Francis Octavus Grenfell
Captain, 9th Lancers (Queen's Royal)
- Register No.
- 492 (Alf's numbering, from The Register of the Victoria Cross, 1997)
- Rank
- Captain all Captains →
- Unit
- 9th Lancers (Queen's Royal) all 9th Lancers VCs →
- Date of action
- 24 August 1914 on this day → all of 1914 →
- Conflict / campaign
- First World War
- London Gazette
- 16th November, 1914 on this day → all of 1914 →
- Born
- 4th September, 1880 at Hatchlands, Guildford, Surrey
- Died
- 24th May 1915 at Hooge, Belgium. (killed in action)
- Memorial / grave
- at Hooge, Belgium
- Medal held by
- 9th/12 Lancers Museum, The Strand, DERBY(Reg
From Alf Askin's research notes
Reproduced as Alf wrote it, c. 2000–2005. Spelling and abbreviations are his own.
GRENFELL, Francis Octavus. (reg No. 492).
Captain. 9th Lancers (Queen's Royal).
London Gazetted on 16th November, 1914.
VC Medal's Custodian is 9th/12 Lancers Museum, The Strand, DERBY(Reg HQ).
Born on 4th September, 1880 at Hatchlands, Guildford, Surrey.
Died on 24th May 1915 at Hooge, Belgium. (killed in action).
Memorial on grave at Hooge, Belgium.
Digest of Citation reads: On 24th August, 1914 at Audregnies, Belgium, Captain Grenfell rode with the Regiment in a charge against a large body of unbroken German infantry. The casualties and were very heavy and the captain was left as the senior officer. He was rallying part of the regiment behind a railway embankment when he was twice hit and severely wounded. In spite of his injuries, however, when asked for help in saving the guns, by the commander * of the 119th Battery, Royal Field Artillery, he and some volunteers, under a hail of bullets, help to manhandle and push the guns out a range of enemy fire.
* See E W Alexander (reg No. 16).
Alf's notes on his life
Digest of Citation reads: On 24th August, 1914 at Audregnies, Belgium, Captain Grenfell rode with the Regiment in a charge against a large body of unbroken German infantry. The casualties and were very heavy and the captain was left as the senior officer. He was rallying part of the regiment behind a railway embankment when he was twice hit and severely wounded. In spite of his injuries, however, when asked for help in saving the guns, by the commander * of the 119th Battery, Royal Field Artillery, he and some volunteers, under a hail of bullets, help to manhandle and push the guns out a range of enemy fire.
* See E W Alexander (reg No. 16).
HQ).
Visit the grave or memorial
Alf recorded the memorial as: at Hooge, Belgium
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