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Government House, Guernsey: War and Sporting Hero

Lieutenant General Sir Philip Neame is considered the only man to have won the Victoria Cross and an Olympic gold medal.

During World War One, while still a lieutenant in the Royal Engineers, Philip Neame arrived at the front lines during the attack at Givenchy, France in December 1914. Having led his sappers forward to fortify a captured German trench, he found it still being contested and using hand grenades helped the infantry to withdraw with the wounded.

It was for this action that Philip Neame received the Victoria Cross.

After the war he represented Great Britain in the 1924 Paris Olympics where he won gold with the 100m running deer double shot team. This was a team shooting event that involved teams of four, firing shots at a moving target simulating a deer.

Philip Neame served as Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey from 1945 to 1953.

Location: Government House, The Queen’s Road, Guernsey GY1 1GH
Image: Sir Philip Neame, courtesy of IWM

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