remarkable New Zealander
 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lloyd_Allan_Trigg

The only man in history to be awarded a Victoria Cross on the advise of the Enemy

posted by wilko over at 92b, dont know if it's been posted here

OOoooo I'm Sorry the correct answer is "who is Tripper, Tripper was what we were looking for"

interesting story, shame its short.



stfu

[quote:07ef2]In May 1998, Trigg's VC was sold at auction by Spinks of London for £120,000, the equal highest price ever realised for a VC, at that time. The seller was not believed to have been a relative of Trigg, and the buyer was anonymous.[/quote:07ef2]

wtf? the seller was not believed to be a relative? shouldnt the medal be given to the next of kin. Rather than be auctioned off?

Very interesting. Thanks BlackJackal/Wilko.

I had never heard of him 'til I read Wilko's thread. I'm proud to be one of only four million kiwis when I read stories like this man's.

Re: remarkable New Zealander
 

Actually that's not technically true on the ol VC part, tho very dashing stuff nonetheless!

A VC was also recommended by the enemy to the Captain of HMS Glowworm, a G class destroyer, [gay name ya but you haven't heard of HMS Pansy] after ramming the heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper off the Norwegian coast in 1940.

The 8th April found HMS Glowworm off the Norwegian coast, detached from her duties as escort to the battleship HMS Renown, and searching for a seaman washed overboard. Two German destroyers appeared on the horizon and after a short engagement in which the Glowworm recorded at least one hit on the enemy, the Germans retired to the north drawing the British destroyer on to the big 8 inch guns of the heavy Cruiser Admiral Hipper.

The Captain of the Glowworm now had a dreadful choice to make. His normal duty would be to shadow the powerful enemy force to enable the Renown to intercept, but Roope knew there was little chance of remaining in contact with the Hipper in the weather conditions so he chose to challenge the enemy himself, to pit his torpedoes and 4.7 inch guns against the German's greatly superior firepower.

After reporting the enemy to Renown, he charged in, but all ten of his torpedoes missed and Glowworm received a direct hit from Hipper's 8 inch. One gun was put out of action but the destroyer still had a full head of steam and her Captain decided, to the amazement of the Germans, to ram the big cruiser. She hit at full force and embedded her bows solidly into the Hipper. The German Captain manoeuvred frantically to release his unwanted visitor and finally had to train all the guns that would bear to blast the destroyer from his side.

Glowworm drifted away and heeled to starboard. The ship was a shambles with few unwounded. Roope gave the order to abandon ship and shortly after Glowworm turned over. One survivor remembers his Captain, a keen cricketer, sitting on the keel of the upturned hull saying 'I don't suppose we shall play much cricket again." biggrin:

The German cruiser spent over an hour trying to pick up survivors but only 31 out of a crew of 149 were rescued and this did not include her gallant Captain.

So impressed were the Germans with the conduct of the action of the tiny British destroyer that the German Admiral recommended her Captain for the VC, believed to be the only time such a decoration had been awarded on the recommendation of an enemy.


But I guess we now know of two events.



[img]http://warships.web4u.cz/last/hms/dd/glowworm/glowworm_004.jpg[/img]

[img]http://warships.web4u.cz/last/hms/dd/glowworm/glowworm_005.jpg[/img]

[img]http://warships.web4u.cz/last/hms/dd/glowworm/glowworm_001.jpg[/img]

[img]http://homepages.tesco.net/~s.bell/img2.gif[/img]

Good stuff Bunny, please accept this +1 on behalf of a grateful nation.