Template:Short descriptionTemplate:Use British English Template:Infobox military person Template:Use dmy dates Major Henry Kelly VC, MC & bar (10 July 1887 – 18 July 1960) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
Kelly was born on 10 July 1887 in Collyhurst, Manchester. He was a temporary second lieutenant in the 10th Battalion, The Duke of Wellington's (West Riding) Regiment during the First World War at the time of his award of the Victoria Cross in 1916. He was awarded a Military Cross and later a bar to that medal in Italy in 1918. Other military awards include the Belgian Croix de Guerre, the French Médaille Militaire and the Spanish Grand Laurelled Cross of San Fernando.
Early lifeEdit
Henry Kelly was born to Charles Kelly of Dublin and Jane (née McGarry) of Manchester. He was left the oldest of 10 children after his father died in 1904. He was educated at St Patrick's School and Xaverian College, both in Manchester. After moving to King Street in Moston, he was employed as a sorting clerk at the Newton Street sorting office and trained with the 'Manchester Royal Engineers territorial Regiment'.<ref name=Isles/> On 5 September 1914, aged 27, he enlisted into the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders as a private. He transferred to the Manchester Regiment and became a lance corporal and two weeks later a sergeant major. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant on 12 May 1915 into the Duke of Wellington's Regiment (West Riding Regiment), and was posted to France the same month. On 29 October 1916 he was awarded the Victoria Cross, and, after being presented with his VC ribbon by the corps commander on 11 September, he was made a temporary lieutenant.<ref name=Isles>Template:Cite book</ref>
Award of Victoria CrossEdit
On 4 October 1916, when Kelly was 29 years old, he performed an act of bravery at Le Sars, France, for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross.
Later he was also awarded the Belgian Croix de Guerre and the French Médaille Militaire.<ref name="manchester2002-uk.com">Template:Usurped</ref>
Award of Military CrossEdit
Kelly was made a temporary captain in September 1917 and in 1918 moved with the 10th Battalion to Italy.<ref name=Isles/> In June 1918, Kelly saw action in Italy on the Asiago Plateau, where he led a successful raid on Ave, to the south of Asiago, on the night of 21–22 June, after which he was awarded the Military Cross:<ref name="manchester2002-uk.com"/>
Award of Bar to Military CrossEdit
Kelly was involved in later actions on Il Montello above the River Piave. On 27 October 1918 during the Battle of the Piave River he led a successful attack across the Piave, after which he was awarded a bar to his Military Cross:
Kelly left the army in 1920, having been promoted to the rank of temporary major.<ref name=Isles/>
Between the warsEdit
Kelly spent 1922–1923 in the Irish National Army during the Irish Civil War,<ref>Cottrell, Peter: The Irish Civil War 1922–23, p. 23, Osprey Publishing Ltd. (2008) Template:ISBN</ref> then later joined the International Brigades, in 1936, as a foreign volunteer fighting against Fascists in the Spanish Civil War and was ranked Comandante General. Here he was awarded the Grand Laurelled Cross of San Fernando.<ref name="manchester2002-uk.com"/>
After the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, aged 52, he rejoined the British army and served as a lieutenant in the Pioneer Corps from December 1940,<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> transferring to the Cheshire Regiment in October 1941.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> From October 1943 until February 1944, he was in charge of the District Claims office of London District, at Curzon Street. He was at that time court martialled and severely reprimanded for making an allegedly false claim for £2 10s. In November 1944 he resigned his commission<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> and left the army to return to work for the Post Office.<ref>Duke of Wellington's Regimental Archives, Regimental Headquarters, Wellesley Park, Halifax. West Yorkshire</ref>Template:Full
Post 1945Edit
Kelly continued to work for the Post Office and lived in Wythenshawe, Manchester. Following a long illness Kelly died, on 18 January 1960, in Prestwich Hospital. He was buried in Southern Cemetery, Manchester.<ref name=VC.org>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Medal locationEdit
Kelly's Victoria Cross is displayed in The Duke of Wellington's Regimental Museum, located within the Bankfield Museum, Halifax, West Yorkshire, England.<ref>Duke of Wellington's Regimental Website Template:Webarchive</ref>
ReferencesEdit
Further readingEdit
- Irish Winners of the Victoria Cross (Richard Doherty & David Truesdale, 2000)
- Template:Cite book