| Heneker | William Charles Giffard | | Captain | HENEKER, WILLIAM CHARLES GIFFARD, Captain and Brevet Major, was born 22 August 1867, son of Richard William Heneker and of Elizabeth, daughter of Captain E Tuson RN. He was educated at Bishop's College School, Leunoxville, Canada, and the Royal Military College, Kingston, Canada, and entered the Army, as a Second Lieutenant in the Connaught Rangers, 5 September 1888, and became Lieutenant 12 February 1890; Captain 10 March 1897. He was employed in the Niger Coast Protectorate from 19 June 1897 to 31 December 1899, and with the West African Frontier Force 1 April 1900 to 31 July 1903, serving in the Benin Territories Expedition as Intelligence and Survey Officer, 1899 (Despatches [London Gazette, 14 September 1900]; Medal with clasp). He became Brevet Major 31 July 1901. He served in Southern Nigeria, 1902, as Second-in-Command of the Southern Nigeria Regiment, West African Frontier Force; commanded the Ulia and Ishan Expeditions, and various Columns in the Aro Expedition. He received the Medal with two clasps; was mentioned in Despatches [London Gazette, 18 April and 12 September 1902], and was created a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order [London Gazette, 12 September 1902]: "William Charles Giffard Heneker, Captain and Brevet Major, Connaught Rangers. For services during the Aro Expedition in Southern Nigeria". He was invested by the King 18 December 1903. He also commanded the operations in the Ibeku-Olokoro country, 1902 (clasp); the operations against the Chief Adukukaiku of Iggara (Despatches [London Gazette, 28 October 1904]; Brevet of Lieutenant Colonel 21 August 1903; clasp), and the operations in the Afikpo country (clasp). He became Major 16 February 1907, and was given the Brevet of Colonel 24 October 1907; was DAA and QMG, Orange River Colony District, 21 April 1906 to 20 April 1910; Lieutenant Colonel to command the 2nd Battalion North Staffordshire Regiment at Peshawar, India, 10 April 1912; Temporary Brigade Commander, 1st Peshawar Infantry Brigade, 1912; Rawalpindi Infantry Brigade (temporary), 1913 and 1914; Commander, 1st Infantry Brigade, Quetta, October 1914. He was one of the King's Aide-de-Camps from October 1907 to June 1917. He served in the European War as Temporary Brigadier General commanding the 54th Infantry Brigade, British Expeditionary Force, 13 March to 14 December 1915; was severely wounded; was promoted Colonel 10 April 1916; commanded the 190th Infantry Brigade, Royal Naval Division, France, 29 October to 8 December 1916; became Major General (substantive, 3 June 1917), commanding the 8th British Division 9 December 1916 (CB, 1916); formed and commanded the Southern Division of the Rhine, holding a portion of the Bridgehead east of Cologne, March to October 1919; commanded Independent Division, Rhine Army, October 1919 to February 1920; and the Rhine Garrison, Cologne, from March 1920. He was made Commandeur of the Legion of Honour, 1918, and a KCB in 1919. He was the author of ‘Bush Warfare', published in 1906. Major General Sir W C G Heneker married, in 1901, Clara Marion, daughter of E Jones, of Velindre, Wales, and they had two sons: David William, born 31 March 1906, and Patrick Allason Holden, born 1 September 1908.
Source: DSO recipients (VC and DSO Book) | Connaught Rangers |
