Henry Willcox

Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Beresford Dennitts Willcox KCIE CB DSO MC (30 April 1889 – 15 August 1968) was a British Army officer who served during World War I and World War II.

Early life and military career Born in New Zealand, He was posted to the regiment's 2nd Battalion, then stationed in Sheffield.

Shortly after the outbreak of World War I in August 1914, Willcox's battalion, serving as part of the 18th Brigade of the 6th Division, was sent to the Western Front, landing at St-Nazaire, France on 11 September. Just days later the battalion was engaged in heavy fighting and, while still only a second lieutenant, he was appointed the battalion adjutant on 21 September as the previous adjutant had been killed in action. He was promoted to the temporary rank of lieutenant on 21 October 1914 (substantive from 21 November ) and awarded the Military Cross (MC) on 18 February 1915. He was promoted to the temporary rank of captain on 1 May 1915, relinquishing this rank on 14 December. Seconded to the staff as a temporary captain on 22 March 1916, he was appointed a brigade major on 29 June and was promoted to the substantive rank of captain on 1 October. He served ultimately as a staff officer with the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) in 1917. On 16 December 1917, he was appointed a General staff Officer Grade 2 (GSO2) with the temporary rank of major and was also awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) around this time. He relinquished this post and rank on 1 July 1918 and was reappointed in the same rank and position on 1 March 1919. During the war Willcox was, in addition to being awarded the MC and DSO, wounded twice and mentioned in dispatches five times. and was appointed a GSO3 on 21 January 1927. On 9 July 1927, he transferred from the Sherwood Foresters to the East Lancashire Regiment to receive a promotion to major (with seniority backdated to 2 June 1927), and brevetted to lieutenant colonel on 1 July 1929. On 21 January 1930, he returned to the Staff College, Camberley upon being appointed as a GSO2 instructor.

Relinquishing this appointment in early 1933, Willcox was then selected to attend the Imperial Defence College, and, promoted on 8 November 1934 to lieutenant colonel, was appointed as Commanding officer (CO) of the 1st Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment. Promoted to the temporary rank of colonel on 15 September 1936, he then became Assistant Adjutant General for Palestine and Transjordan during the early stages of the Arab revolt in Palestine, before reverting to lieutenant colonel on 7 December 1936 and relinquishing the appointment on the same date. On 29 June 1937, his permanent rank was advanced to colonel (with seniority backdated to 1 July 1933) and, on the same date, was made an instructor at the Staff College, Quetta in India. took command of the 15th Infantry Brigade in succession to Brigadier Archibald Beauman. Handing over the brigade to Brigadier Horatio Berney-Ficklin in July 1939, he succeeded Brigadier Reade Godwin-Austen in command of the 13th Infantry Brigade. was made inspector of infantry at the War Office, responsible for the training of the infantry of the British Army. He held this post until 18 June 1940, handing over to Major General Charles Loyd, when he was given command of a division, becoming GOC of the 42nd (East Lancashire) Infantry Division in succession to Major General William Holmes, also of the East Lancashire Regiment, who was promoted to command X Corps. and became GOC of I Corps, succeeding Lieutenant General Laurence Carr. The corps had then the 1st and 2nd Infantry Divisions (commanded by Major Generals Edwin Morris and Daril Watson, respectively), along with the Lincolnshire and Yorkshire County Divisions (under Major Generals Kenneth Hay and Edward Lawson) under control. Therefore, several months later, in May 1942, Willcox was replaced by Lieutenant General Frederick Morgan, who was nearly five years younger. He was colonel of the Sherwood Foresters from February 1946, when he took over from Lieutenant General Sir Douglas Brownrigg, until 1947.