Pip Gardner VC

Twice decorated tank commander

Philip John Gardner, wartime soldier and businessman: born Sydenham, Kent 25 December 1914; MC 1941; VC 1941; chairman, J. Gardner Holdings 1955-2001; married 1939 Renee Sherburn (one son); died Hove, East Sussex 15 February 2003.

In a fierce tank battle near Tobruk in North Africa Pip Gardner, despite being wounded twice, was not only prepared to sacrifice his own life, but showed raw courage and fast thinking when, under intense fire, he carried a severely wounded officer to safety. For this courageous action he won the Victoria Cross.

In November 1941 Rommel was particularly anxious to advance east, with the prize being the Suez Canal. The irritant in the way was the troublesome Tobruk garrison. As he began concentrating his forces, the Allied troops, bunkered in Tobruk, decided they would break out. The first stage was the capture of a series of enemy strong-points outside the perimeter. Gardner's squadron, of the 4th Royal Tank Regiment was ordered to attack its objective about three miles outside Tobruk. As he dashed forward in his Light Mark VI tank, he found it an exhilarating experience to be on the move again, after months of confinement within the perimeter of Tobruk.

His exhilaration was short-lived, as his tank was put out of action, but he was able to transfer to a Matilda tank and catch up with the rest of his squadron and capture his objective.

On the morning of 23 November, after spending a cold night under his tank, Gardner was ordered to take two tanks to assist two armoured cars of the King's Dragoon Guards, which had been put out of action and with their crews in considerable danger from sustained fire. When he reached them, he found the two armoured cars halted 200 yards apart and slowly and methodically being smashed to pieces by enemy shellfire. Gardner ordered the other tank to give him covering fire while he drove his up to the front armoured car. He clambered out of his tank and under considerable machine-gun and anti-tank fire, but with no thought of his own safety, he managed to secure a tow-rope to the front car. As he was doing this, he saw the badly wounded Lieutenant Peter Beame lying beside the car, with his legs blown off. He lifted him on to the car and gave the order to tow.

Almost immediately the rope broke. Without hesitation Gardner ran back to the car. As he did so he was hit in the arm and leg by machine-gun fire. Yet, despite his wounds, he carried the wounded officer back to his tank, placing him as carefully as possible on the back-engine louvres, and climbed alongside him to hold him on. Both men were totally vulnerable as heavy fire came down. But Gardner refused to abandon the wounded officer. His citation for the Victoria Cross read:

The courage, determination and complete disregard for his own safety displayed by Captain Gardner enabled him, despite his own wounds, and in the face of intense fire at close range, to save the life of his fellow officer, in circumstances fraught with great difficulty and danger.

Despite all Gardner's valiant efforts the young officer died of his wounds.

He recalled in a letter to his parents:

I said many a prayer out loud while I was trying to lift the chap off the ground, and God certainly answered my prayers once again as He always does.

Some years later Gardner was to receive through the post a booklet of poems written by the dead officer Peter Beame. The inscription written by Beame's father read: "To Captain Philip Gardner, VC, MC, from Hewitt Beame, in everlasting gratitude". This inscription moved Gardner greatly.

In an earlier action in the Western Desert, Gardner had been commanding one of two tanks which ran into an unmarked minefield. Alongside him were other tanks, who, like him, had their tracks blown off. They were now sitting ducks, unable to move. Even so, they were called on to continue firing their guns in support of the Indian Brigade who were being attacked.

Gardner's tank received a direct hit which killed his driver and put the two-pounder gun out of action. Worse was to follow as Tom Roe, the senior officer in charge, leapt from his tank to talk to Gardner about the possibility of repairing the tracks. As he was running to the next tank he trod on a landmine. Gardner immediately jumped out of his tank and, disregarding machine-gun fire and following in Roe's footsteps, he found him mortally wounded. Again, retracing his footsteps back to his tank, he collected the first aid kit, only to discover Roe dead on his return. His death left the young lieutenant in charge of six tanks.

His crews tried desperately to repair their tracks. But, as daylight faded and the enemy firing died down, Gardner realised the futility of the task and ordered his crews to walk back along their own tank tracks. The next day Gardner, alone, went back to the tanks to immobilise their guns and to collect personal items and the dog tags of the killed. He was awarded the Military Cross for his actions.

Soon after Tobruk fell Gardner was captured and became a prisoner of the Italians. On the capitulation of the Italians in September 1943, he plotted his escape, but was recaptured and spent the rest of the Second World War as a prisoner of the Germans.

Never one to be idle, in his time at Brunswick he raised IOUs for the people of London who had suffered so badly in the Blitz. After the war Gardner arranged for the collection of the IOUs. To his great delight sufficient money was gathered which led to the foundation of the Brunswick Boys' Club in Fulham.

Pip Gardner was born on the first Christmas Day of the First World War and educated at Dulwich College; on leaving he joined his family firm of air-conditioning manufacturers. As part of his "work experience" he spent some time in Hong Kong, where he joined their Volunteer Defence Force. On his return to the UK he joined the TA in the Westminster Dragoons and was commissioned into the Royal Tank Regiment in 1940. He joined the 4th Royal Tanks in the Western Desert in 1941.

After the war he rejoined the family business J. Gardner & Co, eventually becoming its managing director and later the chairman. He was the Honorary Secretary of the VC and GC Association and for 40 years this most modest of men delighted in being President of the Brunswick Boys' Club.

Courage never deserted Pip Gardner. Eighteen years ago, while shopping with with a companion in Brighton, he heard the cry "Stop thief! Stop thief!" He ran outside to confront the culprit, floored him and put his foot on his neck. His companion had the good sense to pick up a brick to act as a weapon. As the robbers' getaway car drove at them, he hurled it through the windscreen, bringing it to a screeching halt. It was only with reluctance that Gardner, on request of the police, released his foothold on the robber.

Seeing the gang carted off, he remarked to his rather flushed companion, "Well, that got the adrenalin going a bit."

Max Arthur