Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A mounted group of nine miniature dress medals attributed to Private Henry Tandy, V.C., D.C.M., M.M., Duke of Wellington’s Regiment

Victoria Cross; Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R.; Military Medal, G.V.R.; 1914 Star, with clasp; British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf; Defence Medal; Coronation 1937; Coronation 1953, mounted court style for wear, nearly extremely fine (9) £500-600

Victoria Cross London Gazette 14 December 1918. ‘For desperate bravery and great initiative during the capture of the village and crossings at Marcoing and the later counter-attack on September 28th, 1918.

During the advance on Marcoing this soldier’s Platoon was held up by machine-gun fire, and stopped. He at once crawled forward under heavy fire, located the machine-gun position, led a Lewis Gun team into a neighbouring house from which they were able to knock out the gun, and his Platoon continued the advance.

On arrival at the crossings the plank bridge was broken, under heavy fire and seemingly impassible, and he crawled forward putting the planks into position and making the bridge passable under a hail of bullets, thus enabling the first crossing to be made at this vital spot. He must have seen that the chances of losing his life amounted to almost certainty.
Later in the evening, during an attack by his Company to enlarge the bridge head and capture Marcoing Support Trench, he, with eight comrades were surrounded by an overwhelming number of Germans, and though the position was apparently hopeless, he led a bayonet charge through them, fighting so fiercely that thirty-seven of the enemy were driven into the hands of the remainder of his Company in the rear and taken prisoners, the party winning clear, though he was twice wounded. Even then he refused to leave, leading parties into dug-outs and capturing over twenty of the enemy, and though faint from the loss of blood, stayed until the fight was won’.

D.C.M. London Gazette 5 December 1918; M.M. London Gazette 13 March 1919.

Henry Tandy was born in Leamington, Warwickshire on 30 August 1891. In the Great War, as a Private in the 5th Battalion The Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding) Regiment he won the Victoria Cross, Distinguished Conduct Medal and Military Medal and was five times mentioned in despatches. In the Second World War he served as a Recruiting Sergeant. He died on 20 December 1977 and his full-size medals were sold in Sotheby’s 26 November 1980. Sold with two copied photographs and newspaper clippings relating to the sale.