William Horrocks

Infobox Military Person
name=Sir William Heaton Horrocks


caption=
lived=25 August 1859 – death date and age|1941|1|26|1859|8|25|df=yes
placeofbirth=
placeofdeath=
nickname=
allegiance=flagicon|UK United Kingdom
branch=flagicon|UK|army British Army
serviceyears=1887–1919
rank=Temporary Brigadier-General
Substantive Colonel
unit=Royal Army Medical Corps
commands=
battles=
awards=
relations=Lieut.-Gen. Brian Horrocks
laterwork=Director of Hygiene, War Office

Sir William Heaton Horrocks KCMG, CB (25 August 1859 – 26 January 1941) was an officer of the British Army remembered chiefly for confirming Sir David Bruce's theory that Malta fever was spread through goat's milk. He also contributed to the making safe of water, developing a simple method of testing and purifying water in the field. Because of his work, he became the first Director of Hygiene at the War Office in 1919.

Early life and career

William Heaton Horrocks was the son of William Holden Horrocks of Bolton. [cite book |title=Burke's Peerage |last=Burke et al. |pages=p. 2749 ] Horrocks studied for his M.B. at Owen's College and passed his first M.B. examination in 1881. [cite book |title=The Medical Times and Gazette |volume=Vol. II for 1880 |pages=p. 197 ] He received a Third Class Honours pass in Anatomy, and a Second Class in Physiology and Histology. [cite book |title=The Historical Record |last=University of London |pages=p. 430 ]

Previously a Surgeon on probation, Horrocks was promoted to Surgeon (the equivalent of Captain) on 5 February 1887. [LondonGazette |issue=25678 |date=1 March 1887 |startpage=1091 (PDF)] While serving in India, Horrocks married Minna Moore (died 1921), the daughter of the Reverend J.C. Moore of Connor, County Antrim on 27 September, 1894 at Christ Church, Mussoorie. [Cite newspaper The Times |articlename=Marriages |section=Marriages |day_of_week=Monday |date=5 November 1894 |page_number=1 |issue=34413 |column=A ] Together they had one son and one daughter. His son Brian also joined the British Army, and became a leading corps commander during the Second World War.

Horrocks was promoted from Captain to Major on 5 February 1899. [LondonGazette |issue=27052 |date=14 February 1899 |startpage=932 (PDF)]

Malta fever

In 1904 Horrocks was appointed as a member of the Royal Society's Mediterranean Fever Commission, to investigate the highly contagious disease Malta fever which was prevalent in the British colony of Malta. Identified by Sir David Bruce in 1887, Malta fever was characterised by a low mortality rate but was of indefinite duration. It was accompanied by profuse perspiration, pain and occasional swelling of the joints. In 1905 Sir Themistocles Zammit infected a goat with the bacteria "Micrococcus Melitanensis" which then caught Malta fever. Horrocks was the first person to find the bacteria in goat's milk, thus identifying the method of transmission. [cite book |title=Preventative Medicine and Hygiene |last=Rosenau |pages=p. 409 ]

In attempting to settle the matter of who was responsible for the discovery, Bruce (who had served as chairman of the Commission, wrote to "The Times" newspaper:

Horrocks afterwards served as sanitary officer at the British colony of Gibraltar, where he noted that the incidence of Malta fever practically disappeared with the removal of Maltese goats from that place.

Later career

Horrocks was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel on 19 May 1911, [LondonGazette |issue=28508 |date=27 June 1911 |startpage=4772 (PDF)] then in July was promoted Brevet Colonel dated 20 May, in recognition of his services. [LondonGazette |issue=28511 |date=7 July 1911 |startpage=5060 (PDF)] In 1915, Horrocks was honoured by becoming an Honorary Surgeon to King George V, commencing 6 November 1914, [LondonGazette |issue=29044 |date=19 January 1915 |startpage=606 (PDF)] holding the appointment until 26 December 1917. [LondonGazette |issue=30686|supp=yes|date=14 May 1918 |startpage=606 (PDF)]

Horrocks also developed the "Horrocks Box", following his research into contamination of water. This device used sand filtration and chlorine sterilisation plants to provide a portable means of decontaminating water supplies. It proved of particular use during the First World War, when it kept the Allied forces largely free of water-borne disease. In addition to this he also developed means of removing poisons from water and assisted in the design of the first gas mask. [cite book |title=Horrocks |last=Warner |first=Philip |pages=p. 3]

For his services in the war, Horrocks was honoured with appointments to a number of orders. On 24 January 1917 he was appointed a Companion of the Bath. [LondonGazette |issue=29916 |supp=yes|date=23 January 1917 |startpage=924 (PDF)] On 3 June 1918 (in the King's Birthday Honours) Horrocks was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George. [LondonGazette |issue=30721|supp=yes |date=31 May 1918 |startpage=6514 (PDF)] He became the first Director of Hygiene at the War Office on 1 June 1919 [LondonGazette |issue=30446 |supp=yes|date=27 June 1919 |startpage=6514 (PDF)] in recognition of his expertise in military hygiene, this last period of active duty came to an end on 1 November 1919, and he relinquished his temporary rank of Brigadier-General. [LondonGazette |issue=31641 |supp=yes|date=11 November 1919 |startpage=13778 (PDF)]

Horrocks died on 26 January 1941 at the age of eighty-one, at Hersham in Surrey. His funeral took place at St. Peter's Church, Hersham on 31 January with his son and daughter, among others, present. [Cite newspaper The Times |articlename=Funerals |section=Deaths |day_of_week=Saturday |date=1 February 1941 |page_number=6 |issue=48839 |column=B ]

Notes

References

*cite book |title=The Medical Times and Gazette |volume=Vol. II for 1880 |year=1880 |publisher=J. & A. Churchill |location=London
*cite book |title=Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Peerage, Baronetage and... |last=Burke |first=Bernard |coauthors=Burke, John; Pine, L.G. |year=1949 |publisher=Burke's Peerage Limited |location=London
*cite book |title=The Historical Record (1836–1912) |last=University of London |year=1912 |publisher=University of London Press |location=London
*cite book |title=Preventative Medicine and Hygiene |last=Rosenau |first=Milton J. |year=1921 |publisher=D. Appleton and Company |location=London
*cite book |title=Horrocks: The General Who Led From the Front |last=Warner |first=Philip |year=1984 |publisher=Hamish Hamilton |location=London |isbn=0-241-11312-1

Published works

*cite book |title=An Introduction to the Bacteriological Examination of Water |last=Horrocks |first=William Heaton |year=1901 |publisher=J. & A. Churchill |location=London
*cite book |title=Reports of the Commission appointed by the Admiralty, the War Office and the Civil Government of Malta, for the Investigation of Mediterranean Fever |last=Bruce et al. |year=1905 |publisher=Harrison and Sons |location=London |pages=pp. 5-72