Thomas Edward Rendle

For the chess player, see Thomas Rendle.

Sergeant Thomas Edward Rendle VC (14 December 1884 – 1 June 1946) was a British Army soldier and an English recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Thomas Edward Rendle
Born	14 December 1884 Bedminster, Bristol, England
Died	1 June 1946 (aged 61) Cape Town, South Africa
Buried	Maitland Road No 1 Cemetery, Cape Town
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Branch	British Army
Years of service	1902-20
Rank	Sergeant
Unit	Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry
Battles / wars	World War I
Awards	Victoria Cross Order of St. George 4th Class (Russia)

Details

He was 29 years old, and a bandsman in the 1st Battalion, The Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry, British Army during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

On 20 November 1914 near Wulverghem, Belgium, Bandsman Rendle attended to the wounded under very heavy rifle and shell fire and rescued men from the trenches in which they had been buried from the blowing in of the parapets by the fire of the enemy's heavy howitzers.^[1]

Later life

Rendle later achieved the rank of sergeant.

Rendle was a Freemason and was initiated into Needles Lodge No. 2838 on the Isle of Wight on 2 August 1916.^[2]

After the war, he emigrated to South Africa where he became bandmaster of the Duke of Edinburgh's Own Rifles.

The medal

His VC is displayed at the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry Museum in Victoria Barracks, Bodmin, Cornwall.