Henry Gale

Who was Henry Gale?

Brigadier Henry John Gordon Gale DSO & Bar was a British Army officer.

Gale was the son of a Colonel in the Royal Engineers. He was educated at Malvern College and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich and was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the Royal Garrison Artillery in December 1902. He was promoted Lieutenant in December 1905. In 1908 he was posted to the Hong Kong-Singapore Battalion and between November 1912 and 1916 he served with the Indian Mountain Artillery in the North-West Frontier Province of India. He was promoted Captain in 1914. From 1916 to 1918 he served on the Western Front, where he was promoted Major in June 1917, was wounded twice, mentioned in despatches twice, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order in June 1918.

Gale then served in the Russian Civil War in 1919, for which he was awarded a bar to his DSO in January 1920. The citation reads:

Throughout the operations on the Kodish front between 28 and 30 August 1919, he showed great gallantry. He carried out the duties of F.O.O. [Forward Observation Officer], and, without any regard to his personal safety, remained near the enemy's wire, so as to be able to ensure the accuracy of the artillery fire.