Henry Tandey

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Pte Henry Tandy VC, DCM, MM

Henry Tandey (VC, DCM, MM) 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 is most famous for allegedly sparing the life of a soldier who was later identified as Adolf Hitler, at Marcoing, France in September 1918. See:- History Place

1 Details
2 Further information
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Details

He was 27 years old, and a private in the 5th Battalion, The Duke of Wellington's (West Riding) Regiment, British Army during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

On 28 September 1918 at Marcoing, France, during the counter-attack after the capture of the village and river crossing, Private Tandey's platoon was held up by machine-gun fire, he crawled forward, located the gun and with a Lewis gun team, knocked it out. Arriving at the river crossing, he restored the plank bridge under a hail of bullets. Later in the evening, during an attack he, with eight comrades, was surrounded by an overwhelming number of the enemy. Although the position seemed hopeless, he led a bayonet charge, fighting so fiercely that 37 of the enemy were driven into the hands of the remainder of his company.

[edit] Further information

He later achieved the rank of Sergeant.
Tandey almost shot Adolf Hitler during the battle at Marcoing. See:- Featured Article
Private Tandey donated his medals to the Duke of Wellington's regimental Museum (Halifax, West Yorkshire, England). On special occasions he would sign them out to wear. Regretfully, after the last time he signed them out he died, before they were returned. Unknowingly, the medals were sold and a private collector subsequently presented the medals to the Regimental Museum of the Green Howards, a regiment in which he had earlier served. The 'Dukes' were amalgamated with the Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire and the Green Howards', all Yorkshire-based regiments in the King's Division, to form the Yorkshire Regiment on the 6 June 2006.