George Harold Eardley
Sergeant (later Company Sergeant-Major), 4th Battalion King's Shropshire Light Infantry
- Register No.
- 368 (Alf's numbering, from The Register of the Victoria Cross, 1997)
- Rank
- Sergeant (later Company Sergeant-Major) (register: Acting Sergeant) all Sergeants →
- Unit
- 4th Battalion King's Shropshire Light Infantry all King's Shropshire Light Infantry VCs →
- Date of action
- 16 October 1944 on this day → all of 1944 →
- Conflict / campaign
- Second World War
- London Gazette
- 2nd January 1945 on this day → all of 1945 →
- Born
- 6th May 1912 at Congleton, Cheshire
- Died
- 11th September 1991 at Congleton Cheshire
Digest of citation
On 16th October 1944 east of Overloon, Holland, Sergeant Eardley's platoon was ordered to clear some orchards where a strong opposition was holding up the advance, but 80 yards away from the objective the platoon was halted by automatic fire from machine-gun posts. Sergeant Eardley spotted one of these posts and moving forward under heavy fire killed the officer at the post with a grenade. He went on to destroyed two more posts single-handed under fire so intense that it daunted those who were with him, but his action enabled the platoon to achieve its objective and thus ensured the success of the whole attack
From Alf Askin's research notes
Reproduced as Alf wrote it, c. 2000–2005. Spelling and abbreviations are his own.
EARDLEY, George Harold. (reg No. 368).
Sergeant (later Company Sergeant-Major). 4th Battalion King's Shropshire Light Infantry.
London Gazetted on 2nd January 1945.
Born on 6th May 1912 at Congleton, Cheshire.
Died on 11th September 1991 at Congleton Cheshire. He was cremated at Congleton, Cheshire.
Digest of Citation reads: On 16th October 1944 east of Overloon, Holland, Sergeant Eardley's platoon was ordered to clear some orchards where a strong opposition was holding up the advance, but 80 yards away from the objective the platoon was halted by automatic fire from machine-gun posts. Sergeant Eardley spotted one of these posts and moving forward under heavy fire killed the officer at the post with a grenade. He went on to destroyed two more posts single-handed under fire so intense that it daunted those who were with him, but his action enabled the platoon to achieve its objective and thus ensured the success of the whole attack.
He was cremated at Congleton, Cheshire.
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