VC Citation
War Ofce, 1st February, 1945.
The KING has been graciously pleased to approve the award of the
VICTORIA CROSS to:—
Captain Lionel Ernest Queripel (108181), The Royal Sussex
Regiment. (1st Airborne Division) (Dorchester).
In Holland on the 19th September, 1944, Captain Queripel was acting
as Company Commander of a composite Company composed of
three Parachute Battalions.
At 14.00 hours on that day, his Company was advancing along a main
road which ran on an embankment towards Arnhem. The advance
was conducted under continuous medium machine-gun re which,
at one period, became so heavy that the Company became split up
on either side of the road and suffered considerable losses. Captain
Queripel at once proceeded to reorganise his force, crossing and
recrossing the road whilst doing so, under extremely heavy and
accurate re. During this period he carried a wounded Sergeant to
the Regimental Aid Post under re and was himself wounded in the
face.
Having reorganised his force, Captain Queripel personally led a party
of men against the strong point holding up the advance. This strong
point consisted of a captured British anti-tank gun and two machine-
guns. Despite the extremely heavy re directed at him, Captain
Queripel succeeded in killing the crews of the machine-guns and
recapturing the anti-tank gun. As a result of this, the advance was
able to continue.
Later in the same day, Captain Queripel found himself cut off with
a small party of men and took up a position in a ditch. By this time
he had received further wounds in both arms. Regardless of his
wounds and of the very heavy mortar and spandau re, he continued
to inspire his men to resist with hand grenades, pistols and the few