Halse-Hearne, William Edward, 1917-1944

Halse-Hearne, William Edward, son of William Frederick Halse-Hearne, RN stores officer, and Esther, d. of James Alexander Crofton; b. 22 July 1917; adm. Apr. 1931 (A), (B) Jan. 1933; left Dec. 1933; Drummond's Bank; 2nd Lieut. Wilts Regt 1943, transf. Commandos (Capt.); m. 18 June 1940 Margaret Horner; d. of wounds (Burma) Nov. 1944.

William Edward Halse-Hearne was born in North London on the 22nd of July 1917 the only son of William Frederick Halse-Hearne RN, a naval stores officer, and Esther (nee Crofton) Halse-Hearne of 17, King’s Road, Wimbledon in Surrey. He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Ashburnham from April 1931 and up Busby’s from January 1933 to December 1933.
He joined the staff of Drummonds Bank in London in 1934 where he worked as a clerk. He enlisted in the Honourable Artillery Company in 1938 where he served with B Battery and he was mobilised for war service in September 1939.
He was married in Surrey on the 18th of June 1940 to Margaret Gertrude (nee Horner).
He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Wiltshire Regiment on the 4th of June 1943 and was later attached to No. 1 Commando where he was appointed to the command of No. 4 Troop.
In November 1944, No 1 Commando was based at Teknaf in the Maungdaw Hills of Burma from where they were carrying out patrols against Japanese troops in the area. On the 11th of November 1944, No. 4 Troop, No. 1 Commando was briefed for a patrol to investigate a report of the presence of Japanese troops in the area of the village of Ywathitke. The patrol was to consist of eighteen other ranks, commanded by William Halse-Hearne, accompanied by Lieutenant Paterson and by an Intelligence Officer. It was to take a route on the outward journey of Nurutlapara –Chiradan West - Ywathitke to Thavengonbaung and return by the same route. The patrol set out at midday and was due to return at 6pm.
They advanced down the main road to a river crossing where they received updated information that enemy troops were in Thavengonbaung and in a another village to the north of it. On receiving this information they split into two groups, one under Lieutenant Paterson and the other under William Halse-Hearne, with one advancing towards through the villages towards Thavengonbaung and the other continuing down the main track where the two groups were to rendezvous. Both groups reached the rendezvous point without incident where they were informed by a native boy that the Japanese were in the village where they were commandeering millet from the locals. They continued their advance towards the village in open order with C Section, under Lieutenant Paterson, on the left and with D Section, under William Halse-Hearne, on the right. They reached the south end of the village where they found the approach to it was across 100 yards of scrub with a further 100 yards of forward slope and then 800 yards of open paddy fields beyond. Having covered the 200 yards to the village they came under fire from an enemy light machine gun and from rifle fire from their right and from snipers on their left. The two sections took cover but William Halse-Hearne had been wounded and was lying on the open ground. He was brought in by his men under heavy fire who were then forced to fall back when they were brought under 2 inch mortar fire. C Section also withdrew having kileld three enemy snipers. William Halse-Hearne was carried to Thavengonbaung and then taken on an improvised stretcher to Chiradan West. He died from his wounds during the journey when the party was approximately a mile from Thavengonbaung.
He is commemorated on the war memorial at the Royal Bank of Scotland branch at 36, Andrew Square, Edinburgh
He is buried at Taukkyan War Cemetery Plot 3, Row G, Grave 4.

Lieutenant 278631; Wiltshire Regiment attached to No. 4 Troop, No. 1 Commando

International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families - ISAAR(CPF) 2nd edition

Prepared for import into AtoM by Westminster School Archive staff, 2019-2020. Updated by Bethany Duck, Archives Assistant, September 2022.

The Record of Old Westminsters: A biographical list of all those who are known to have been educated at Westminster School from Play 1919 to Election 1989, Volume 4, compiled by F.E. Pagan and H.E. Pagan, Padstow, 1992.

Westminster School Second World War Memorial by John C. Hamblin, 2022.