Thomas Tannatt Pryce VC MC & Bar (17 January 1886 – 13 April 1918) was a British recipient of the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...

, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

and

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...

forces. An

officer An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," fro ...

with the

Grenadier Guards The Grenadier Guards (GREN GDS) is the most senior infantry regiment of the British Army, being at the top of the Infantry Order of Precedence. It can trace its lineage back to 1656 when Lord Wentworth's Regiment was raised in Bruges to protect ...

during the First World War, he was

posthumously Posthumous may refer to: * Posthumous award, an award, prize or medal granted after the recipient's death * Posthumous publication, publishing of creative work after the author's death * Posthumous (album), ''Posthumous'' (album), by Warne Marsh, 1 ...

awarded the VC for his actions over the period 11 to 13 April 1918, during the

German spring offensive The German spring offensive, also known as ''Kaiserschlacht'' ("Kaiser's Battle") or the Ludendorff offensive, was a series of German Empire, German attacks along the Western Front (World War I), Western Front during the World War I, First Wor ...

Early life

Thomas Tannatt Pryce was born at

The Hague The Hague ( ) is the capital city of the South Holland province of the Netherlands. With a population of over half a million, it is the third-largest city in the Netherlands. Situated on the west coast facing the North Sea, The Hague is the c ...

, the youngest child of four to Thomas and Rosalie Pryce, of Pentreheylin Hall,

Montgomeryshire Montgomeryshire ( ) was Historic counties of Wales, one of the thirteen counties of Wales that existed from 1536 until their abolishment in 1974. It was named after its county town, Montgomery, Powys, Montgomery, which in turn was named after ...

, in Wales. His father was a landowner and merchant, with business ties to London, The Hague, and the Dutch East Indies. He was educated at

Shrewsbury School Shrewsbury School is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school in Shrewsbury. Founded in 1552 by Edward VI by royal charter, to replace the town's Saxon collegiate foundations which were disestablished in the sixteenth century, Shrewsb ...

and then had two terms at the Royal Agricultural College in

Cirencester Cirencester ( , ; see #Pronunciation, below for more variations) is a market town and civil parish in the Cotswold District of Gloucestershire, England. Cirencester lies on the River Churn, a tributary of the River Thames. It is the List of ...

before leaving to travel overseas. By 1913, Pryce was a member of the

London Stock Exchange The London Stock Exchange (LSE) is a stock exchange based in London, England. the total market value of all companies trading on the LSE stood at US$3.42 trillion. Its current premises are situated in Paternoster Square close to St Paul's Cath ...

, working at Henry Tudor & Son. He had married the previous year; his wife was Margaret Fordham, the daughter of a magistrate. The couple had three daughters.

First World War

Within a few weeks of the outbreak of the First World War, Pryce enlisted in the

Honourable Artillery Company The Honourable Artillery Company (HAC) is a reserve regiment in the British Army. Incorporated by royal charter in 1537 by King Henry VIII, it is the oldest regiment in the British Army and is considered the second-oldest military unit in the w ...

as a private. The unit duly embarked for France in late August. The following month, he had been promoted to

lance corporal Lance corporal is a military rank, used by many English-speaking armed forces worldwide, and also by some police forces and other uniformed organisations. It is below the rank of corporal. Etymology The presumed origin of the rank of lance corp ...

. In October 1915, having received a commission, he transferred to the 1/6th Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment, then serving on the Western Front as part of the 48th Division. With the battalion, he was involved in fighting at Gommecourt in late November 1915; he was awarded the

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level until 1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) Other ranks (UK), other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth of ...

(MC) for leading an assault on German trenches. The initial attack was successful but when German reinforcements arrived, Pryce executed a safe withdrawal of his men. Wounded in this action, he was evacuated to England for treatment. Pryce returned to the frontlines in May 1916 and soon afterwards, was awarded a

bar Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar ** Chocolate bar * Protein bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a laye ...

to his MC for leading a platoon in an attack at Fauquissart. In September 1916, he transferred to the 4th Battalion of the

and was promoted to lieutenant. He was

mentioned in despatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face of t ...

on 7 April 1918 for his services in the field and three days later was promoted to acting

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

. The

had been underway since 21 March 1918, with the British frontlines coming under severe pressure. Pryce's battalion, as part of the 31st Division, had been in reserve, but was brought back to the front on 10 April to hold the line at the village of Le Paradis, near

Vieux-Berquin Vieux-Berquin (; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Nord (French department), Nord Departments of France, department in northern France. Population Heraldry See also *Communes of the Nord department References Co ...

. As commander of a company, he was tasked with the capture and subsequent defence of a village. After seizing the village, he was left with around 40 men and over the next two days fended off attacks by the Germans. At one stage, his position was under direct bombardment from field guns. His force depleted, he was killed making a last-ditch bayonet charge. For his actions, he was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross (VC). The VC, instituted in 1856, was the highest award for valour that could be bestowed on a soldier of the

British Empire The British Empire comprised the dominions, Crown colony, colonies, protectorates, League of Nations mandate, mandates, and other Dependent territory, territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It bega ...

. The citation for Pryce's VC read: He was also mentioned in despatches posthumously, on 22 May 1918. Pryce's name is recorded on the

Ploegsteert Memorial to the Missing The Ploegsteert Memorial to the Missing is a Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) memorial in Belgium for missing soldiers of World War I. It commemorates men from the Allies of World War I, Allied Powers who fought on the northern Western Fr ...

in Berks Cemetery Extension near Ploegsteert in Hainaut,

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

. He has no known grave.

Victoria Cross

King George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. George was born during the reign of his pa ...

presented Pryce's VC to his widow on 12 April 1919, in a ceremony at

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a royal official residence, residence in London, and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and r ...

. In addition to the VC and the MC with its bar, he was also entitled to the 1914–15 Star, the

British War Medal The British War Medal is a campaign medal of the United Kingdom which was awarded to officers and men and women of British and Imperial forces for service in the First World War. Two versions of the medal were produced. About 6.5 million were st ...

, and the Victory Medal with oak leaf device. His medals are on loan to The Guards Museum, located at

Wellington Barracks Wellington Barracks is a military barracks in Westminster, central London, for the Foot Guards units on public duties in that area. The building is located about from Buckingham Palace, allowing the guard to be able to reach the palace very q ...

in London. Pryce is associated with several memorials; he is listed on the Maidenhead War Memorial in

Berkshire Berkshire ( ; abbreviated ), officially the Royal County of Berkshire, is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Oxfordshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the north-east, Greater London ...

, memorial plaques at Shrewsbury School and Mill Mead School. The latter as moved to St Giles' Church, Shrewsbury, following the closure of Mill Mead school in 1966. He is also remembered at the Stock Exchange Memorial, Llandysilio Church, and the War Memorial at Four Crosses, in the Llandysilio

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...

Notes

References

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External links

Thomas Tannatt Pryce at the Victoria Cross website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pryce, Thomas Tannatt 1886 births 1918 deaths Territorial Force soldiers Territorial Force officers British World War I recipients of the Victoria Cross Grenadier Guards officers British Army personnel of World War I British military personnel killed in World War I People educated at Shrewsbury School Honourable Artillery Company officers Gloucestershire Regiment officers Recipients of the Military Cross British Army recipients of the Victoria Cross