World War I Victoria Cross Recipient. He was gazetted for the award on June 2, 1918 for his actions as a captain with the 10th Battalion of The Royal Warwickshire Regiment. British Army on March 23, 1918 at Beaumetz, Hermies Ridge, France. Born into a wealthy family, when World War I broke out in July 1914, he tried to join the British Royal Navy but was turned down by an admiralty board. in December 1914 he enrolled at the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst and was commissioned as a lieutenant into the Royal Warwickshire Regiment in May 1915. He was sent to the Western Front in France with the 10th Battalion the following year, and saw combat action at the 1st Battle of the Somme. On March 23, 1918, during the German Spring Offensive, he performed a courageous act for which he was later awarded the Victoria Cross. Originally left for dead, he was discovered to still be alive and was taken prisoner by the Germans. He died of pneumonia the following year at the age of 21 in the Niederzwehren Prisoner of War Camp, Germany. His Victoria Cross citation reads: "For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty. Capt. Gribble was in command of the right company of the battalion when the enemy attacked, and his orders were to ' hold on to the last.' His company was eventually entirely isolated, though he could easily have withdrawn them at one period when the rest of the battalion on his left were driven back to a secondary position. His right flank was ' in the air,' owing to the withdrawal of all troops of a neighbouring division. By means of a runner to the company on his left rear he intimated his determination to hold on until other orders were received from battalion headquarters - and this he inspired his command to accomplish. His company was eventually surrounded by the enemy at close range, and he was seen fighting to the last. His subsequent fate is unknown. By his splendid example of grit, Capt. Gribble was materially instrumental in preventing for some hours the enemy obtaining a complete mastery of the crest of ridge, and by his magnificent self-sacrifice he enabled the remainder of his own brigade to be withdrawn, as well as another garrison and three batteries of field artillery."