Raise a glass to a true war hero

Greaves VC Extra Special Bitter, inspired by a Chesterfield war hero

Each year around Remembrance Day thousands of red paper poppies are worn in recognition of wartime sacrifice.

But in 2009 one local company did more than donning the usual red poppy to show their support.

The Spire Brewery in Staveley, Chesterfield brewed the Fred Greaves VC Extra Special Bitter in recognition to a Chesterfield war hero.

Fred Greaves was born in Killamarsh in 1890 and from the age of 13, worked as a miner at Markham Main pit.

He went on to fight in World War One in 1915, in which he was awarded the Victoria Cross - the highest award for gallantry.

BBC Sheffield reporter Andy Kershaw visited Dave McLaren at the Spire Brewery for a taste of the Greaves VC Extra Special Bitter. Dave described how they came to brew the ale:

"We were looking to brew a special beer for the Poppy Day appeal when we were approached by local historian Raymond Griffiths who had done the research on Fred. The idea for Greaves VC was born!" explains Dave.

The 5.1% ABV pint is a full-flavoured, deep amber ale made with traditional English malts and varieties of Whitbread Golding hops.

Dave McLaren of the Spire Brewery in Chesterfield

Ten pence per pint went to the Royal British Legion's Poppy Day appeal and it was on tap around Poppy Day at various pubs across South Yorkshire including the Fat Cat in Sheffield and The Real Ale Corner in Chesterfield.

But how did Fred Greaves come to be a war hero? Local historian Raymond Griffiths did the research:

Fred joined up in 1915 and became a Private in the 9th Battalion of the Sherwood Foresters. In the same year he fought in the Gallipoli campaign. From there he was posted to Egypt, and then set sail for France. He arrived on the Western Front in July 1916 with the rank of Corporal.

During the battles of Poelcapelle east of Ypres, something remarkable happened on October 4th 1917 for which he was remembered from that day forth.

At the time the London Gazette described why Corporal Fred Greaves was awarded the Victoria Cross: 'For most conspicuous bravery, initiative and leadership when his platoon was temporarily held up by machine gun fire from a concrete stronghold.'

The newspaper report continues: 'Seeing that his platoon commander and sergeant were casualties, Corporal Greaves rushed forward regardless of his personal safety and captured the garrison.

Corporal Greaves won a Victoria Cross for his bravery during World War One

'It was solely due to the personal pluck, dash and initiative of this non-commissioned officer that the assaulting line at this point was not held up, and that our troops escaped serious casualties'.

But Corporal Fred Greaves' bravery and heroism was not over for the day. Later in the afternoon, at the most critical period of the battle, 'this gallant non-commissioned officer collected his men, threw out extra posts on the threatened flank, and opened up rifle and machine gun fire to enfilade the advance.

'The effect on his men of Corporal Greaves' conduct cannot be over-estimated and those under his command responded gallantly to his example.'

For this, Fred Greaves received the Victoria Cross at Buckingham Palace in January 1918.

When the war ended in 1918 Fred went back to work as a miner at Barlborough.

His bravery was called upon again at the Markham Main pit disaster in 1938, which claimed 79 lives. Fred spent that week digging people out and helping the injured.

During World War Two he served in the Civil Defence and seven years later, he needed an operation... to remove a bullet which had been embedded in his leg since 1916!

Greaves also worked as a miner and was a Derbyshire cycling champion

Fred retired as a Pit Safety Officer in 1955 and when he died in 1973, was given a full military funeral, complete with a 21-gun salute.

His Victoria Cross can be viewed at Nottingham Castle Regimental Museum. It was the last Victoria Cross to be presented to Fred's regiment the 9th Battalion of Sherwood Foresters and the first Victoria Cross for Chesterfield.

Fred Greaves was not only well-known for his courage; he was also a cycling champion in his youth. When he was a teenager he had had both legs and his pelvis broken after being run over by a coal truck.

Doctors suggested that he took up cycling to strengthen his legs. He did so and went on to become Derbyshire cycling champion in 1914 for distances over 50 and 100 miles.

According to Dave McLaren at The Spire Brewery, Fred was a modest man to the last and it is ironic that he had had a beer brewed in his honour:

"His daughter came to the brewery last week and said he'd be up there chuckling... She said he was a bit of a Methodist and a teetotaller!"

Thanks to local historian Raymond Griffiths for much of the information in this article.