• Source: George Harold Eardley

Company Sergeant Major George Harold Eardley VC, MM (6 May 1912 – 11 September 1991) was a British Army soldier and an English recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Brother of Arnold Eardley and Elgin Eardley.




Biography


Eardley was 32 years old, and an acting sergeant in the 4th Battalion, King's Shropshire Light Infantry, British Army during the Second World War when he was awarded the VC.
On 16 October 1944, east of Overloon, the Netherlands, Sergeant Eardley's platoon was ordered to clear some orchards where a strong opposition was holding up the advance, but 80 yards (73 m) 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 occupants at the post with a grenade. He went on to destroy 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 later was appointed company sergeant major (CSM).
Eardley was interred at Macclesfield Cemetery in Cheshire.




Medals and Honours



George Harold Eardley VC MM was awarded the following medals:

Victoria Cross
Military Medal
1939-1945 Star
France and Germany Star
Defence Medal
1939-1945 Medal
Croix de Guerre
Elizabeth II Coronation Medal
Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal
A statue was erected in his home town of Congleton on 18 April 2004.




See also


List of Second World War Victoria Cross recipients




References



John Laffin (1997). British VCs of World War 2.
David Charles Harvey (1999). Monuments to Courage.
The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)




Notes






External links



Location of grave and VC medal (Cheshire)

Kata Kunci Pencarian:

• Daftar penerima Salib Victoria
• George Harold Eardley
• Eardley (name)
• Congleton
• 11th Armoured Division (United Kingdom)
• King's Shropshire Light Infantry
• List of English Victoria Cross recipients
• Macclesfield Cemetery
• George IV
• List of prime ministers of the United Kingdom
• 159th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)