Colonel Sir Henry Darlington was the quintessential citizen-soldier. A Wigan solicitor by profession, his life was defined by a profound sense of duty and a long and distinguished military career.
Commissioned into the Wigan Volunteers in 1897, Darlington first saw service in the Second Boer War, where he earned the Queen’s South Africa Medal with three clasps. A natural leader, he was chosen over more senior officers to command the 5th Manchesters before their deployment to Egypt. He led his men through training and into the maelstrom of Gallipoli, where he was briefly elevated to command the 127th (Manchester) Brigade. Although invalided home in October 1915, his dedication was such that he rejoined his battalion in Egypt and went on to lead it on the Western Front. Despite several periods of sick leave, the men from Wigan always viewed him as their true commanding officer.
Darlington’s commitment to service continued long after the armistice, exemplified by his appointment to a committee chaired by Winston Churchill to discuss the reorganization of the Territorial Force. To the officers and men who served under him, Colonel Darlington was simply one of the finest commanding officers they ever knew: fair, just, and always willing to lead from the front.
