Walter Waddington

Walter Francis Chisholm Waddington (29 April 1864 – 23 June 1920) was a French cavalry officer and general. Born in Dublin, Ireland to a British Army officer, he followed his father to France and enlisted in the cavalry. Commissioned within five years, he saw service in Madagascar and was made an officer of the Legion of Honour before being promoted to the rank of général de brigade. Waddington had command of the French 12th Dragoon Brigade in the Occupation of the Rhineland following the First World War, and died there at Mainz on 23 June 1920.

Early life and career Walter Francis Chisholm Waddington was born on 29 April 1864 in Dublin, Ireland. His father was Richard Pendrell Waddington, who was then serving at the Royal Barracks as a lieutenant in the British Army's Royal Artillery, but later emigrated with his family to France where he became a businessman, army officer, historian and member of the National Assembly and Senate. Walter's mother was Louise Marie Anne Collison Miles Waddington.

Waddington volunteered for a five-year engagement with the 6th Chasseur Regiment on 22 January 1885 at Rouen and was enlisted as a 2nd class chasseur four days later. He was promoted to brigadier (corporal) on 27 July 1885 and to maréchal-des-logis (senior non-commissioned officer) on 30 January 1886. Waddington attended the École d'application de la cavalerie (cavalry training school) in Saumur from 1 October 1888 to 31 August 1889 and graduated second in his class of 130 candidates. During this time he was praised by his superiors for his calm under pressure and his ceaseless energy, and was assigned many difficult and perilous tasks. He was also a 2nd class member of the Russian Order of Saint Stanislaus.

Waddington was with the 12th Dragoon Brigade at the time of the Armistice with Germany and was made an officer of the Legion of Honour on 29 December 1918. Waddington was given command of the 7th Dragoon Brigade upon the dissolution of the 12th Dragoon Brigade.

Funeral Waddington's funeral was attended by many generals and other officers. The honour guard was provided by his entire cavalry brigade together with detachments of troops from the rest of the French Army of the Rhine, flags and standards were flown veiled in black crepe. Those present included chairman of the Inter-Allied Rhineland High Commission, Paul Tirard; commander of the French Army of the Rhine, General Jean Degoutte and generals Georges Demetz and Henri Mordacq (together with at least eleven other French generals). There were delegations from the Belgian, British and American armies as well as Roman Catholic and Jewish chaplains.