture of documents from U559. The sculpture, the work of Polish sculptor Walenty PytelWalenty Pytel
Walenty Pytel is a Polish-born contemporary artist based in the United Kingdom, recognised as a leading metal sculptor of birds and beasts. His creations are often inspired by nature and his artworks include the Jubilee Fountain in Westminster, a piece titled Take Off which is located at Birmingham...
, takes the form of three anchors, and the date of the unveiling was chosen to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the action against U559.