Henry Leslie Pender MM (SN 3672) was born in Ballarat but was a 22 year old teacher at Dadswell’s Bridge near Horsham when he enlisted at Melbourne on July 21st 1915. He embarked from Melbourne on November 23rd aboard the Ceramic and sailed to Egypt where he was assigned to the 5th Division Signal Company. As a Lance Corporal, in May 1918, he was wounded in action but was able to remain on duty, but the high point of his service was being awarded a Military Medal ‘For courage and devotion to duty. On 29th September 1918 this N.C.O. was engaged in the maintenance of signal communication just west of BELLICOURT. Almost as fast as the cables were repaired, they were again damaged by enemy shell fire. During this period he performed his duties under exceptionally heavy enemy artillery fire, which at one time was so severe as to necessitate closing the road until 8 p.m. on the 29th September. It was due to his devotion to duty, perseverance, and total disregard for personal safety that these cables were kept in working order during important operations’. He returned to Australia on the Trasos-Montes reaching Melbourne in May 1919. He was discharged on July 15th 1919.

Lucas’s Staffs Appreciation of Brave Men, the original Avenue register, records his name as Henry L. Penden.