Quentin George Murray Smythe
Encyclopedia
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
(6 August 1916-October 1997) was a South African recipient of the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
forces.
Details
He was 25 years old, and a SergeantSergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
in the Royal Natal Carabineers, 1st SA Infantry Division, South African Forces during the Second World War when the following deed took place near Alem Hamza in Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
for which he was awarded the VC; the citation was gazetted
London Gazette
The London Gazette is one of the official journals of record of the British government, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, in which certain statutory notices are required to be published...
on 11 September 1942:
Further information
He later achieved the rank of Captain. He died from cancer in Parklands Hospital DurbanDurban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
, South Africa in October 1997. He was a farmer from Richmond, the grandson of the penultimate Prime Minister of Natal
Colony of Natal
The Colony of Natal was a British colony in south-eastern Africa. It was proclaimed a British colony on May 4, 1843 after the British government had annexed the Boer Republic of Natalia, and on 31 May 1910 combined with three other colonies to form the Union of South Africa, as one of its...
, Charles Smythe and was educated at Estcourt High School
Estcourt High School
-History:Estcourt High School was founded in 1924 from the upper forms of the Estcourt Government School when it was split into two.- Estcourt Government School :...
. He was an outstanding marksman, a passionate conservationist and animal lover. He left his third wife Pat, three sons, a daughter and 11 grandchildren.
The other South African recipients of the VC in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
were: Gerard Ross Norton
Gerard Ross Norton
Gerard Ross Norton VC MM was a South African recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
, Edwin Swales
Edwin Swales
Edwin Essery Swales VC DFC was a South African pilot and war hero of the Second World War. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and posthumously the Victoria Cross.-Early life and career:...
, and John Dering Nettleton
John Dering Nettleton
Squadron Leader John Dering Nettleton VC was a South African recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
.
The medal
The Medal is displayed at the Johannesburg (Gauteng) Military Museum, South Africa.
External links
- Sergeant Q.G.M. Smythe in The Art of War exhibition at the UK National Archives
- News Item (obituary)
- A List of South African-born Recipients of the Victoria Cross 1855-1945 by Ross Dix-Peek