Theodore William Henry Veale | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1892-11-11)11 November 1892 |
| Died | 6 November 1980(1980-11-06) (aged 87) Hoddesdon,Hertfordshire, England |
| Allegiance | |
| Branch | |
| Rank | Corporal |
| Service number | 10799 |
| Unit | Devonshire Regiment |
| Conflicts | World War I |
| Awards | Victoria Cross |
CorporalTheodore William Henry VealeVC (11 November 1892 – 6 November 1980) was aBritish Army soldier and anEnglish recipient of theVictoria Cross (VC), the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded toBritish andCommonwealth forces.
Veale was 23 years old, and aprivate in the 8th (Service) Battalion,Devonshire Regiment,British Army during theFirst World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 20 July 1916 east ofHigh Wood,France, Private Veale, hearing that a wounded officer (one Lt Eric Humphrey Savill) was lying in the open within 50 yards of the enemy, went out and dragged him into a shell hole and then took him water. As he could not carry the officer by himself, he fetched volunteers, one of whom was killed almost at once, and heavy fire necessitated leaving the wounded man in a shell hole until dusk when Private Veale went out again with volunteers. When an enemy patrol approached, he went back for a Lewis gun with which he covered the party while the officer was carried to safety.[1]
He later achieved the rank ofcorporal. His VC is displayed atThe Keep Military Museum,Dorchester,Dorset.