George Renny (British Army officer)

He threw live shells from the wall to break the enemy attack

George Alexander Renny was born in 1825 and became an officer in the Bengal Artillery. His early service took him to India, where he fought in the First Sikh War and earned the Sutlej Medal for Sobraon. He later served on the North-West Frontier, adding another campaign to an artillery career spent largely within the East India Company's forces.

During the uprising of 1857 he served with the force attacking Delhi. Once British troops had captured the magazine, its occupants still faced hostile positions in nearby houses and across the surrounding area. The captured enclosure contained valuable stores but also presented an obvious target for renewed attack and fire.

On 16 September opposing troops advanced under covering fire and tried to ignite a thatched roof by the magazine wall. The fire was put out once, but the attackers set it alight again. Renny climbed onto the exposed wall while the position remained under heavy fire. From there he threw shells with lighted fuzes into the men gathered below.

The explosions disrupted the attack at that point and helped the defenders retain the magazine. His Victoria Cross, announced in April 1859, recognised the personal risk he took in placing himself above the wall with live ammunition in his hands. Queen Victoria presented the decoration at Windsor on 9 November 1860.

Renny continued his military career after the rebellion and retired in December 1878 with the honorary rank of major-general. His later commands included a battery in the Hazara expedition of 1868 and artillery duties at Sind and Ahmadnagar. He returned to Britain and lived at Bath, where he died on 5 January 1887, aged sixty-one. He was buried in Locksbrook Cemetery. His decorations recorded the Sikh campaign, Delhi and the North-West Frontier as well as the gallantry award. They remained associated with his family for generations before entering the Lord Ashcroft Collection.

Victoria Cross citation: Lieutenant-Colonel Farquhar, Commanding the 1st Belooch Regiment, reports that he was in command of the troops stationed in the Delhi magazine, after its capture on the 16th September, 1857. Early in the forenoon of that day, a vigorous attack was made on the post by the enemy, and was kept up with great violence for some time, without the slightest chance of success. Under cover of a heavy cross fire from the high houses on the right flank of the magazine, and from Selinghur and the Palace, the enemy advanced to the high wall of the magazine, and endeavoured to set fire to a thatched roof. The roof was partially set fire to, which was extinguished at the spot by a Sepoy of the Belooch Battalion, a soldier of the 61st Regiment having in vain attempted to do so. The roof having been again set on fire, Captain Renny with great gallantry mounted to the top of the wall of the magazine, and flung several shells with lighted fuses over into the midst of the enemy, which had an almost immediate effect, as the attack at once became feeble at that point, and soon after ceased there.

The London Gazette of 12 April 1859, Numb. 22248, p. 1483