- Harry Prendergast
General Sir Harry North Dalrymple Prendergast VC
GCB (15 October 1834 -24 July 1913 ) was a recipient of theVictoria Cross , the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.Details
He was 23 years old and a
lieutenant in theMadras Engineers Indian Army during theIndian Rebellion of 1857 when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.On
21 November 1857 atMundisore ,India , Lieutenant Prendergast saved the life of another lieutenant at the risk of his own, by attempting to cut down aVelaitee who was covering the officer with his piece from only a few yards to the rear. Lieutenant Prendergast was wounded in this affair by the discharge of the piece and would have probably been killed had not the rebel been killed by a major who came to the rescue. Lieutenant Prendergast also distinguished himself by his gallantry in the actions atRatgurh andBetwa , when he was severely wounded.Further information
He was educated at
Brighton College , and, in later years, he was President of theirold boys association. There is a bronze memorial tablet to him in Brighton College Chapel, but his sword that used to hang above it was stolen.His last field command was to lead the Burma Field Force in 1885-86 at the start the
Third Burmese War .He received his VC from
Queen Victoria at the Quadrangle ofWindsor Castle on4 January 1860 along with twenty-four other recipients of the decoration. He later became General Sir Harry N. D. Prendergast VC GCB, Colonel-Commandant Royal Engineers, Colonel 2nd Queen's Own Sappers & Miners.The medal
His Victoria Cross is displayed at the
Royal Engineers Museum inChatham, England .References
*
Colonel H M Vibart ,The Life of General Sir Harry N D Prendergast, RE, VC, GCB (The Happy Warrior) . (Eveleigh Nash, London, 1914)
* Martin D W Jones, 'The War of Lost Footsteps. A Re-assessment of the Third Burmese War 1885-1896.', The Bulletin of the Military Historical Society, xxxx no. 157 (August 1989), pp.36-40
*The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)
*The Sapper VCs (Gerald Napier, 1998)
*Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
*ForValourExternal links
* [http://www.remuseum.org.uk/rem_his_vc.htm#1p Royal Engineers Museum] Sappers VCs
* [http://www.homeusers.prestel.co.uk/stewart/surrey.htm Location of grave and VC medal] "(Surrey)"
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