Henry Tombs
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Henry Tombs VC KCB (10 November 1825-2 August 1874) was a 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.
Contents |
[edit] Details
Henry was educated at Abingdon School. He studied to become at officer at Addiscombe Military Academy. At the age of thirty-one, when a major in the Bengal Horse Artillery, Indian Army during the Indian Mutiny, the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 9 July 1857 at the Siege of Delhi, India, Major Tombs twice went to the rescue of one of his junior officers (James Hills). On the first occasion one of the enemy was about to kill the young officer with his own sword when Major Tombs rushed in and shot the man. A second attack on the subaltern resulted in his being cut down with a sword wound to the head, and he would undoubtedly have been killed if Major Tombs had not put his sword through the assailant.
[edit] Further information
Later Sir Henry. He later achieved the rank of major general.
[edit] The medal
His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Royal Artillery Museum (Woolwich, England).
[edit] References
- Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
- The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)
- Scotland's Forgotten Valour (Graham Ross, 1995)
- Tombs of Abingdon (Nigel Hammond, Oxfordshire Family Historian, December 2004)
[edit] External links
- Location of grave and VC medal (Isle of Wight)
