Percival Eric Gratwick, VC (19 October 1902 – 26 October 1942) was an Australian recipient of 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

Gratwick was born in Katanning, Western Australia, on 19 October 1902, the fifth son of the local postmaster. Leaving school at 16, he took up various jobs, including a period as a messenger at Parliament House. Later, he worked as a blacksmith, a drover and a

prospector Prospector may refer to: Space exploration * Prospector (spacecraft), a planned lunar probe, canceled in 1962 * ''Lunar Prospector'', a NASA spacecraft Trains * Prospector (train), a passenger train operated by the Denver & Rio Grande Western ra ...

Second World War

Gratwick sought to join the

Second Australian Imperial Force The Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF, or Second AIF) was the volunteer expeditionary force of the Australian Army in the Second World War. It was formed following the declaration of war on Nazi Germany, with an initial strength of one ...

(AIF) after the outbreak of the Second World War. However, issues with his nose, which had been broken years earlier, led to the rejection of his application. In late 1940, after expensive medical treatment on his nose, he attempted to enlist again, this time successfully. Following completing his training in July 1941, Gratwick embarked on a trip to

Libya Libya, officially the State of Libya, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya border, the east, Sudan to Libya–Sudan border, the southeast, Chad to Chad–L ...

, where he was assigned to the 2/48th Battalion (a

South Australian South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which includes some of the most arid parts ...

unit) with the rank of

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * "In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorded ...

. The battalion was among the defenders of

Tobruk Tobruk ( ; ; ) is a port city on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near the border with Egypt. It is the capital of the Butnan District (formerly Tobruk District) and has a population of 120,000 (2011 est.)."Tobruk" (history), ''Encyclop� ...

but was transferred to

Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...

in October 1941. By June 1942, the battalion was in Egypt. On the night of 25/26 October 1942, during the

Second Battle of El Alamein The Second Battle of El Alamein (23 October – 11 November 1942) was a battle of the Second World War that took place near the Egyptian Railway station, railway halt of El Alamein. The First Battle of El Alamein and the Battle of Alam el Halfa ...

, Egypt, the platoon to which Gratwick belonged suffered considerable casualties attacking Trig 29, including the platoon commander and sergeant. Gratwick, realising the seriousness of the situation, charged a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

machine-gun position by himself and killed the crew with hand grenades. He also killed a mortar crew. Under heavy machine-gun fire, Gratwick then charged a second post, using his rifle and bayonet. In inflicting further casualties, he was killed by machine-gun fire. Still, his brave and determined action, for which he would be awarded a posthumous

, enabled his company to capture the final objective. Gratwick is buried in El Alamein Commonwealth cemetery, and his Victoria Cross is displayed at the

Army Museum of Western Australia The Army Museum of Western Australia is a museum located in an historic artillery barracks on Burt Street in Fremantle, Western Australia. The museum was established in 1977 and has three Victoria Crosses on display. History The Army Museum ...

Fremantle, Western Australia Fremantle () () is a port city in Western Australia located at the mouth of the Swan River (Western Australia), Swan River in the metropolitan area of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth. The Western Australi ...

. In

Port Hedland A port is a maritime law, maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge Affreightment, cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inla ...

, Western Australia, Gratwick Street, the Gratwick Aquatic Centre, the town theatre and the community hall are all named in his honour.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gratwick, Percival Eric 1902 births 1942 deaths Military personnel from Western Australia Australian World War II recipients of the Victoria Cross Australian Army personnel of World War II People from Katanning, Western Australia Australian military personnel killed in World War II Australian Army soldiers