Henry Tandey

Henry Tandey
Private Henry Tandey VC, DCM, MM
Birth name	Henry Tandy
Born	30 August 1891 Leamington, Warwickshire
Died	20 December 1977(1977-12-20) (aged 86) Coventry, West Midlands
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1910–1926
Rank	Sergeant
Unit	The Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards) (1910–18) West Riding Regiment (Duke of Wellington's Regiment) (1918–26)
Battles/wars	World War I
Awards	Victoria Cross Distinguished Conduct Medal Military Medal Mentioned in Despatches (5)

Henry Tandey VC, DCM, MM (born Tandy, 30 August 1891 – 20 December 1977) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. He was the most highly decorated British private of the First World War. Born with the family name of Tandy, he later changed his surname to Tandey after problems with his father, therefore some military records have a different spelling of his name.

Henry Tandey was born in Leamington, Warwickshire, the son of a former soldier whose wife had died early, in their childs life. He spent part of his childhood in an orphanage, before becoming a boiler attendant at a hotel.

Tandey enlisted into the Green Howards Regiment on 12 August 1910. After basic training he was posted to their 2nd Battalion on 23 January 1911, serving with them in Guernsey and South Africa prior to the outbreak of World War I. He took part in the Battle of Ypres in October 1914, and was wounded on 24 October 1916, at the Battle of the Somme. On discharge from hospital he was posted to the 3rd Battalion on 5 May 1917, before moving to the 9th Battalion on 11 June 1917. He was wounded a second time on 27 November 1917, during the Battle of Passchendaele. After his 2nd period of hospital treatment he returned to the 3rd Battalion, on 23 January 1918, before being posted to the 12th Battalion on 15 March 1918, where he remained until 26 July 1918. On 26 July 1918 Tandey transferred from the Green Howards to The Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment). He was posted to their 5th Battalion on 27 July 1918.