A brave hero who did Norfolk proud

December 22 , 2003

An artist’s impression of David Jamieson’s exploits on the battlefield. It was painted by Peter Archer and commissioned by the Royal Anglians.

JAMIESON PLACE
(Dereham Road)

THE British tank rolled towards the centre of the small and battered group of Royal Norfolks . . . and straight into the gunsights of a hidden German panzer.

One man had spotted the danger during the savage battle of the Orne bridgehead in August, 1944.

David Jamieson, the young Norfolk commander of the infantrymen, tried to shout a warning above the roar of battle.

The modest hero who went on to become the High Sheriff of Norfolk.

But no one could hear him, so he ran across the open ground on the edge of the French village of Grimbosq and reached the tank.

Dismissing the risks, he pulled his 6ft 5in frame on to the side of the turret in full view of the enemy, but it was too late — a shell drilled a hole in the tank’s armour.

“I must have been blown off it but all I can remember is being covered in blood. I got bits of metal in my eye and my arm. I thought I was going to die,” he recalled later.

Incredibly, despite his injuries, he carried on with the fight and the epic 36-hour stand against a string of German tank attacks continued with the wounded captain directing the defence.

Four companies of the 7th Royal Norfolks were advancing through France and Jamieson led the 75-strong “D” Company that had been left to fend for itself after being cut off and isolated. They were fighting for survival.

With Jamieson in charge, they did just that and more . . .

He was a brave and inspired leader and many of his men said later they owed him their lives.

Eventually, the Germans, severely mauled in seven attacks on the Royal Norfolks, turned tail and fled with the weary British infantrymen still clinging to their position beside the gutted village.

Captain Jamieson was posted to a transit camp in Northern Ireland after undergoing medical treatment for his wounds. One night, after leaving the
cinema, he was told someone in his regiment had got the highest wartime bravery award — the Victoria Cross.

“It never occurred to me it could be me,” he said later, and added modestly, “It was certainly not personally deserved. It was won by a group of men in a tight position.”

After leaving the Army, this old Etonian returned to his beloved Norfolk where he became a successful businessman and served as High Sheriff of Norfolk in 1980.

He bequeathed his VC to the Royal Norfolk Regimental Museum at the Shire Hall in Norwich. He died in 2001.

A brave and modest man.

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