World War I Victoria Cross Recipient. He received the award from British King George V on August 9, 2018 at Frohen-le-Grand, France, for his actions as a British Army chaplain who was attached to 8th Battalion, The Lincolnshire Regiment. During April 1918 at Rossingal Wood in the Somme, during the German Spring Offensive. He received his education at the Royal Commercial Travellers School, Pinner, Middlesex, followed by the City of London School, and the University of London. He was a schoolmaster when he decided to pursue the ministry, and on December 18, 1898 he was ordained and became a curate. Following his wife's illness, he had to give up teaching and became the rector of Hutton Roof, near Kirby Lonsdale in Westmoreland. After World War I broke out in July 1914, he requested to join the British Army chaplaincy on several occasion, but was rejected due to his age. His persistence finally paid off and in the Summer of 1916, he was accepted at the rank of captain and was assigned to the 8th Battalion and sent to the Western Front in France. His dedication to duty, combined with his courage and self-sacrifice would ultimately win him the Victoria Cross. He was also awarded the Distinguished Service Order and the British Military Cross. In October 1918 he was wounded in action when again trying to tend to the wounded and died a week later at the age of 54, and was interred at Saint Sever Cemetery Extension in Rouen, France. A cenotaph in his honor resides at the Carlisle Cathedral in Carlisle, Cumbria, England. His Victoria Cross citation reads: "For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty on many occasions. Although over fifty years of age, he has, by his fearlessness, devotion to men of his battalion, and quiet, unobtrusive manner, won the respect and admiration of the whole division. His marvellous energy and endurance would be remarkable even in a very much younger man, and his valour and devotion are exemplified in the following incidents: An infantry patrol had gone out to attack a previously located enemy post in the ruins of a village, the Reverend Theodore Bayley Hardy (C.F.) being then at company headquarters. Hearing firing, he followed the patrol, and about four hundred yards beyond our front line of posts found an officer of the patrol dangerously wounded. He remained with the officer until he was able to get assistance to bring him in. During this time there was a great deal of firing, and an enemy patrol actually penetrated between the spot at which the officer was lying and our front line and captured three of our men. On a second occasion, when an enemy shell exploded in the middle of one of our posts, the Reverend T. B. Hardy at once made his way to the spot, despite the shell and trench mortar fire which was going on at the time, and set to work to extricate the buried men. He succeeded in getting out one man who had been completely buried. He then set to work to extricate a second man, who was found to be dead. During the whole of the time that he was digging out the men this chaplain was in great danger, not only from shell fire, but also because of the dangerous condition of the wall of the building which had been hit by the shell which buried the men. On a third occasion he displayed the greatest devotion to duty when our infantry, after a successful attack, were gradually forced back to their starting trench. After it was believed that all our men had withdrawn from the wood, Chaplain Hardy came out of it, and on reaching an advanced post asked the men to help him to get in a wounded man. Accompanied by a serjeant, he made his way to the spot where the man lay, within ten yards of a pill-box which had been captured in the morning, but was subsequently recaptured and occupied by the enemy. The wounded man was too weak to stand, but between them the chaplain and the serjeant eventually succeeded in getting him to our lines. Throughout the day the enemy's artillery, machine-gun, and trench mortar fire was continuous, and caused many casualties. Notwithstanding, this very gallant chaplain was seen moving quietly amongst the men and tending the wounded, absolutely regardless of his personal safety." His medals are displayed at The Museum of Army Chaplaincy in Amport, Hampshire, England.