Henry Reynolds

Stormed a blockhouse alone to restore his company's advance.

Henry Reynolds came from the Daventry area of Northamptonshire and worked in his family's merchant business. He had served in the Northamptonshire Yeomanry before the First World War and enlisted again in 1914. Commissioned into the Royal Scots in 1915, he joined the 12th Battalion in France the following year. His leadership at Arras earned the Military Cross in 1917.

On 20 September 1917, near Frezenberg, Belgium, machine gun fire from a fortified position inflicted heavy casualties on his company. Reynolds reorganised the survivors and advanced alone from shell hole to shell hole. Reaching the blockhouse, he forced a phosphorus grenade through its obstructed entrance. The resulting fire compelled the surviving defenders to surrender with their machine guns.

Although wounded, he continued the advance and secured another objective, taking seventy prisoners and two further machine guns. The action earned him the Victoria Cross.

He later served as a Captain in the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment and worked in homes supporting former servicemen. Reynolds died on 26 March 1948 and was buried at Ashtead, Surrey.

Official Victoria Cross citation

For most conspicuous bravery when his company in attack and approaching their final objective, suffered heavy casualties from enemy machine guns and from an enemy “Pill-box” which had been passed by the first wave. Capt. Reynolds reorganised his men who were scattered, and then proceeded alone by rushes from shell hole to shell hole, all the time being under heavy machine gun fire. When near the “Pill-box” he threw a grenade intending that it should go inside, but the enemy had blocked the entrance. He then crawled to the entrance and forced a phosphorous grenade inside. This set the place on fire and caused the death of three of the enemy while the remainder, seven or eight, surrendered with two machine guns. Afterwards, though wounded, he continued to lead his company against another objective, and captured it taking seventy prisoners and two more machine guns. During the whole attack the company was under heavy machine gun fire from the flanks, but despite this Capt. Reynolds kept complete control of his men.

Third Supplement to The London Gazette of 6 November 1917. 8 November 1917, Numb. 30372, pp. 11567-68