Henry Tandey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Henry Tandey
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Private Henry Tandey VC, DCM, MM
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| Birth name | Henry James Tandy |
| Born | 30 August 1891 Leamington, Warwickshire, UK |
| Died | 20 December 1977 (aged 86) Coventry, West Midlands, UK |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/ |
 British Army |
| Years of service | 1907–1926 |
| Rank | Private |
| Service number | 34506 |
| Unit | The Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards) (1909–18) West Riding Regiment (Duke of Wellington's Regiment) (1918–26) |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Victoria Cross Distinguished Conduct Medal Military Medal Mentioned in Despatches (5) |
Henry James Tandey was a brave British soldier who received the Victoria Cross (VC). This is the highest award for courage in battle given to British and Commonwealth forces. He was one of the most decorated private soldiers in the First World War. Tandey is also known for a story where he supposedly spared the life of Adolf Hitler during the war. He was born with the last name Tandy but changed it to Tandey later on.
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Early Life of Henry Tandey
Henry James Tandey was born on August 30, 1891, in Leamington, England. His father was a former soldier, and his mother passed away when Henry was young. He went to St. Peters' primary school in Leamington. For a while, he lived in an orphanage. Later, he worked at a hotel, looking after the boilers.
Henry Tandey's Military Service
Tandey joined the Green Howards Regiment on August 12, 1907. After his training, he served with his battalion in Guernsey and South Africa. This was before World War I began.
Fighting in World War I
Tandey fought in the First Battle of Ypres in October 1914. He was wounded for the first time on October 24, 1916, during the Battle of the Somme. After recovering, he returned to duty. He was wounded a second time on November 27, 1917, during the Battle of Passchendaele. After more hospital treatment, he rejoined his unit. On July 26, 1918, Tandey moved from the Green Howards to The Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment).
Distinguished Conduct Medal
On August 28, 1918, during the Second Battle of Cambrai, Tandey showed great bravery. He was leading a small group of soldiers attacking German trenches. When his group was stopped, Tandey took two men and ran across open ground under enemy fire. They threw bombs into a trench and captured twenty German prisoners. This brave action helped his unit take the German positions. For this, Tandey received the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM).
A few weeks later, on September 12, Tandey again proved his courage. During a battle at Havrincourt, he rescued several wounded soldiers while under fire. He then led another attack into German trenches and captured more prisoners. For these actions, he was awarded the Military Medal (MM).
Victoria Cross: Tandey's Highest Honor
Henry Tandey was 27 years old when he earned the Victoria Cross (VC). This happened on September 28, 1918, near Marcoing, France.
- Silencing a Machine Gun: His group was stopped by heavy machine-gun fire. Tandey bravely crawled forward to find where the gun was located. With his team, he used a Lewis gun to stop the enemy machine gun.
- Repairing a Bridge: When they reached a canal crossing, the bridge was broken. Under heavy enemy fire, Tandey fixed the wooden bridge. This allowed his comrades to cross quickly.
- Leading a Bayonet Charge: Later that evening, Tandey and eight friends were surrounded by many German soldiers. Even though it looked hopeless, Tandey led a fierce bayonet charge. They fought so bravely that 37 enemy soldiers were forced to surrender to the rest of his company.
- Refusing to Quit: Tandey was wounded twice during this fight. But he refused to leave until the battle was won. He finally went to the hospital for his third time on October 4, 1918.
His Victoria Cross award was officially announced on December 14, 1918.
An eyewitness, Private H Lister, described Tandey's actions:
On 28th September 1918 during the taking of the crossing over the Canal de St. Quentin at Marcoing, I was No.1 of the Lewis gun team of my platoon. I witnessed the whole of the gallantry of Private Tandey throughout the day. Under intensely heavy fire he crawled forward in the village when we were held up by the enemy MG and found where it was, and then led myself and comrades with the gun into a house from where we were able to bring Lewis gun fire on the MG and knock it out of action. Later when we got to the canal crossings and the bridge was down, Pte Tandey, under the fiercest of aimed MG fire went forward and replaced planks over the bad part of the bridge to enable us all to cross without delay, which would otherwise have ensued. On the same evening when we made another attack we were completely surrounded by Germans, and we thought the position might be lost. Pte Tandey, without hesitation, though he was twice wounded very nastily, took the leading part in our bayonet charge on the enemy, to get clear. Though absolutely faint he refused to leave us until we had completely finished our job, collected our prisoners and restored the line.
The Story of Tandey and Hitler
There is a famous story, though it is debated, that Henry Tandey and Adolf Hitler met during the war. The story says that on September 28, 1918, a tired German soldier walked into Tandey's line of fire. The German soldier was wounded and had no weapon. Tandey chose not to shoot him. The soldier nodded his thanks and walked away. This soldier was supposedly Adolf Hitler. Some historians believe this story is a legend.
The story became more widely known in 1937. Hitler saw a painting by Fortunino Matania that showed a soldier, believed to be Tandey, carrying a wounded man. Hitler was reportedly very interested in the painting. He told his staff that the man in the painting had come very close to killing him during the war. He even asked the British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, to thank Tandey for him. However, there is no official record that Chamberlain ever contacted Tandey about this. Also, historical records suggest Hitler was on leave from the army on the date the event supposedly happened. This makes the story unlikely.
After the War: Tandey's Service
After World War I, Tandey was discharged from the army. But he re-enlisted just one day later. He served in different places like Gibraltar, Turkey, and Egypt. He was finally discharged from the army on January 5, 1926. Besides his major awards, Tandey was also mentioned in official reports five times for his bravery. King George V personally gave him his medals at Buckingham Palace in 1919.
Life After the Military
After leaving the army, Henry Tandey returned to Leamington Spa and got married. In 1940, during the Coventry Blitz (when German planes bombed Coventry), his home was destroyed. A reporter asked him about the story of him sparing Hitler. Tandey reportedly said he was sorry he let Hitler go, seeing all the harm Hitler had caused.
Tandey worked as a security guard at the Standard Triumph Works for 38 years. He passed away in 1977 at the age of 86. As he wished, his ashes were buried in the Masnieres British Cemetery in France, near where he earned his Victoria Cross.
To honor him, Henry Tandey Court in Leamington Spa is named after him. There are also blue plaques outside the Angel Hotel, where he was born, and at St Peter's School.
Henry Tandey's Medals
Tandey gave his medals to the Duke of Wellington's Regiment Museum. He would sign them out to wear for special events. After he died, his medals were sold at an auction. Later, they were bought by a collector and given to the Green Howards Regimental Museum. A copy of his Victoria Cross is now on display there.
The Green Howards and the Duke of Wellington's Regiment later joined with another regiment in 2006. They formed the Yorkshire Regiment.
| Ribbon | Description | Notes |
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Victoria Cross (VC) | Awarded December 14, 1918 |
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Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) | Awarded December 5, 1918 |
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Military Medal (MM) | Awarded March 13, 1919 |
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1914 Star | With Clasp "5 Aug – 22 Nov 1914" |
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British War Medal | |
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Victory Medal | With Mentioned in dispatches Oakleaf |
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Defence Medal | For his service as an Air Raid Warden during the Coventry Blitz. |
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King George VI Coronation Medal | 1937 – Given to all living Victoria Cross recipients. |
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Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal | 1953 – Given to all living Victoria Cross and George Cross recipients. |
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Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal | 1977 – Given to all living Victoria Cross and George Cross recipients. |
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