Philip Bent
Template:Short description Template:Distinguish Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox military person Lieutenant Colonel Philip Eric Bent Template:Post-nominals (3 January 1891 – 1 October 1917) was a Canadian British Army officer recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
Biography
Bent was born on 3 January 1891 in Halifax, Nova Scotia and was educated at the Royal High School, Edinburgh and Ashby Grammar School, Ashby de la Zouch. He joined the training ship Template:HMS in 1907. He served two years as a Cadet and then went to sea. He was taking his Merchant Navy officer's ticket when the war broke out in 1914.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
He and a friend joined a Scottish regiment "for a bit of fun" as the war was anticipated to be over by Christmas. He was commissioned in the Leicestershire Regiment, British Army, in November 1914.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref>
Bent was awarded the Distinguished Service Order in the 1917 Birthday Honours.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref>
He was 26 years old, and Temporary Lieutenant Colonel commanding the 9th (Service) Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment, during the First World War when he performed the deed for which he was awarded the VC on 1 October 1917 east of Polygon Wood, Zonnebeke, Belgium. He was killed whilst leading a charge. His citation reads: Template:Quote
He has no known grave and is commemorated on the memorial wall at Tyne Cot Cemetery, Belgium.<ref name=cwgc>Bent, Philip Eric, Commonwealth War Graves Commission</ref> In 2015 a new road in Ashby de la Zouch was named "Philip Bent Road"; this is located approximately 0.6 miles west of the town centre off Moira Road (B5006).
Bent's sword is displayed in All Saints Cathedral in his hometown of Halifax.<ref>Paul Berman, "'Come on the Tigers!': New book hails Halifax-born war hero," CBC News 11 November 2017; HMHPS Historical Paper No 2: "Philip Bent - Halifax's VC", Halifax Military Heritage Preservation Society, (John Boileau, Chair) 2016; Boileau, J. (2005). Valiant Hearts. Halifax. Nimbus Publishing. p. 103</ref>
The medal
His Victoria Cross is held by his old school Ashby School but loaned to the Royal Leicestershire Regimental Museum (now part of Newarke Houses Museum). It is understood that the medal has been held in a Safe Deposit Box at a Leicester Bank where it has been kept for many years following the demise of the Museum.The contents of the Museum were transferred to Newarke Houses Museum, Leicester |url=https://www.memorialstovalour.co.uk/vc887.html%7C, The school proposed to auction his medals to raise funds for a sports pavilion, a decision which received widespread criticism. In May 2016 the school was unable to prove ownership.<ref>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Dead link</ref> In 2018, a pavilion is set to be built following a funding bid to the Healthy Schools initiative.
See also
References
Bibliography
External links
- 1891 births
- 1917 deaths
- Royal Leicestershire Regiment officers
- British Army personnel of World War I
- Canadian sailors
- Canadian people of British descent
- Canadian World War I recipients of the Victoria Cross
- Companions of the Distinguished Service Order
- People educated at the Royal High School, Edinburgh
- British military personnel killed in World War I
- British Army recipients of the Victoria Cross
- Military personnel from Halifax, Nova Scotia