John Richard Frederick Walker Penney

John Richard Frederick Walker Penney

John Penney, then a Sergeant, receives his Distinguished Conduct Medal from the Lieut-Governor of Jersey, Major General Rochfort, in the Royal Square in 1916

A family history by Lieut Penney's great-grandson

John Richard Frederick Walter Penney DCM (1890-), my great-grandfather, was born in Jersey on 24 April 1890 and was a drummer with the Lancashire Fusiliers (2/599, 2nd Battalion) before and during World War I, reaching the rank of Second Lieutenant in 1918.

Distinguished Conduct Medal

In 1916 he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal (which may have been issued to him with the surname misspelt as 'Penny'). John's act of gallantry is mentioned on page 107 of The History of the Lancashire Fusiliers 1914-1918 as follows:

"Serjeant J R F W Penny, Serjeant A Weatherall and Pte J Walker, under the leadership of Lt G C Martin, particularly distinguished themselves by their gallantry and by their persistence in organizing fresh parties of bombers as new detachments, with more bombs, were sent up to replace casualties. Walker himself repulsed many attacks and held out till he was wounded. Penny, Weatherall and Walker received the DCM."

John married Bessie ('Sabina') McManus, daughter of the John McManus, a farmer, at Bury Register Office on 21 July 1911. At the time of the wedding he was based at Wellington Barracks, Elton and her address was 27 Stanley Street, Bury. In July 1940, aged 50, John applied for an emergency commission in HM Land Forces. He was apparently serving with the Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps (AMPC) at that time and was based at Hyde Park Barracks.

He had three brothers, William, George and Henry. He also had a sister called Jessie. He was the son of Jersey grocer/coal merchant, John Richard Penney and Jessie, nee Aubin. John's younger brother, George Aubin Penney was born in 1900 and died aged only 17 years, 4 months, after a long illness, on 29 January 1918. John's younger brother, William, also served in World War I and is known to have reached the rank of Lieutenant by 1920. William married May Louisa (Cissy) Houillebecq at St Lawrence Church, Southampton on 28 February 1920.