Lieutenant Henry Singleton Pennell VC


On 20th October 1897 during the attack on the Heights of Dargai, Pennell and Captain Smith of E company charged forward with a few men but Smith and the others were shot leaving Pennell to try and bring back his Captain. He called to some men of the Dorset Regiment to help but they were all wounded or dead. Under a hail of bullets he dragged Smith back until he realised that he was dead. Leaving the officer where he was, Pennell raced back to safety and was miraculously unhurt.

Henry Pennell was born in Dawlish, Devon on 18th June 1874. In this photo he wears the full dress tunic of the Derbyshire Regiment. The collar was white with gold lace and had gilt collar badges on either side. He was 33 at the time of the incident. He rose to the rank of captain and died on 19th January 1907 in St Moritz.


Soldiers | Regimental details


Armed Forces | Art and Culture | Articles | Biographies | Colonies | Discussion | Glossary | Home | Library | Links | Map Room | Sources and Media | Science and Technology | Search | Student Zone | Timelines | TV & Film | Wargames


by Stephen Luscombe