Able Seaman Colin Grazier was posthumously awarded the George Cross for the “outstanding bravery and steadfast devotion to duty in the face of danger” which he displayed on 30 October 1942 in action in the Mediterranean.
- Colin Grazier
| Birth Name | Colin Grazier |
| Died | October 30, 1942 |
| Place of Birth | Tamworth, U.K. |
| Place of Death | Mediterranean Sea |
Lieutenant Francis Fasson RN also won the George Cross for the courage that he displayed during the same incident. On 30 October 1942, the destroyer on which they served, HMS Petard, attacked and badly damaged the German U Boat U-559, in conjunction with the Destroyers HMS Pakenham and HMS Hero, the escort destroyers HMS Dulverton and HMS Hurworth, and an RAF Sunderland flying boat of 47 Squadron based in Port Said.
The crew of the U-559 surrendered and her crew was taken off with no casualties. Fasson and Grazier, along with NAAFI canteen assistant Tommy Brown, swam naked to the U-559 and entered the sinking submarine in complete darkness to capture instruments and documentation, fully aware that the submarine could sink without warning at any time. Grazier and Fasson continued to search for and hand over documents and equipment until suddenly the submarine sank, drowning them both.
The awards were published in the London Gazette on 14 September 1943. It has been speculated that due to the significance of their actions they might have been awarded VCs, however secrecy of the cracking of the German Enigma ciphers had to be maintained. Despite this speculation, it should be pointed out that VCs can only be awarded for acts of valour while under enemy fire.
In Grazier’s home town of Tamworth there is a Hotel named after him, which contains a gallery of photographs, and an Avenue, and an office block named after Colin Grazier. In October 2002, a commemorative sculpture was unveiled in Tamworth to honour Grazier and his two colleagues involved in the capture of documents from U559.
The sculpture, the work of Polish sculptor Walenty Pytel, takes the form of three anchors, and the date of the unveiling was chosen to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the action against U559.
Colin Grazier Memorial standing in the Church Square in Tamworth. Colin was responsible, along with others, for recovering the codes used to decipher the Enigma code machine in WW2. Detailed text of the memorial here:
Memorial
Colin Grazier, 1920-1942
This memorial is dedicated to Able Seaman Colin Grazier of Two Gates, Tamworth, who gave his life recovering vital Enigma Codes from a sinking German U-boat.
His extraordinary bravery, together with that of Lt
Tony Fasson and Tommy Brown, all of HMS Petard, changed the course of WWII, saving countless lives worldwide.
While undoubtedly one of the World’s greatest war heroes, Grazier was also one of the least known. Details of his actions remained secret for decades depriving him of the true recognition he so richly deserved. This tribute was erected in the year 2002 following a campaign in the Tamworth Herald which attracted worldwide interest.
It was made possible with the support of local ex-service and civic organisations.
Erected in memory of all Tamworth people who died for their country.
