Major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

David Auldjo Jamieson, (1 October 1920 – 5 May 2001) was a

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

officer in the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

who received the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...

, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...

forces.

Early life

David Auldjo Jamieson was born in

Westminster Westminster is the main settlement of the City of Westminster in Central London, Central London, England. It extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street and has many famous landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Buckingham Palace, ...

on 1 October 1920, the elder son of Sir Archibald Auldjo Jamieson, chairman of

Vickers Armstrong Vickers-Armstrongs Limited was a British engineering conglomerate formed by the merger of the assets of Vickers Limited and Sir W G Armstrong Whitworth & Company in 1927. The majority of the company was nationalised in the 1960s and 1970s, wi ...

. He attended

Ladycross School Ladycross was a Catholic preparatory school in Seaford, East Sussex. It was founded in 1891 in Briely Road, Bournemouth, and moved to a purpose-built school in Eastbourne Road, Seaford in 1909. More than 2,000 pupils attended it before its c ...

at Seaford, East Sussex, and

Eton College Eton College ( ) is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school providing boarding school, boarding education for boys aged 13–18, in the small town of Eton, Berkshire, Eton, in Berkshire, in the United Kingdom. It has educated Prime Mini ...

where he was a cadet in the

Officers' Training Corps The University Officers' Training Corps (UOTC), also known as the Officers' Training Corps (OTC), are British Army reserve units, under the command of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, which recruit exclusively from universities and focus on ...

. In his youth he spent time at the family holiday retreat in Norfolk. He volunteered in the Territorial Army unit at

Dersingham Dersingham is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. Dersingham is located north-east of King's Lynn and north-west of Norwich. History Dersingham's name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derives from the Old English for th ...

for the 5th Battalion,

Royal Norfolk Regiment The Royal Norfolk Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army until 1959. Its predecessor regiment was raised in 1685 as Henry Cornwall's Regiment of Foot. In 1751, it was numbered like most other British Army regiments and named ...

, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in May 1939. He was transferred to the 7th Battalion, formed as a 2nd Line duplicate of the 5th Bn when the Territorial Army was doubled in size.

Second World War

Aged 19 on the outbreak of the

, Jamieson was considered too young for overseas service and did not initially go with the battalion to join the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) when it went to France in 1940 but followed later. The battalion was assigned to

pioneer Pioneer commonly refers to a person who is among the first at something that is new to a community. A pioneer as a settler is among the first settling at a place that is new to the settler community. A historic example are American pioneers, perso ...

duties in France with the BEF. In May 1940, it was attached to the

51st (Highland) Infantry Division The 51st (Highland) Division was an infantry division of the British Army that fought on the Western Front in France during the First World War from 1915 to 1918. The division was raised in 1908, upon the creation of the Territorial Force, as ...

which was stationed on the

Maginot Line The Maginot Line (; ), named after the Minister of War (France), French Minister of War André Maginot, is a line of concrete fortifications, obstacles and weapon installations built by French Third Republic, France in the 1930s to deter invas ...

and therefore escaped encirclement with the majority of the BEF during the

Battle of France The Battle of France (; 10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign (), the French Campaign (, ) and the Fall of France, during the Second World War was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of the Low Countries (Belgium, Luxembour ...

. The 7th Royal Norfolks suffered heavy casualties when the 51st (Highland) Infantry Division was surrounded and forced to surrender on 12 June 1940, with only 31 members of the battalion managing to return to Britain. When the majority of the battalion was captured at

Saint-Valery-en-Caux Saint-Valery-en-Caux (, literally ''Saint-Valery in Pays de Caux, Caux'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Seine-Maritime Departments of France, department in the Normandy (administrative region), Normandy region in northern France. The ad ...

, he was at

Rouen Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine, in northwestern France. It is in the prefecture of Regions of France, region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy and the Departments of France, department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one ...

and was able to return to Britain. The battalion was reformed in 1941 and Jamieson was promoted to

company commander A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 100–250 soldiers and usually commanded by a major or a captain. Most companies are made up of three to seven platoons, although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and struc ...

of D Company. In 1942, the battalion was transferred to the 176th Infantry Brigade of the

59th (Staffordshire) Infantry Division The 59th (Staffordshire) Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army that was formed during the Second World War and fought in the Battle of Normandy. In March 1939, after Germany re-emerged as a significant military power ...

. The 59th Division, commanded by Major General

Lewis Lyne Major General Lewis Owen Lyne, (21 August 1899 – 4 November 1970) was a British Army officer who served before and during the Second World War, rising from the rank of lieutenant colonel in 1939 to major general in early 1944. His active serv ...

, was one of the follow-up units after the

Normandy landings The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on 6 June 1944 of the Allies of World War II, Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during the Second World War. Codenamed Operation Neptune and ...

in June 1944. The battalion was involved in the

Battle of Normandy Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allied operation that launched the successful liberation of German-occupied Western Europe during World War II. The operation was launched on 6 June 1944 (D-Day) with the N ...

, including the capture of

Caen Caen (; ; ) is a Communes of France, commune inland from the northwestern coast of France. It is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Calvados (department), Calvados. The city proper has 105,512 inha ...

during

Operation Charnwood Operation Charnwood was an Anglo-Canadian offensive that took place from 8 to 9 July 1944, during the Battle for Caen, part of the larger Operation Overlord (code-name for the Battle of Normandy) in the Second World War. The operation was int ...

, where the battalion suffered over 150 casualties, which was followed by the

Second Battle of the Odon The Second Battle of the Odon comprised operations fought by the British Second Army (United Kingdom), Second Army during the Second World War. Attacks took place in mid-July 1944 against 5th Panzer Army, Panzergruppe West, as part of the Operati ...

. For his leadership

Ian Freeland Lieutenant General Sir Ian Henry Freeland (14 September 1912 – 2 July 1979) was a senior British Army officer, who served with distinction during World War II and most notably served as General Officer Commanding (GOC) and Director of Operati ...

was appointed a Companion of the

Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a Military awards and decorations, military award of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth, awarded for operational gallantry for highly successful ...

(DSO).

Victoria Cross

Jamieson was a 23-year-old

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

in the 7th Battalion of the Royal Norfolk Regiment, part of the 176th Infantry Brigade attached to the 59th (Staffordshire) Infantry Division, when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the

. On 7/8 August 1944, south of

Grimbosq Grimbosq () is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France. Geography The commune is part of the area known as Suisse Normande. The commune is made up of the following collection of villages and hamle ...

Normandy Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy. Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...

, France, Jamieson was in command of D Company, being the only officer remaining, which had established a bridgehead over the

River Orne The Orne () is a river in Normandy, within northwestern France. It is long. It discharges into the English Channel at the port of Ouistreham. Its source is in Aunou-sur-Orne, east of Sées. Its main tributaries are the Odon and the Rouvre. Geo ...

. The enemy made seven counter-attacks on the company's position by elements of the 271st Volksgrenadier Division and

12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend The SS Division Hitlerjugend or 12th SS Panzer Division "Hitlerjugend" () was a German armoured warfare, armoured division of the Waffen-SS during World War II. The majority of its junior enlisted men were drawn from members of the Hitler Youth, ...

, but throughout 36 hours of bitter and close fighting Captain Jamieson's company refused to give up. The attacks included assaults with

Tiger The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is a large Felidae, cat and a member of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Asia. It has a powerful, muscular body with a large head and paws, a long tail and orange fur with black, mostly vertical stripes. It is ...

and

Panther tank The Panther tank, officially ''Panzerkampfwagen V Panther'' (abbreviated Pz.Kpfw. V) with Sonderkraftfahrzeug, ordnance inventory designation: ''Sd.Kfz.'' 171, is a German medium tank of World War II. It was used in most European theatre of ...

s which shot up the

Churchill tank The Tank, Infantry, Mk IV (A22) Churchill was a British infantry tank used in the Second World War, best known for its heavy armour, large longitudinal chassis with all-around tracks with multiple Bogie#Tracked vehicles, bogies, its ability to ...

s supporting the Royal Norfolks. Jamieson was giving map references for British artillery; directing the resources of first the divisional artillery, then the medium artillery of the corps. Jamieson at one point mounted the last British tank to talk to the commander under enemy fire in order to direct the tank to retreat. He dismissed it as anything heroic, saying that he had to as the telephone didn't work – tanks were equipped with an external handset so that the commander could talk to an infantry commander without opening the hatch. The image of Captain Jamieson riding a Churchill tank while enemy tanks attacked was immortalised in a painting. As he was talking to the commander, the tank was hit and Jamieson blown off. He returned to his "hole" where he received treatment - he had lost an eye and was bleeding from his arm. After relief by another battalion, Jamieson was evacuated to a first aid post and then back to the UK. The citation for Jamieson in the ''

London Gazette London is the capital and largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Western Europe, with a population of 14.9 million. London stands on the River Tha ...

'' supplement of 26 October 1944 reads, in part:

Post-war

Following the war, he worked for the

Australian Agricultural Company The Australian Agricultural Company (AACo; ) is a public-listed Australian company that, as of 2018, owns and operates feedlots and farms covering around of land in Queensland and the Northern Territory, roughly one percent of Australia's land ...

, which ran several sheep and cattle stations; he became a director in 1949 and was Governor from 1951 to 1975. He was also director of other companies including

National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank, trading as NatWest, is a major retail and commercial bank in the United Kingdom based in London, England. It was established in 1968 by the merger of National Provincial Bank and Westminster Bank. In 2000, it becam ...

. In 1948 he married Nancy Elwes, who died in a car accident in 1963. He remarried, to Joanna Windsor-Clive, in 1969. He was appointed

High Sheriff of Norfolk The high sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown and is appointed annually (in March) by the Crown. The High Sheriff of Norfolk was originally the principal law enforcement officer in Norfolk and presided at the assizes and other im ...

in 1979. In 1968 he was appointed to the

Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms His Majesty's Body Guard of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms is a bodyguard to the British Monarch. Until 17 March 1834, they were known as The Honourable Band of Gentlemen Pensioners. Formation The corps was formed as the Troop of Gen ...

, retiring as lieutenant in 1990. In the

1990 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1990 were appointments by most of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries, and honorary ones to citizens of other countrie ...

he was appointed Commander of the

Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order () is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the monarch, members of the royal family, or to any viceroy or senior representative of the m ...

(CVO). Due to his height, 6 ft 5, he was informally designated the ceremonial umbrella man to

Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon (4 August 1900 – 30 March 2002) was List of British royal consorts, Queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 to 6 February 1952 as the wife of K ...

, carrying an umbrella over her at social functions. He died on 5 May 2001 in

Burnham Market Burnham Market is a village and civil parish in the England, English county Norfolk. The village is located north-east of King's Lynn and north-west of Norwich. It is one of The Norfolk Burnhams, the Burnhams, a group of three adjacent vill ...

, Norfolk, and was interred in the churchyard of St Margaret's Church in

Burnham Norton Burnham Norton is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. Burnham Norton is located north-east of King's Lynn and north-west of Norwich. The village is one of the seven original Norfolk Burnhams. History Burnham Norto ...

. He was survived by his widow, his son Andrew Jamieson, and two daughters of his first marriage, three grandchildren, and by a stepson and stepdaughter.

Medals

David Jamieson's Victoria Cross is displayed in the Royal Norfolk Regimental Museum in

Norwich Castle Norwich Castle is a medieval royal fortification in the city of Norwich, in the English county of Norfolk. William the Conqueror (1066–1087) ordered its construction in the aftermath of the Norman Conquest of England. The castle was used as a ...

.Royal Norfolk Regimental Museum
/ref> Jamieson was awarded the following service and commemorative medals: * 1939–45 Star *

France and Germany Star The France and Germany Star is a military campaign medal, instituted by the United Kingdom in May 1945 for award to Commonwealth of Nations, British Commonwealth forces who served in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands or Germany and a ...

* Defence Medal * War Medal *

Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal The Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal () is a commemorative medal instituted to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II on 2 June 1953. Award This medal was awarded as a personal souvenir from the Queen to members of the Royal Family ...

Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal The Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal () is a commemorative medal created in 1977 to mark the 25th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's accession in 1952. The medal is physically identical in all realms where it was awarded, save for Canada ...

Bibliography

* * * *

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jamieson, David (VC) 1920 births 2001 deaths British Army personnel of World War II British Army recipients of the Victoria Cross British World War II recipients of the Victoria Cross Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order English people of Scottish descent High sheriffs of Norfolk Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms People educated at Eton College People educated at Ladycross School People from Burnham Market Military personnel from Westminster Royal Norfolk Regiment officers British Battle of Normandy recipients of the Victoria Cross Burials in Norfolk