Roger Cook: a tribute to the life of Jack Grayburn (VC)

 

This document, compiled and written by Roger Cook, pays tribute to Jack Grayburn, whose remarkable story unfolds over the following pages. Many of our club members will mark the 70th anniversary of his death by visiting Arnhem this year, to play some rugby, have some fun and then we will all gather at Jack’s grave to pay our respects. It will be in some ways a typical rugby tour, following in a long, long tradition of such events at our club. In other ways it will be like no other tour, an emotional experience both for the oldest members and the youngest. We cannot truly comprehend the events of the bridge too far because we were not there, when Jack Grayburn stood up and confronted mortal danger, doing his job, protecting his men, at whatever risk. He was, by all accounts, an extraordinary man from an extraordinary family. Roger recounts their story and includes the moving citation for his Victoria Cross, as well as other accounts from those who knew him, and knew his family. Do read their story, and let us never forget Jack Grayburn and those other brave men from our rugby club who lost their lives at war, heroes all.

Peter Osborne, President of Amersham and Chiltern RFC. 2014.

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