Henry Tandey

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Henry Tandey bigraphy, stories - Recipient of the Victoria Cross

Henry Tandey : biography

30 August 1891 – 20 December 1977

Henry Tandey, VC, DCM, MM (30 August 1891 – 20 December 1977) was an English 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. He was the most highly decorated British private of the First World War.

Post-war years

Tandey returned to Leamington and married. Tandey died in 1977, childless, at the age of 86. At his request, he was cremated and his ashes buried in the Masnieres British Cemetery at Marcoing, France, on 23 May 1978, by his undertaker Pargetter and Son. due to French laws it was not permissible for his ashes to be scattered, or any form of ceremony or commemoration to him.

Henry Tandey Court, on Union Road, in Leamington, is named after him. It was originally a workshop and builders yard of Mr. G.F.Smith. Who built St. Marks Church and Vicarage.

A Blue plaque is to be installed outside the Angel Hotel in Regent Street, where Henry Tandey was born in 1891 and where he attended the local St Peter’s School.

Military service

Tandey enlisted into the Green Howards Regiment on 12 August 1910. After basic training he was posted to their 2nd Battalion on 23 January 1911, serving with them in Guernsey and South Africa prior to the outbreak of World War I.http://www.firstworldwar.com/features/tandey.htm He took part in the Battle of Ypres in October 1914, and was wounded on 24 October 1916, at the Battle of the Somme. On discharge from hospital he was posted to the 3rd Battalion on 5 May 1917, before moving to the 9th Battalion on 11 June 1917. He was wounded a second time on 27 November 1917, during the Battle of Passchendaele. After his 2nd period of hospital treatment he returned to the 3rd Battalion, on 23 January 1918, before being posted to the 12th Battalion on 15 March 1918, where he remained until the 26 July 1918. On 26 July 1918 Tandey transferred from the Green Howards to The Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding Regiment). He was posted to their 5th Battalion on 27 July 1918.

Distinguished Conduct Medal

On 28 August 1918, during the 2nd Battle of Cambrai the 5th Battalion was in action to the west of the Canal du Nord. Tandey was in charge of one of several bombing parties on the German trenches. As the forward parties were being held up Tandey took two men and dashed across open ground (No man’s land) under fire and bombed a trench. He returned with twenty prisoners. This action led to the capture of the German positions and Tandey was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) on 5 December 1918, the citation read:

Military Medal

On 12 September the 5th Battalion was involved in an attack at Havrincourt, where Tandey again distinguished himself. Having rescued several wounded men under fire the previous day, Tandey again led a bombing party into the German trenches, returning with more prisoners. For this action Tandey was awarded the Military Medal (MM) on 13 March 1919. Note that his family name was Tandy, but he changed it to Tandey after problems with his father, therefore some military records have a different spelling of his name.

Victoria Cross

Tandey was 27 years old and a private in the 5th Battalion Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding) Regiment when he performed the actions which earned him the Victoria Cross (VC).

On 28 September 1918, during a counter-attack at the canal, following the capture of Marcoing, France, his platoon was stopped by machine-gun fire. Tandey crawled forward, located the gun position and with a Lewis gun team, silenced it. Reaching the canal crossing, he restored the plank bridge under heavy fire. In the evening, he and eight comrades were surrounded by an overwhelming number of the enemy. Tandey led a bayonet charge, fighting so fiercely that 37 of the enemy were driven into the hands of the remainder of his company. Although twice wounded, Tandey refused to leave until the fight was won, eventually going into hospital for the third time on 4 October 1918.