Dame Judi Dench agrees to be Patron to the Leinster Regiment
Leinster Regiment depot was based at Crinkill Barracks outside Birr
WORLD famous actress Dame Judi Dench CH, DBE, FRSA has graciously agreed to be the Honorary Patron of The Prince of Wales’s Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadians) Association, in memory of her father’s brave and distinguished service during World War 1.
Her father – Captain Reginald Arthur Dench MC and Bar, to whom she was both devoted and immensely proud, was commissioned into the Leinsters in January 1916.
When accepting, she replied “I don’t know how to put into words my feelings on being asked to be Honorary Patron of the Leinsters. To have a link in this way is better than anything I could ever imagine. I would be so honoured and so delighted.”
Paddy Kelly, Chairman of the Irish Committee of the Leinster Regiment Association, said: “We are thrilled as this is a great honour for us. It shows that the Leinsters are still a very strong family even though the regiment ceased to exist as a military unit in 1922.”
The Prince of Wales’s Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadians), whose depot was at Crinkill Barracks outside Birr, County Offaly, was disbanded in 1922, together with the other Southern Irish infantry regiments. The Leinster Regiment Association seeks to remember and honour those who served in the regiment by connecting descendants. The announcement of the appointment of Dame Judi as Honorary Patron was made to the members of the Association at their Commemorative Lunch this month. It was met by spontaneous and rapturous applause, and then everyone stood and drank a toast to Dame Judi.
Reginald Dench was brought up in Dublin and joined the 7th (Service) Leinster Battalion in late September 1916. The Regimental History records that Second Lieutenant Dench so distinguished himself on March 9th 1917 defeating an enemy dawn attack, that he was awarded a Military Cross (MC). All ranks had behaved with the greatest gallantry.
Many messages of congratulations were received, including from Major General William Hickie, the County Tipperary born commander of the 16th Irish Division, “Well done, Leinsters, I thank you all. Hickie”.
On July 1st 1917, Reginald Dench was promoted to Lieutenant. Later in the same month, he was made Acting Captain whilst commanding one of the battalion’s companies. The following year during a night in October 1917, Captain Dench led a trench raiding patrol of almost 100 men. The aim of the operation was to survey the German trench system.
At the start of the patrol, a ‘dummy’ gas attack was simulated by means of compressed air cylinders. The hissing of the escaping air exactly resembled gas projectors, and smoke bombs let off along the front line gave the appearance of a gas attack. As a result of this ruse, the Germans immediately donned their gas masks and headed for the tunnels assuming that no infantry action could accompany a gas attack. Two prisoners, with gas masks on, were captured.
Grenades were thrown into the tunnels resulting in numerous enemy casualties. Most importantly, detailed intelligence was gained on the German positions which proved invaluable for the subsequent attack and capture of the trench. For his gallant leadership and conspicuous bravery during this raid, Captain Dench was awarded a Bar to his MC.
After World War 1, Dench returned to Dublin to study medicine. There he met Olave Jones, who had been born in Dublin on June 21st 1897. They married on April 22nd 1924. Once qualified, Dr Dench moved to York in England and set up as a very popular and successful General Practitioner. Dame Judi was born there in 1934 and, as her father was a very keen amateur actor, she must have inherited his genes.
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