Col. Robert David Quixano Henriques

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Henriques

https://alchetron.com/Robert-Henriques

Robert David Quixano Henriques (11 December 1905 - 22 January 1967) was a British writer, broadcaster and farmer. He gained modest renown for two award-winning novels and two biographies of Jewish business tycoons, published during the middle part of the 20th century.

Robert Henriques was born in London in 1905 to one of the oldest Sephardic Portuguese families that migrated to England early in the 19th Century. He was the eldest child of Julian Quixano Henriques and Margaret Rebecca Beddington.[1]

He was educated at Lockers Park Preparatory School, Rugby School and at New College, Oxford, where he read Modern History graduating with honors.

He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant on 11 Jun 1926 as a university candidate on the General List of the Territorial Army. On 3 Sep 1927 he joined the Royal Artillery, and served with a Regular Army unit as a gunner officer in Egypt and the Sudan, for the next three years. On his return to England he served with the 1st Light Brigade, Royal Artillery at Ewshot Camp in Hampshire. A serious riding accident, whilst playing polo, put him in hospital and caused him to take retirement in Jun 1933. However he remained on the Reserve of Officers and was promoted to Captain on 11 May 1934.

His largely autobiographical novel 'No Arms, No Armour' (1939) received critical praise.

When World War II broke out, he was mobilised as an officer in the Territorial Army.[9] His initial appointment was as Brigade Major, Royal Artillery with a Territorial division (6K - 25K soldiers) which was mobilising. In Jun 1940 there was a call for volunteers, and he chose to revert to Captain in order to transfer to the newly formed Army Commandos,[7] where he was initially the troop leader in E Troop, 12 Commando. His advancement was rapid and on 27 Dec 1941 he was the Brigade Major of the Special Service Brigade throughout the operation (Operation Anklet) at Vaagso in Norway's Lofoten Islands. On 23 Apr 1942 he was awarded a Mention in Dispatches (MID).[8]

After the completion of the Norwegian operations he was transferred to Combined Operations Headquarters.[7]

At the end of August 1942 he was attached to General Patton' s HQ, where he was involved in the final planning of the Casablanca landings, and subsequently accompanied on the campaign,[7] He landed (unplanned) with the first American assault troops at Fedala, and for his part in the operation, was awarded the American Silver Star. The citation supporting the award stated, inter alia, 'For gallantry in action on 8 November 1942 near Fedala ...'[7]

On 2 Jun 1943, as a (Captain) (Temporary Major) (Acting Lieutenant Colonel) he was appointed MBE in the King's Birthday Honours.[8]

In Sep 1943, as an Acting Colonel, he was appointed as a Chief Military Planner in the Planning Branch of Combined Operations HQ, an appointment which he held until Apr 1944.[8]

During the summer and autumn of 1944 he saw service in France, Belgium and Holland on various missions.[7] Later In 1944 he was awarded the United States Bronze Star, in recognition of distinguished service in the cause of the Allies.

On 1 May 1947 he was promoted Lieutenant Colonel with seniority from 24 Mar 1944. On 23 Dec 1947 as an Honorary Colonel Royal Artillery he was awarded the Territorial Efficiency Decoration (TD).

After the war, he farmed 1300 acres in the Cotswolds and continued writing. His long-standing opposition to Zionism was overturned by his admiration for the achievements of the Israeli army during the 1956 Sinai Campaign, which he described in '100 Hours to Suez' (1957), and he bought a small property at Kfar Hanassi. He actively supported various Anglo-Jewish institutions, and from 1945-51 chaired the Association of Synagogues in Great Britain. In the 1960s, he wrote two biographies. The first one chartered the life and career of his wife's grandfather, Marcus Samuel, the great oil pioneer and leader of the Jewish community, and the second one described the life of Sir Robert Waley-Cohen.

His hobby interests included big game hunting in Africa and fly fishing in England.

Early in 1967 he died of cancer at London aged 61 years.[6]

Sources
1. Henriques Family Tree compiled by Cyril Quixano Henriques (1880-1975), being part of the Henriques papers, 1854, 1894-1970s (MS 132) in the Library of the University of Southampton, England. (Revised and added to by Michael Fraser-Allen from 2013 to 2015.)

2. 1911 England Census

3. The Palgrave Dictionary of Anglo-Jewish History (2011)

4. Robert Henriques - Wikipedia

5. Commando Veterans Archive - commandoveterans.org

6. FreeBMD Deaths Mar 1967 Age 61 St. Pancras Volume 5d Page 504

7. 'From a Biography of Myself' a posthumous selection of the autobiographical writings of Robert Henriques - Veronica Gosling 1969 [SBN 436 19304 3]

8. British Army Officers 1939-1945 -- www.unithistories.com

9. Forces War Records -- www.forces-war-records.co.ukLife and career
Robert Henriques was born in 1905 to one of the oldest Sephardic Portuguese families that migrated to Britain in the 17th Century. He was educated at Lockers Park School, Rugby, and New College, Oxford. He joined the Royal Artillery in 1926, and served as a gunnery officer in Egypt and the Sudan. A riding accident put him in the hospital and caused him to take retirement in 1933.

His book No Arms, No Armour (1939) came out to considerable critical praise. Much of the novel was autobiographical.

When World War II broke out, Henriques was an officer in the Territorial Army. He was immediately called up, and he served with distinction through the war, first in the Royal Artillery, then with the newly formed Commandos, and finally at the headquarters of Combined Operations. During the course of the war, Henriques rose to the rank of Colonel. Was also awarded American Bronze and Silver Stars for bravery in North Africa and Sicily when attached to US Forces under Patton (see 'Robert Henriques - My Biography' Secker and Warburg 1969) and British MBE.

After the war, Henriques began a new life as a farmer in the Cotswolds. Starting from rather modest beginnings, his farm near Cirencester became a large and impressive operation. Henriques had outstanding success as a cattle-breeder and won competitions. He lived the life of a country squire, carrying on hunting, fishing and shooting, and even writing occasional letters to the Times on farming issues.

Writing remained his first love, however, and in 1950 he became a recipient of the annual James Tait Black Award for his novel Through the Valley. He was also a frequent broadcaster and appeared on Any Questions and on various television shows. He also helped to run the Cheltenham Literary Festival with John Moore, although things always did not go his own way. Although he had accomplished much in all his various fields of endeavour – soldiering, farming, writing and broadcasting – Henriques was described as a restless character, who remained dissatisfied with himself and who was difficult to please.

The following year, he wrote 100 Hours to Suez, and it was around this time, in his late forties, that Henriques began to take an active interest and pride in his Jewish identity. He was won over by the Zionist cause, and made frequent trips to Israel where he bought a small property.

In the 1960s, Henriques wrote two biographies. The first one charted the life and career of his wife's grandfather Marcus Samuel, the great oil pioneer and leader of the Jewish community, and the second one described the life of Sir Robert Waley Cohen.

In 1928 he married Vivien Doris Levy, daughter of Nellie Levy and granddaughter of the 1st Viscount Bearsted. The couple had two sons and two daughters.[1] The younger son Michael Henriques (b. 1941)[2] is the father of Katrina Henriques, wife since 1991 of the Hon. David Seymour Hicks Beach (b. 1955), heir presumptive to his brother the 3rd Earl Saint Aldwyn.