James Hendry (GC)

James Hendry, GC (1911–1941) was a Canadian corporal who was posthumously awarded the George Cross for gallantry and self-sacrifice displayed on June 13, 1941 while attempting to extinguish a fire in an explosives store.

James Hendry

GC
Born(1911-12-20)20 December 1911
Falkirk, Scotland
Died13 June 1941(1941-06-13) (aged 29)
Buried
Brookwood Military Cemetery, Surrey
Allegiance Canada
RankCorporal
UnitRoyal Canadian Engineers
Battles/warsWorld War II  †
Awards

Hendry was born in Falkirk, Scotland on 20 December 1911[1] to parents John and Janet Hendry. The family lived in Geraldton, Ontario before the war with several working in the local gold mines.

George Cross

Hendry was serving with No.1 Tunnelling Company of the Corps of Royal Canadian Engineers, who had been given the task of digging the tunnel between Loch Spey and Loch Laggan to supply water to the British Aluminium works at Fort William, when a fire broke out in an explosives store near Loch Laggan. He ordered his colleagues to run to safety and attempted to extinguish the blaze rather than attempt to escape the inevitable explosion. The huge blast also killed his colleague Sapper John MacDougall Stewart,[2] and seven more were injured.

Hendry was buried[3] in Brookwood Military Cemetery in Surrey. The Royal Canadian Engineers dedicated their range control building to the corporal in recognition of his bravery in 1994.[4] In August, 2008, a memorial cairn honouring Corporal Hendry was unveiled at Loch Laggan near where he was killed.[5] The ceremony was attended by his last surviving brother, William Hendry, of Thunder Bay, Ontario.

References
  1. Canadian Virtual War Memorial
  2. War Grave Sapper John MacDougall Stewart
  3. War Grave of Corporal James Hendry GC
  4. Strathspey and Badenoch Herald
  5. BBC News
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