Private Henry Tandey VC 5DWR

34506 Private Henry TANDEY, DCM 5th Battalion. The Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding) Regiment (TF)
For most conspicuous bravery and initiative during the capture of the village and the crossings at Marcoing and the subsequent counter-attack on 28th of September, 1918.
When, during the advance on Marcoing, his platoon was held my machine-gun fire, he at once crawled forward, located the machine-gun, and with his Lewis gun team knocked it out. On arrival at the crossing he restored the plank bridge under a hail of bullets, thus enabling the first crossing to be made at this vital spot.
Later in the evening, during an attack, he, with eight comrades, was surrounded by an overwhelming number of Germans and, though the position was apparently helpless, he led a bayonet charge through them, fighting so fiercely that 37 of the enemy were driven into the hands of the remainder of his company. Although twice wounded he refused to leave until the fight was won.
(London Gazette, 14th of December, 1918)
Medals awarded: Victoria Cross, Distinguished Conduct Medal, Military Medal, 1914 1915 Star, War Medal, Victory Medal with MiD Oak Leaf

NB: Tandey donated his medals to the Duke of Wellington’s Regimental Museum. On special occasions and parades he would sign them out to wear. During the last period that he had signed them out, he died. Unaware that the medals should have been returned to the museum, the medals were auctioned at Sotheby’s, in London, by his wife and purchased by a private collector. They were later presented to the Regimental Museum of The Green Howards (the regiment in which he had earlier served), by Sir Ernest Harrison OBE, at a ceremony in the Tower of London on 11 November 1997.