Walter Venning
Encyclopedia
General
Sir Walter King Venning GCB
CMG
CBE
MC
(1882–1964) was Quartermaster-General to the Forces
.
then in Honiton
, Devon
, Venning was commissioned into the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry
in 1901. He saw service with West African Frontier Force from 1907 to 1910.
He served in World War I
initially as Deputy Assistant Adjutant General at the General Headquarters for the British Expeditionary Force and then as Assistant Adjutant General at the War Office
.
After the War he became an Instructor at the Staff College
and was then promoted to Assistant Adjutant General at the War Office
in 1922. He was appointed Assistant Adjutant and Quartermaster General at Aldershot Command
in 1927 and Deputy Adjutant & Quartermaster General at Eastern Command in India
in 1929. He became Commander
2nd (Rawalpindi) Infantry Brigade
in India
in 1931 and then Director of Movements and Quartering at the War Office in 1934.
He also served in World War II
as Quartermaster-General to the Forces
from 1939 to 1942; in this capacity he had responsibility for the War Office Fleet which he despatched to Dunkirk in 1940 to evacuate the troops.
His last posting was as Director General of the British Supply Mission in Washington D.C. from 1942 to 1946.
In his retirement he became Chairman of Governors for his old school, Allhallows
.
General (United Kingdom)
General is currently the highest peace-time rank in the British Army and Royal Marines. It is subordinate to the Army rank of Field Marshal, has a NATO-code of OF-9, and is a four-star rank....
Sir Walter King Venning GCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
CMG
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
(1882–1964) was Quartermaster-General to the Forces
Quartermaster-General to the Forces
In the United Kingdom, the Quartermaster-General to the Forces is a senior general in the British Army.From 1904 the Quartermaster-General to the Forces was the Third Military Member of the Army Board.-Responsibilities:...
.
Military career
Educated at Allhallows CollegeAllhallows College
Allhallows College, previously known as Allhallows School, was an independent boys 'public school' in Devon, England, predominantly boarding.-History:...
then in Honiton
Honiton
Honiton is a town and civil parish in East Devon, situated close to the River Otter, north east of Exeter in the county of Devon. The town's name is pronounced in two ways, and , each pronunciation having its adherents...
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, Venning was commissioned into the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry
Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry
The Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry was an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1959. Its lineage is continued today by The Rifles....
in 1901. He saw service with West African Frontier Force from 1907 to 1910.
He served in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
initially as Deputy Assistant Adjutant General at the General Headquarters for the British Expeditionary Force and then as Assistant Adjutant General at the War Office
War Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...
.
After the War he became an Instructor at the Staff College
Staff College, Camberley
Staff College, Camberley, Surrey, was a staff college for the British Army from 1802 to 1997, with periods of closure during major wars. In 1997 it was merged into the new Joint Services Command and Staff College.-Origins:...
and was then promoted to Assistant Adjutant General at the War Office
War Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...
in 1922. He was appointed Assistant Adjutant and Quartermaster General at Aldershot Command
Aldershot Command
-History:After the success of the Chobham Manoeuvres of 1853, a permanent training camp was established at Aldershot in 1854 on the recommendation of the Commander-in-Chief, Viscount Hardinge...
in 1927 and Deputy Adjutant & Quartermaster General at Eastern Command in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
in 1929. He became Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
2nd (Rawalpindi) Infantry Brigade
2nd Indian Infantry Brigade
The 2nd Indian Infantry Brigade was an Infantry formation of the Indian Army during World War II.It was formed in Rawalpindi in September 1939. In October 1940, it was re named 16th Indian Infantry Brigade in November 1941, and left India for Burma. The brigade was caught in the Battle of Sittang...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
in 1931 and then Director of Movements and Quartering at the War Office in 1934.
He also served in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
as Quartermaster-General to the Forces
Quartermaster-General to the Forces
In the United Kingdom, the Quartermaster-General to the Forces is a senior general in the British Army.From 1904 the Quartermaster-General to the Forces was the Third Military Member of the Army Board.-Responsibilities:...
from 1939 to 1942; in this capacity he had responsibility for the War Office Fleet which he despatched to Dunkirk in 1940 to evacuate the troops.
His last posting was as Director General of the British Supply Mission in Washington D.C. from 1942 to 1946.
In his retirement he became Chairman of Governors for his old school, Allhallows
Allhallows College
Allhallows College, previously known as Allhallows School, was an independent boys 'public school' in Devon, England, predominantly boarding.-History:...
.