Cyril Hubert Frisby VC

b. 17/09/1885 New Barnet. d. 10/09/1961 Guildford, Surrey.

Cyril Hubert Frisby (1885-1961) was born on 17th September 1885 at New Barnet, Hertfordshire. His father, Henry Frisby, born in Islington, Middlesex, was a member of the Stock Exchange and its Committee. He was also Chairman and a director of Pahang Consolidated Company Ltd, a mining company in Malaya. Henry married Zoe Pauline Ansell on 30th August 1879 at the Parish Church, St Pancras, London. Cyril had two brothers – Henry and Lionel.

Cyril H Frisby VC

Cyril enlisted in the Hampshire Regiment at Guildford, Surrey on 9th December 1915 and transferred to the Army Reserve the next day. He was mobilised on 7th December 1916, joined No 5 Officer Cadet Battalion, Trinity College, Cambridge the following day, and was commissioned in the Coldstream Guards Special Reserve on 28th March 1917 with seniority from 31st January 1917. He was posted to 5th (Reserve) Battalion and went to France on 25th November to join the 1st Battalion. He was appointed acting captain on 20th February 1918.

The events of what happened on 27th September 1918 is described in “Times History of War” as thus “Capt Frisby and Cpl Jackson were together in the desperate affair which won for them the Cross. The officer was in command of a company detailed to capture the canal crossing on the Demicourt–Graincourt Road. When the canal was reached the leading platoon came under-annihilating machine-gun fire from a strong post set up under the old iron bridge.

Cyril Hubert Frisby on the far side of the canal, and in spite of reinforcing the platoon was unable to advance. Seeing that unless this machine-gun post was captured the whole of the advance in this area would fail.

Capt Frisby determined on taking; what he might well have looked upon as the measure of a forlorn-hope. Calling for volunteers to follow him, he dashed forward with three other ranks, the first to offer being the gallant Jackson, who was a young non-commissioned officer, and had shown a glorious spirit of bravery and duty ever since the battle opened. These four Coldstream Guardsmen climbed down into the canal under an intense point-blank machine-gun fire and by their dash, recklessness and resolution, captured the post with dozen men and two machine guns. In this swift successful enterprise Capt Frisby was wounded in the leg by a bayonet, but he remained at duty, and having restored the situation, led the attacking companies.

After reaching and consolidating his objective, he gave timely support to the company on his right, which had lost all its officers and sergeants, an illustration of the fury of the fight, organised its defences and beat off a heavy hostile attack.”

He was promoted to lieutenant on 28th September and relinquished the acting rank of captain on 7th March 1919. The VC was presented by King George V in the ballroom of Buckingham Palace on 29th March 1919. After the investiture he met the parents, sister, aunt and fiancee of Thomas Jackson VC. He was able to provide them with information on their son’s gallant action. He also attended the unveiling of a portrait of Jackson, commissioned by Swinton Street Constables on 30th July 1919. He resigned his commission on 1st April 1920 and was granted the honorary rank of captain. On 11th November 1920, he was one of the VC Honour Guard at the burial of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey.

He resumed working as a jobber at the London Stock Exchange with his brother, Lionel. He was a member of the Guards club and the Rye and Worplesdon Golf Clubs. Between the two wars, he was Vice-President of Stoughton & Westborough Branch of the British Legion, and was elected President in 1940. He spent much of his time tuna fishing. He has been described as Britain’s most famous tuna fisherman and on one day in the 1930s caught five tuna, including a 659 pounds (299 kg) specimen.

During the Second World War, he served in 4th Surrey (Guildford) Battalion, Home Guard. He was promoted to major on 1st February 1941. He served on the General Council of the Stock Exchange from 1941-49. He attended a number of VC reunions – the 1920 VC Garden Party, 1929 VC Dinner at the House of Lords, the VC Centenary Celebrations in Hyde Park in 1956, and the 2nd VC Association Reunion in 1960.

His wife died in 1960 and Frisby died on 10th September 1961 aged 75 in Guildford, Surrey. He was buried in Brookwood Cemetery, Woking, Surrey. His grave was renovated by the Victoria Cross Trust in March 2015. He is commemorated by being named on the Household Division Honour Roll at Wellington Barracks, London, on a pew in the Guards Chapel at Wellington Barracks, with a VC commemorative stone at 54 Station Road in New Barnet, and on the Haileybury College memorial.

In addition to the VC, he was awarded the British War Medal 1914-20, Victory Medal 1914-19 with Mentioned in Despatches oakleaf, Defence Medal, George VI Coronation Medal 1937 and Elizabeth II Coronation Medal 1953. There is no mention of the Mentioned in Despatches in any of his known service documents. The medals were presented to the Coldstream Guards by Cyril’s son on 4th June 1986. The medals are displayed at the Coldstream Guards RHQ in Wellington Barracks, London.

LOCATION OF MEDAL: COLDSTREAM GUARDS RHQ, WELLINGTON BARRACKS, LONDON.

BURIAL PLACE: BROOKWOOD CEMETERY, SURREY.

PLOT 28, GRAVE 219662