Harry Prendergast

Sir Harry North Dalrymple Prendergast
File:VCHarryNorthDalrymplePrendergast.jpg Prendergast in 1886
Born	15 October 1834 Madras, India
Died	24 July 1913 (aged 78) Richmond-upon-Thames, Surrey
Buried	Richmond Cemetery
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Madras Army British Army British Indian Army
Years of service	1845–1881
Rank	General
Unit	Madras Engineers Royal Engineers
Battles/wars	Anglo-Persian War Indian Rebellion of 1857 Third Anglo-Burmese War Abyssinian War
Awards	Victoria Cross Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath

General Sir Harry North Dalrymple Prendergast VC GCB (15 October 1834 – 24 July 1913) was a 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, in imperial times, Commonwealth forces.

Details

Prendergast was 23 years old and a lieutenant in the Madras Sappers, Madras Army during the Indian Rebellion of 1857 when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC:

For conspicuous bravery on the 21st of November, 1857, at Mundisore, in saving the life of Lieutenant G. Dew, 14th Light Dragoons, at the risk of his own, by attempting to cut down a valaitee, who covered him (Lieutenant Dew) with his piece, from only a few paces to the rear. Lieutenant Prendergast was wounded in this affair by the discharge of the piece, and would probably have, been cut down, had not the rebel been killed by Major Orr. He also distinguished himself by his gallantry in the actions at Ratgurh and Betwa, when he was severely wounded. Major-General Sir Hugh Rose, in forwarding his recommendation of this Officer, states:

"Lieutenant Prendergast, Madras Engineers, was specially mentioned by Brigadier, now Sir Charles Stuart, for the gallant act at

Mundisore, when he was severely wounded; secondly, he was specially mentioned by me when acting voluntarily as my Aide-de-Camp in the Action before besieging Ragurh, on the Beena river, for gallant conduct. His horse was killed on that occasion. Thirdly, at the Action of 'the Betwa', he again voluntarily acted as my Aide-de-Camp, and distinguished himself by his bravery in the charge, which I made with Captain Need's Troop, Her Majesty's 14th Light Dragoons, against the left of the so-called Peishwa's Army, under Tantia Topee. He was severely.wounded on that occasion."

He received his VC from Queen Victoria at the Quadrangle of Windsor Castle on 4 January 1860 along with twenty-four other recipients of the decoration.

Further information

The son of Thomas and Caroline Lucy (née Dalrymple), he served in the Persian War (1857), Central India Defence Force (1858), in the Abyssinian War (1867–68), in the Mediterranean (1878), before going to Burma. His recreations were listed as "boxing, fencing, sword-play, running, cricket, football, hunting and polo".

He was educated at Cheam School and then Brighton College, and, in later years, he was President of their old 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. He was also educated at Addiscombe Military Seminary.

His last field command was to lead the Burma Field Force in 1885–86 at the start the Third Anglo-Burmese War. In 1908 he was appointed Colonel-Commandant of the Royal Engineers.

He died at Heron Court, Richmond, Surrey, now in London, on 24 July 1913 and is buried in Richmond Cemetery.

The medal

His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Royal Engineers Museum in Chatham, England.

Sources

• 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)

External links

• Royal Engineers Museum Sappers VCs
• Location of grave and VC medal (Surrey)

Government offices
Preceded by Sir Robert Sanderman	Chief Commissioner of Balochistan (acting) 1889	Succeeded by Sir Robert Sanderman