George William St George Grogan VC CB CMG DSO*

b. 01/09/1875 Devonport, Devon. d. 03/01/1962 Sunningdale, Berkshire.

George William St George Grogan (1875-1962) was born on 1st September 1875 at the Admiral Superintendent’s House, Devonport, Devon. His father was Brigadier General Edward George Grogan CB CBE, originally from Dublin, Ireland. He was educated at Cheltenham College and was commissioned into the 42nd Regiment of Foot (Black Watch) on 24th July 1869. He served during the Third Ashanti War. He married Margaret “Meta” Anne Forman King-Hall on 19th October 1874 at Devonport. The Battalion was later posted to Malta. His wife died in 1881 when George was six. Edward remarried to Ida Georgina Mary Forman on 4th June 1883 at St Mary’s Cathedral, Edinburgh. Edward would command the 1st Battalion in South Africa during the Second Boer War. He retired from service in 1907. He later was recalled to command 26th Brigade (Scottish) Division between 1914-15. He later was awarded the CBE and became a JP. George had six siblings from his father’s two marriages. One of his brothers Gerald was killed in action in 1918.

George was educated at Stubbington House School in Southampton, and at the United Services College at Westward Ho! He trained at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and was commissioned on 5th September 1896 in the West India Regiment. He served in Sierra Leone and in Lagos, Nigeria. He was assigned to the Egyptian Army between 1902-1907, before transferring to the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry as a captain in July 1907. He transferred to the Worcestershire Regiment in January 1908 and served with the 1st Battalion.

George W St G Grogan
VC CB CMG DSO*

At the outbreak of war, he returned from service with the 1st Battalion in Egypt and was posted to the 2nd Battalion as a Major, which he then briefly commanded. In March 1915 he took command of the 1st Battalion. In 1916 he fought in the Somme and in March 1917 he won the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) in his leadership in a successful attack east of Bouchavesnes. He then took command of 23 Brigade in the 8th Division and led them in the third Ypres and in March 1918 in the Somme where he was awarded a bar to his DSO.

In May 1918 he was moved to the Chermin des Dames front which was the responsibility of the French. When the Germans attacked the 8th Division they took heavy losses. Grogan, at the time Brigadier General, escaped capture and rallied many stragglers organising them into a small force. It was this command that earned him the Victoria Cross. On 27th May 1918, at the River Aisne, France, Brigadier General Grogan was in command of the remnants of the infantry of a division and attached troops. His utter disregard for personal safety combined with sound practical ability helped to stay the onward thrust of the enemy. He rode up and down the front line encouraging his troops under artillery, trench mortar, rifle and machine-gun fire and when one horse was shot under him, he continued encouraging his men on foot until another horse was brought. As a result of his actions the line held. He was presented with the VC at the HQ First Army, Ranchicourt, France by King George V on 8th August 1918. He was also mentioned nine times in despatches throughout the war.

After the Armistices he served in North Russia commanding the 1st Brigade of the relief force under Lord Rawlinson. He was created a Companion of The Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael & St. George (CMG) in 1916 and Companion of The Most Honourable Order of the Bath (CB) in 1919. On 22nd January 1920 he married Ethel Gladys Elger at Holy Trinity Church, Sloane Street, London , and they had two sons, Gwyn and George.

He commanded the 3rd Battalion for three years after the war before commanding 5th Brigade in Aldershot for a further three years. Grogan retired from the army as an honorary Brigadier-General in 1926. From 1933 to 1945 he was appointed one of His Majesty’s Bodyguard of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms. He was the Colonel of the Worcestershire Regiment from 1938 to 1945.

George Grogan died at his home at Silverdene, Shrub Hill, Sunningdale, Berkshire, on the 3rd January 1962 and was cremated in Woking Crematorium. His ashes were scattered in the Tennyson Lake Garden of Remembrance. He is also commemorated at the Haileybury College Library, Westward Ho!, on the Honours Board at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst and with a VC commemorative stone unveiled at Plymouth Hoe War Memorial on 29th May 2018.

In addition to his VC, CB, CMG and DSO and Bar, he was awarded the East & West Africa Medal 1887-1900 (clasps for 1898 and Sierra Leone 1898-99), 1914 Star with “Mons” clasp, British War Medal 1914-20, Victory Medal 1914-19 with Mentioned in Despatches oakleaf, Defence Medal 1939-45, George V Silver Jubilee Medal 1935, George VI Coronation Medal 1937 and Elizabeth II Coronation Medal 1953. For a number of years after his death, his medal group was held in trust by the Grogan family. In May 2011, the trustees agreed to loan his medal group on a long term loan to the Imperial War Museum.

LOCATION OF MEDAL: IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM, LONDON (LOAN).

BURIAL PLACE: WOKING CREMATORIUM, WOKING, SURREY. ASHES SCATTERED IN TENNYSON LAKE GARDEN OF REMEMBRANCE.