George Henderson was born on 5 December 1893, the only son of parents Robert and Mary Henderson. He had two sisters, Jessie and Elspeth, while father Robert was a successful farmer and auctioneer.

The Hendersons lived on the family farm in East Gordon on the Scottish Borders until 1901 when they moved to Mount Hooly near Jedburgh.

George lived here until he was educated as a boarder at Rossall School near Fleetwood, Lancashire, England.

According to his contemporaries, George was a keen animal lover. He took up horse riding and often used to ride with his younger siblings. 

While at Rossall, George became a member of the Officer Training Corps. One of his teachers remembered the young Henderson as “determined in all his actions and would stand no nonsense from anyone.”

George also played for the school cricket and football teams. 

Upon education, George decided to pursue a military career and enrolled in the Royal Military College Sandhurst in 1912.

After 18 months of officer training, George was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Manchester Regiment in January 1914. He was soon posted to India where he joined the regiment’s 1st Battalion at Jullundur in the modern-day Punjab.

The Manchesters wouldn’t spend long in India. With the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914, the regiment returned to Europe, arriving in France in September. It was in combat just one month later.

For his conduct in combat, George was promoted to Lieutenant in November 1914. Shortly after, he was wounded in the arm and returned to England to recuperate, rejoining the Manchesters in France shortly after Christmas, this time with the 2nd Battalion.

At some point, he was Mentioned in Despatches but the details of this action have been lost.

George fought in the Battle of Neuve Chapelle and the Second Battle of Ypres in early 1915. At 2nd Ypres, British and India soldiers were involved in a costly attack experienced an unorganised retreat.

Lieutenant Henderson was one of 150 men who stood their ground, allowing their comrades to get organised and retreat in a more orderly fashion.

For this, George was awarded the Military Cross, with his medal citation giving the following details:

“Near Ypres, on the 26th April 1915, after his Company commander had been wounded, he led his Company up to within 70 yards of the enemy's trenches with great gallantry and determination, and held on through several hours of daylight, and finally established himself there. Throughout the operations he set a fine example, after most of the senior officers had become casualties.”

Following his MC award, George was promoted to Temporary Captain in April 1915 and at some point re-joined the 1st Manchesters.

The remainder of the year was quiet for the regiment. The 1st Battalion was withdrawn from the Western Front in October 1915 and transferred to the Mesopotamian Front.

George was again mentioned in despatches for his conduct during 1st Battalion’s last days in France. 

1st Battalion arrived in Basra, modern-day Iraq, in January 1916 as part of the relief force assembled to rescue British forces trapped at Kut-al-Amara.

One of the attempts to break the siege fell on March 8 1916 with an attack on the Dujeilan Redoubt, a fortified position held by Ottoman Turks.

The Brits were able to capture the redoubt but were forced back by a determined Ottoman counterattack.

For his part in the attack at Dujeilan, George was awarded the Distinguished Service Order, with the 31 May edition of the London Gazette giving the following details:

“For conspicuous gallantry and determination in an attack on the Dujeilan Redoubt. On entering the redoubt he organised and led bombing parties which cleared out the enemy, of whom he personally shot 5. He subsequently covered our withdrawal and was one of the last to leave the redoubt.”

George had an eventful time in the Middle East.

At the Battle of the Khadairi Bend in January 1917, George earned a bar for his DSO, although the details of this action have been lost. 

After the capture of Baghdad in March 1917, George was involved in fighting at Jebel Hamrin on the Persian border where he was again mentioned in despatches. He spent the rest of 1917 in Iraq’s ancient capital before returning to frontline duties in November.

In January 1918, George was assigned to the “Dunsterforce” mountain unit based in Hamadan, Persia (present-day Iran). There, he attempted to rally Russian soldiers and local tribesmen to fight against the Ottomans but found this difficult.

By 1919, with the First World War fighting now largely over, he returned to Britain via Port Said, Egypt. By coincidence, George met his sister Jessie on the street of Port Said and was able to catch up before returning to England. He had been mentioned in despatches five times by the war’s end.

In July 1919, Captain Henderson joined the 2nd Battalion, Manchester Regiment, in Bordon, Hampshire, taking command of D Company. 

The unit was later shipped to Ireland for police duties in Tipperary. The violence that would soon erupt there was not as prominent during George’s tour of duty, leaving him time to ride and fish.

George’s father, Robert, suffered a stroke in January 1920. George offered to leave the army and take over running the family farm but was rebuffed.

Subsequently, George moved back to Mesopotamia with the 2nd Manchesters in February 1920.

With Ottoman authorities replaced by British officers, the majority Muslim population of Mesopotamia feared their incorporation into yet another foreign-ruled empire.

In May 1920, mass meetings and demonstrations by both Sunni and Shia Muslims broke out in Baghdad. Revolts soon gained momentum nationwide.

By July, the key city of Mosul was in rebellion against British rule and reinforcements were rushed in from India and Iran, including the 2nd Battalion of the Manchesters.

Towards evening on the July 24th, 1920, near Hillah-al-Hillah, the site of ancient Babylon, 50 miles south of Baghdad, D Company was ordered to retire from the positions they had been guarding.

It was here that George performed the deeds that saw him awarded the Victoria Cross, the British Empire’s highest award for military valour.

The London Gazette gives the following details:

“On the evening of the 24th of July, 1920, when about fifteen miles from Hillah (Mesopotamia), the Company under his command was ordered to retire. After proceeding about 500 yards a large party of Arabs suddenly opened fire from the flank, causing the Company to split up and waver. 

“Regardless of all danger, Capt. Henderson at once reorganised the Company, led them gallantly to the attack and drove off the enemy. On two further occasions, this officer led his men to charge the Arabs with the bayonet and forced them to retire.

“At one time, when the situation was extremely critical and the troops and transport were getting out of hand, Capt. Henderson, by sheer pluck and coolness, steadied his command prevented the Company from being cut up and saved the situation. 

“During the second charge he fell wounded, but refused to leave his command, and just as the Company reached the trench they were making for he was again wounded. 

“Realising that he could do no more, he asked one of his N.C.O.'s to hold him up on the embankment, saying, ‘I'm, done now, don't let them beat you.’ 

“He died fighting.”

George’s grave was never recovered and so he is commemorated alongside more than 40,000 Commonwealth soldiers on the Basra Memorial, Iraq.