Victor Alexander Charles Crutchley

Victor Alexander Charles Crutchley (November 2, 1893 – January 24, 1986) was a British admiral in World War II.

World War I

Crutchley (VC, KCB, DSC, Croix de Guerre (France)) was a 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.

He was 24 years old, and a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

On 9/10 May 1918 at Ostend, Belgium, Lieutenant Crutchley took command of Vindictive when the commanding officer had been killed and the second in command seriously wounded. He displayed great gallantry and seamanship both in Vindictive and M.L. 254 which rescued the crew after the former vessel had been sunk between the piers of Ostend harbour. He also took command of M.L. 254 when the commanding officer of that vessel had collapsed from his wounds. M.L. 254 was full of wounded and in a sinking condition, but Lieutenant Crutchley kept her afloat until Warwick came to the rescue.

World War II

Crutchley was the commander of the battleship Warspite from 1937 to 1940. He served in the Norwegian campaign and defeated a German destroyer flotilla at Narvik Fjord. Crutchley was commander of the Royal Naval Barracks at Devonport, England from 1940 to 1941.

Following the outbreak of the Pacific War, Crutchley was seconded to the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), succeeding Admiral John Crace in command of a cruiser squadron based in Brisbane, Australia. In this position, Crutchley served as second-in-command to the American Admiral, Richmond K. Turner, during the Guadalcanal campaign in August 1942. Crutchley was criticized in the press for the US and Australian losses during the Battle of Savo Island, but retained the confidence of his superiors. Crutchley remained with the RAN in the South West Pacific Area for the rest of the war.

Following the war, Crutchley's final command was Flag Officer Gibraltar before his retirement in 1947. Crutchley enjoyed a long retirement and was one of the last surviving admirals from the Second World War at the time of his death in 1986.

(See also Roland Richard Louis Bourke and Geoffrey Heneage Drummond)

Reference

• Monuments To Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
• The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)
• VCs of the First World War – The Naval VCs (Stephen Snelling, 2002)

External links

• Location of grave and VC medal (Dorset)

This page has been migrated from the Victoria Cross Reference with permission.