Barry Maynard Rynd Denny

Barry was gazetted second lieutenant in the King‘s (Liverpool) Regiment (Special Reserve) in April, 1914 and entered a theatre of war in France on 12th August 1914. He died of wounds and buried in Ypres Town Cemetery, Belgium - Plot E. 1. 6. He is also remembered in De Ruvigny‘s Roll of Honour, UK 1914 – 1919. ―2nd Lieut., 1st Battn. King‘s Liverpool Regt., 2nd surviving son of the Rev. Edward Denny, of Moorstown, Co. Tipperary, and Drumlone, co. Fermanagh, M.A., Rector of Codford St. Peter‘s, Bath, formerly Vicar of St. Peter‘s, Vauxhill, and Member of the L.C.C. [gt.- gt. – godson of Col. Edward Denny, M.P., yr. brother of Sir Barry Denny, of Tralee, 1st Bart.}, by his wife, Alma Mary, daughter of Charles John Chesshyre, of Bennington, co. Gloucester; born at Pontrewydd, co. Monmouth, 2 Jan. 1885; educated at King‘s College, Taunton, and London University, where he graduated B.A. in 1909. He took a leading part as an officer in Worksop College Cadet Corps, and trained for a commission in the Army Special Reserve at York in 1913 and at Aldershot, obtaining the highest place in the respective examinations. Gazetted 2nd Lieut. in the King‘s (Liverpool) regt. (Special Reserve), 4th April, 1914, he was shortly afterwards given the command of a fort at Crosby, in the north of England. Subsequently he went to the Front in command of a hundred men, being especially selected for the post and was mortally wounded near Ypres, 24 October, 1914, and died two days later. The following account of the action is taken from information given by officers and men from his regt. The Liverpools were required to take a village occupied by the enemy, between Ypres and Roulers. Advancing to the attack they found that all the houses were filled with Germans, who greeted them with a devastating fire. After four days‘ fighting the position was taken, but at a terrible sacrifice of life. Of the officers, five, including the Col., were killed, and six wounded, only a Capt, and a subaltern being left. Lieut. Denny gallantly led a charge not only once, but a second time against some houses strongly held by the enemy, and fell mortally wounded in the second charge, with his last words urging on his men. His three brothers, Edward Maynard Coningsby Denny, 2nd Lieut., Duke of Cornwall‘s L. I.; Mowbray Charles Maynard Denny, Lieut., 11th King‘s Liverpool Regt.; and Michael Maynard Denny, Sub-Lieut., H.M.S. Royal Sovereign, are all (1916) on active service.‖

The following is an entry taken from 'The Cuthbertian' volume XIX - No 5 dated Nov 1914. It is with feelings of deep sorrow, mixed with pride, that we record the following loss. The loss of Lieut. B.M.R. Denny, late master of this school, of the Ist Batt. King's Liverpool Regt. He joined the Supplementary List of Officers last April, and went out to the front with a draft of reserves, reaching his regiment in September. He passed safely through the battles of the Marne and the Aisne, but met a fatal wound in a bayonet charge on October 24th, and died on October 26th. On behalf of the above we say, R.I.P. The following is an entry taken from 'The Cuthbertian' volume XIX - No 6 dated Dec 1914. He was all through the battle of the Aisne without a scratch. Then the regiment was moved from the trenches there somewhere about October 19th, and he must have reached Ypres about the 22nd. We learnt from a wounded Corporal that they were called off very suddenly on that day to take an important position, and on entering Zonnebeke they found Germans hidden in the houses, which were loopholed, and they had to charge under a perfect hail of bullets. We learnt from another source that he led three charges that day, before he fell, mortally wounded, and won the admiration of everyone. His last words before he fell were: ‘Give it them, No. 16′. He went on after he was first hit. They got him to the field hospital and he lingered through one day. We hear from everyone how much he was beloved and valued both by officers and men. The major writes, “The men would do anything and go anywhere with him”. The colonel was shot through the heart an hour before, and the regiment lost heavily, but they took the position after three days and nights of fighting.He is also remembered on the Denstone College Staffordshire Roll of Honour and also at St Katharine‘s Church Southbourne Bournemouth England. The west stained glass windows were erected in honour of the Southbourne Men who died during The Great War.