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Brigadier
Vic Coxon DSO ,MC
1 Para, 4
Para, 2 Para
Born in 1911 at Bude,
Cornwall, he quickly established himself as an all round sportsman who, by the
age of sixteen was representing his native County at rugby, cricket and
football. He had already attracted the attention of Plymouth Argyle Football
Club, who had signed him on as an amateur. Playing as a centre forward, he
became a regular in the team that won promotion to the Second Division of the
Football League. In the nicest possible way, it could also be said that had
cussing been an Olympic sporting, then an aroused Vic Coxon could have
represented Great Britain and won a gold medal, with his signaller L/Cpl Platt
coming a very close second.
However, "Cometh the
hour, cometh the man", and it was as a fighting man that he really came
into his own. Already commissioned into the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry, (DCLI),
when they were ordered to
France with the British Expeditionary Force, his battalion fought a series of rearguard actions, which
resulted in the loss of fifty per cent of it's strength. They did however help
stem the tide long enough to allow the evacuation from the beaches of Dunkirk.
Vic became isolated, but showing a resolution which was so much a part of his
make-up, he made his way to Le-Havre and was eventually evacuated from there on
20th June 1940.
Back in England he, like
so many of our chaps at that time, became disenchanted with inaction and the
mundane duties of the 'poor bloody infantry'. This led him to volunteer for
parachute duties and Second-Lieutenant Harold Brian Coxon joined the newly
re-designated 1st Parachute Battalion in 1941. Having been met by the then
selection officer, Major Alistair Pearson, it soon became apparent that he was a
kindred spirit of the type which made up this early battalion and fitted the
bill perfectly.
Once settled in Kiwi
Barracks, Bulford, Vic was appointed to the rank of Captain and by the time of
the battalion departure for North Africa, had been installed as 2IC to Major
Bull in T Company.
Vic's undoubted
leadership qualities in action were put to the test early on in the Beja area,
the battle at Gue Hill and the capture of 'Coxon's Farm', as it became known,
with only one section. Following an active first eight weeks in Tunisia he was
awarded the Military Cross.
His mettle was again
highly tried at the end of January 1943, when the battalion was moved to El
Arousa in preparation for the attack on Djebel Mansour and Alliliga. On the
night of 31st January, Vic led a patrol to estimate the strength of the German
opposition. Having reached the scrubland near the top, they were challenged in
the moonlight by a jumpy sentry, who tossed a grenade. The resultant explosion
wounded both Vic, and his batman, in the back. Undeterred, the patrol was
rallied, with the aid of Lieutenant Norton, and they charged the enemy causing
havoc. But as dawn broke they came under concentrated fire from other positions
on Djebel Mansour and Alliliga. It had already become apparent that both targets
were strongly held in depth, with some well sited machine gun positions. The
only sensible option was a withdrawal, under smoke and covering fire from the
French artillery. This was achieved bringing out 14 prisoners.
The following night a
patched up, but sore, Vic Coxon took Frankie Manser and his Provost Section to
the same target and set up guidance tapes for a planned battalion night attack,
to be backed up by 3rd Bn Grenadier Guards and a company of the French Foreign
Legion. By this time the enemy were fully alert and jumpy. The attack was to be
postponed until 3rd February, which gave the Germans time to locate and cut the
guide tapes. This unfortunately led S Company to miss the starting line and run
into some intense machine gun fire, causing numerous casualties.
However, within the hour,
the leading sections, under the command of Vic Coxon, had swarmed over the well
dug-in enemy, closely followed by the rest of the battalion. There followed some
of the most vicious close quarter fighting, in which bayonet, knife, boot and
fists, were used, until Djebel Mansour was finally consolidated. Over the next
thirty-six hours the battalion was subjected to countless well led, determined
counter-attacks by infantry, which were interspersed with dive-bombing Stuka
aircraft and heavy artillery attacks, making life on that exposed hilltop
very dangerous.
By mid-morning on 5th
February, yet another artillery barrage had virtually devastated the position
and what was left of the battalion were virtually out of ammunition. R Company
were without any officers at all and with the reinforced enemy massing for a
final assault as soon as the barrage lifted, the position became totally
untenable. A tactical withdrawal was the option when the German infantry were
within fifty yards of the forward defences. Murderous fire was to follow the
withdrawal down the back slopes, but it was orderly and disciplined. The object
of the exercise had been achieved, albeit at great cost. Thirteen officers had
been killed or seriously wounded and one hundred and seventy other ranks had
been killed, wounded or were missing. It can safely be said that very few men
have ever been subjected to such ferocious attacks in any theatre of war and
maintain such resolve. They were truly men apart !
It was against this
background that Vic Coxon took command of R Company following the death of Major
Conron on Djebel Mansour. He was to lead this much reinforced company through
the many battles in the Tamera and Sedgenane sectors which brought him a well
earned DSO in March 1943. He again led R Company in the attack on Primosole
bridge in Sicily, where, among many others he was dropped well off target and
had quite a hike before linking up at the bridge.
Sadly this was his swan
song with 1st Parachute Battalion and he bade farewell to take command of the
4th Parachute Battalion for operations in Italy. Following more heavy fighting
there, his new command spearheaded Operation Dragoon in Southern France in
August 1944. They then went on to Greece, where firstly they drove out the
Germans, then unfortunately became embroiled in anti-terrorist activities
against the communists. To date he had been wounded no less than three times,
awarded the DSO, the MC and a Mention in Despatches, together with one hell of a
reputation as a fighting man.
Vic Coxon had married his
charming `wife in 1938, a union blessed with a son and three daughters. At the
end of wartime service he returned to his career in banking, but soon became
disenchanted with his lot. He rejoined the Army to take command of the
amalgamated 4th/6th Battalion, the Parachute Regiment, in Palestine. In 1947 he
returned to the DCLI in Somaliland and by 1949 was back in Greece as Chief
Instructor of Infantry. Two years later he took over a similar appointment at
the School of Land/Air Warfare, on Salisbury Plain. In 1956 he was in command of
the 2nd Parachute Battalion in Egypt, before returning to take over the
Regimental Depot at Aldershot, where he became the Regimental Colonel. His final
army appointment came as the Garrison Commander, South Wales.
In active retirement Vic
was Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall, Chairman of the English China Clay
Association and had a long commitment to Truro Cathedral. As a final accolade in
1995, the Greek Government conferred on him the 'Freedom of the City of
Athens."
Note !
This story is an edited version of the tribute paid to Vic Coxon, on the
occasion of his death, in the January 2001 edition of the Annual
Newsletter, by Doug Charlton, the Secretary of the "No. 2 Commando, 11th
S.A.S., 1st Parachute Battalion (1940-45)", Old Comrades Association,
himself one of the original members of 1 Para.
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