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{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{Infobox military person
| honorific_prefix = Major
| name = John Edgar Grahame Vivian
| honorific_suffix = MC and Bar
| image = John Edgar Grahame Vivian.jpg
| caption = John Edgar Grahame Vivian
| birth_date = 28 October 1919
| death_date = 10 July 2015
| birth_place = Camborne, Cornwall
| death_place = Golant, Cornwall
| nickname = Father Primus Stove
| allegiance = United Kingdom; Sultanate of Oman
| branch = Army
| rank = Major
| servicenumber = 138129
| unit = Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry; Gurkha Rifles; Goorkhas; Oman Gendarmerie; Oman Coastal Patrol
| battles = Second World War; Malaya Emergency
| awards = Military Cross and Bar (UK); Sultan’s Distinguished Service Medal (Oman)
| laterwork = Businessman
}}
Major '''John Edgar Grahame Vivian''' [[Military Cross|MC]] and Bar (28 October 1919 – 10 July 2015) was a British Army officer who won the [[Military Cross]] in Burma in 1944 and again in Malaya in 1956. He later served as an officer in the army of the [[Sultan of Oman]].<ref name=":0">[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/11765868/Major-Grahame-Vivian-obituary.html Major Grahame Vivian - obituary.] ''[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]'', 27 July 2015. Retrieved 3 September 2015.</ref>

==Early life==
John Edgar Grahame Vivian was born in [[Camborne]], [[Cornwall]] on 28 October 1919. His father managed mining companies and the family moved to [[Myanmar|Burma]] and [[Thailand|Siam]] to take up work there. He went to school at [[Repton]] in [[Derbyshire]] and would go on to attend [[Camborne School of Mines]]. However, the outbreak of the [[World War II|Second World War]] curtailed his studies at the mining school.<ref name=":0" />

== Military service ==
=== Second World War ===
Vivian entered the [[British Army]] in the [[Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry|Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry]] but was disappointed to be posted close to home. After volunteering for service with the [[Indian Army during World War II|Indian Army]], in December 1942 he joined the 4th battalion of the [[8th Gorkha Rifles|8th Gurkha Rifles]] in [[British Raj|India]]. His battalion deployed to [[Ranchi]] and to [[Arakan]] area of Burma towards the end of 1943.<ref name=":0" />

==== Military Cross Action ====
On 9 January 1944 Vivian was ordered to infiltrate Dhobi Hill which intelligence suggested was lightly defended. However, when Vivian closed on the position he found it to be defended by the [[Imperial Japanese Army|Japanese Army]] in strength. In spite of the enemy strength being greater than anticipated Vivian decided to attack. Once battle had been joined Vivian was knocked over by a [[Mortar (weapon)|mortar shell]] and received wounds to his chest, stomach and arm. He refused medical treatment and ordered his men to dig in and hold their position in the face of strengthening Japanese resistance. Vivian continued to arrange the defence of the position until he was overcome by his wounds. Two of his men improvised a stretcher from their rifles and carried Vivian for three days back to the regimental base.<ref name=":0" />

His actions saw him awarded the Military Cross, the citation for which read -<ref name=":0" />
{{Quote|text=His actions throughout the operation were outstanding for resolution, leadership, conspicuous bravery and total disregard for his personal safety.|sign=|source=}}

=== Treatment and Recovery ===
After the battle Vivian was sent to military hospitals in Ranchi and Poona before being evacuated in 1945 to Princess Elizabeth Orthopaedic Hospital in [[Exeter]]. In Exeter he underwent several operations, especially on his right hand. For the rest of his life a piece of shrapnel remained in his shoulder and another in his throat (the removal of which was thought too dangerous).<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/major-grahame-vivian-soldier-whose-extraordinary-bravery-helped-turn-around-the-war-in-the-far-east-10436152.html|title=Major Grahame Vivian: Soldier whose extraordinary bravery helped turn around the war in the Far East and won him the Military Cross|last=Keleny|first=Anne|date=3 August 2015|work=The Independent}}</ref> Vivian was finally able to leave hospital in February 1946 when he rejoined the [[Brigade of Gurkhas|Gurkha Rifles]] at [[Quetta]].<ref name=":0" />

=== Malaya ===
{{See also|Malayan Emergency}}
After transferring to the 2nd Ghorkhas in 1947, Vivian served in Malaya and [[Hong Kong]] before returning in 1956 to Malaya. There he commanded troops in anti-bandit operations in the [[Kuala Pilah District]] of [[Negeri Sembilan|Negri Sembilan]].<ref name=":0" />

==== Operation Googly ====
Vivian accompanied a police officer on 28 September 1956 to one of three meetings with a terrorist informant as part of Operation Googly. These meetings yielded intelligence of a meeting between high ranking terrorists. On 2 October, Vivian lead an assault which saw the capture of four leading terrorists.<ref name=":0" />

==== Second Military Cross ====
On 6 October Vivian lead a second assault. Along with two police officers he waited within 60 yards of a terrorist camp for eight hours before making a 40 minute march in darkness to get into position for their attack. The terrorists opened fire with shotguns and automatic weapons but Vivian and the police officers silenced them with two terrorists killed. This actions lead to Vivian being awarded a bar to his Military Cross.<ref name=":0" />

The citation for the award stated -<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/41079/supplement/3156/data.pdf|title=Bar to the Military Cross|date=28 May 1957|work=London Gazette}}</ref>

{{Quote|text=For courage, determination and successful leadership during a number of actions against Communist terrorists in Malaya. He constantly exposed himself to the greatest risks to ensure success.|sign=|source=The London Gazette}}

== Post Army Life ==
=== Civilian Work ===
Vivian retired from the army in 1959, going to work for [[English China Clays]] in Cornwall. From there he moved to the [[Oman|Sultanate of Oman]] to become an officer in the Sultan’s Armed Forces.<ref name=":0" />

=== Sultanate of Oman ===
In Oman, Vivian served as Deputy Commander of the Oman Gendarmerie up to 1965 and Commander Coastal Patrol till 1966. A political appointment followed in 1973 as Djebel Liaison Officer where he reported to Sayyid Fahr bin Taimur Al Said, based at [[Saiq]] in the Djebel Al Akhdar mountains. He was known as Abu Primus (Father Primus Stove) as his temper could flare up as quickly as a [[Primus stove|Primus Stove]]. Vivian retired in 1985 and was awarded the Sultan’s Distinguished Service Medal.<ref name=":0" />

=== Return to Britain ===
After leaving Oman, Vivian returned to Cornwall where he cared for his wife, who died in 1987. He lived for the next nine years Vivian lived at the family home in [[Lostwithiel]] before remarrying and settling in [[Golant]]. Vivian was a member of the Regimental Association and contributor to the [[The Gurkha Welfare Trust|Gurkha Welfare Trust]].<ref name=":0" />

Vivian died at Golant in Cornwall on 10 July 2015.<ref name=":1" />

==Personal life==
He learned languages and spoke [[English language|English]], [[Urdu]], [[Nepali language|Gurkhali]] and [[Arabic]] fluently.<ref name=":0" />

Vivian first married Gwen Caswell, to whom he had been engaged for six years, in 1945. Gwen predeceased him 1987 and he remarried in 1996 to Lorna Kirby. He had two sons and a daughter from his first marriage and three step daughters from his second.<ref name=":0" />

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vivian, Grahame}}
[[Category:1919 births]]
[[Category:2015 deaths]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Military Cross]]
[[Category:British Indian Army officers]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of the Malayan Emergency]]
[[Category:People from Camborne]]
[[Category:Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry officers]]
[[Category:People educated at Repton School]]
[[Category:Omani military personnel]]
[[Category:Royal Gurkha Rifles officers]]
[[Category:Indian Army personnel of World War II]]

Grahame Vivian - Revision history

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