Patrick Porteous
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Captain Patrick Porteous, VC, Royal Artillery (1918-2000)
Captain Pat Porteous was awarded the Victoria Cross, Britain's highest military honour, first instituted by Queen Victoria in 1856, for his part in the 1942 assault on Dieppe in the Second World War.
Attached to No 4 Commando unit, Porteous was liaison officer between two detachments who were charged with attacking the heavy coastal defence guns. Despite being shot through the hand, Captain Porteous saved the life of a British army sergeant by disarming and killing a German soldier.
When the attack seemed doomed to failure, with two officers killed and the Troop Sergeant Major seriously wounded, in the face of heavy fire and despite being himself wounded a second time, Porteous dashed across open ground to take command, leading his men to finally take the position.
In spite of severe wounds, Pat Porteous went on to make a full recovery and had a distinguished military career in Palestine, Germany and Singapore, rising to the rank of Colonel before he retired in 1970. He had the honour of being in the leading car at the late Queen Mother's 100th Birthday Parade, before his death in August 2000.
An obituary notice can be found on the Victoria Cross website.
External links
- Victoria Cross website (http://www.victoriacross.net/award.asp?vc=996)