Robert Edward Cruickshank

Who was Robert Edward Cruickshank?

Robert Edward Cruickshank VC was an Anglo-Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Cruickshank was born in Winnipeg in 1888, the first of 5 children. He moved to England with his family when he was 3 where he moved frequently.

In the First World War he initially volunteered for the Royal Flying Corps, but transferred to the London Scottish Regiment. After being injured in the Battle of the Somme he was returned home to recuperate before transferring to Egypt. While in Egypt, on 1 May 1918, he volunteered to carry a message along the front line where he was hit several times by a sniper. For his continued attempts at climbing the slopes of a wadi whilst wounded and under sniper fire, he was awarded the Victoria Cross. After the war he returned to business work before moving to Southend. After serving in the Home Guard as a Major in the Second World War, he served on several local organisations and committees before dying in Leicestershire in 1961. His medal was donated to his regimental museum.