Peter Scawen Watkinson Roberts, (28 July 1917 – 8 December 1979) was a

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

officer and a recipient of the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...

, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Details

Roberts was 24 years old, and a

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

in the

during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross. On 16 February 1942 north of

Crete Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and ...

, in the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...

, HM Submarine ''Thrasher'', after attacking and sinking a supply ship, was itself attacked. ''Thrasher'' was subjected to a three-hour depth charge attack and aerial bombing. Later, after surfacing, two unexploded bombs were discovered in the gun-casing. Lieutenant Roberts and a petty officer ( Thomas William Gould) removed the first one without too much difficulty, but the second bomb had penetrated the side plating of the gun emplacement, and then the deck casing above the pressure hull. Roberts and Gould entered the confined space (which was no more than 2 ft high in places), and lying flat, wormed past deck supports, battery ventilators, and drop bollards. The petty officer then lay on his back with the 100 lb bomb in his arms while the lieutenant dragged him along by the shoulders. Meanwhile, ''Thrasher'' was surfaced, stationary, and close inshore to enemy waters. If the submarine was forced to crash dive, both men would drown. It was 40 minutes before they got the bomb clear, wrapped it in sacking, and dropped it over the side. Roberts' VC is on display in the Lord Ashcroft Gallery at the

Imperial War Museum Imperial War Museums (IWM) is a British national museum organisation with branches at five locations in England, three of which are in London. Founded as the Imperial War Museum in 1917, the museum was intended to record the civil and military ...

, London. The award of the two new VCs wa
announced by the BBC
on 11 June 1942.

References

External links

King's Canterbury Roll of Honour
in ''The Art of War'' exhibition at the

UK National Archives , type = Non-ministerial department , seal = , nativename = , logo = Logo_of_The_National_Archives_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg , logo_width = 150px , logo_caption = , formed = , preceding1 = , dissolved = , superseding = , juris ...

Location of grave and VC medal
''(Devonshire)'' * {{DEFAULTSORT:Roberts, Peter Scawen Watkinson 1917 births 1979 deaths Military personnel from Buckinghamshire Royal Navy officers Royal Navy officers of World War II People educated at The King's School, Canterbury Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom) Royal Navy recipients of the Victoria Cross British World War II recipients of the Victoria Cross People from Chiltern District Royal Navy submariners Royal Navy personnel of the Korean War