Family Background

Maxwell Edward was born 7 March 1872, son of Ralph Anthony Dopping-Hepenstal of Derrycassan, Ireland. J.P. and D.L., High Sheriff and Honorary Col. Longford Rifles. His mother – Anne Fox Dopping-Hepenstal, 3^rd daughter of Richard Maxwell Fox of Foxhall Co. Longford, Ireland. J.P and D.L. Maxwell Edward was the sixth of seven children.

Educated at King William’s College, Isle of Man

Royal Military College, Sandhurst 1892 (schoolmate of Sir Winston Churchill)

Service to the Empire

Colonel Dopping-Hepenstal was first commissioned as a Second Lieutenant on 18 June, 1892 to the 1^st Battalion Worcestershire Regiment. The regiment was posted to Poona, near Bombay.

On 9 October, 1893 2^nd Lieutenant Dopping-Hepenstal was promoted to Lieutenant.

Appointed to the Indian Army on 25 July, 1896. He was attached as a wing officer to the 5^th Infantry Hyderabad Contingent. Awarded the IGS 1895-1902 Medal with clasp; “Punjab Frontier 1897-98” for actions associated with the Mohmand Field Force .

On 28 March, 1897 Dopping-Hepenstal was attached to the 1^st Battalion 3^rd Gurkha Rifles (Queen Alexandra’s Own). The 1/3^rd Battalion served as a support unit in the Tirah and adjunct operations of 1897.

On 10 July, 1901 Lieutenant Dopping-Hepenstal was promoted to Captain

In December of that year the 1^st Battalion received orders to proceed to Tank on the North-West Frontier (Kabul Khel country) to form part of a supporting brigade to the Waziristan Blockade Force to put down raids by the Mahsud Waziris. The 1/3^rd was in the second of three mobile columns working simultaneously in the territory. There was considerable hardship in this cold and inhospitable country. The regiment performed excellent work in scouting and piquet duty and Dopping-Hepenstal was awarded a clasp; “Waziristan, 1902-02”.

In 1907 Major Dopping-Hepenstal traveled to Japan for two years to study Japanese language. He was already versed in (Indian) native languages. While in Japan he learned the martial art of Judo…rare, in the West at this time. On his return he was qualified as an interpreter 2^nd Class in Japanese.

On 18 February, 1908 Dopping-Hepenstal officially transferred to the 1^st Battalion,

1^st King George V’s Own Gurkha Rifles.

On 18 June, 1910 Captain Dopping-Hepenstal was promoted to Major.

The 1911 Delhi Durbar – The 1^st Battalion King George V’s Own Gurkhas and the 1^st Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers served as Guards of Honour, mounted in front of the Emperor’s reception tent. Major Dopping-Hepenstal was awarded 1911 Durbar Medal at the request of HM George V for his participation in the King’s shooting camp, Nepal.

When the Great War hostilities broke out in August, 1914 Dopping-Hepenstal, like many officers in the summer season was on furlough. He rejoined his regiment (part of the Sirhind Infantry Brigade) in Egypt on 7 November, 1914 which was then posted to the defense of the Suez Canal. The Sirhind Brigade (Lahore Division) was the first to reach Egypt to guard the Canal…it was relieved mid November by a Lancashire Territorial Division. The 1^st KGVO Gurkhas with 1^st/4^th Prince of Wales Own Gurkha Rifles sailed to France on the S.S. Mounteagle on 22 November. The first action in France was the Battle of Givenchy, which, by this time had turned into a primitive (defensive) trench network. Major Dopping-Hepenstal was not involved in this early action.

On 11 February, 1915 the Sirhind Brigade (1^st HLI, 4^th Seaforths, 1/1^st Gurkhas and 1/4^th Gurkhas) replaced the Dehra Dun Brigade in the trenches outside Neuve Chapelle. Trench duty of building, repairing earthworks, communication links and raiding parties set in. Constant shelling persisted and on 18 March, 1915 Major Dopping-Hepenstal was wounded in the back of the neck by a shrapnel shell. He spent three weeks off the front line recovering from his wounds.

On 19 April, 1915 Major Dopping-Hepenstal was wounded again. This time severely burned on the face and hands while rescuing French civilians and troops from a burning farmhouse. His injuries were serious enough to ship him back to England to convalesce for five months. Major Dopping-Hepenstal was awarded the Croix de Guerre by the French Government for this heroic deed. He returned to duty on 27 September, 1915.

Monotonous trench warfare was the order of the day in 1915. Warmer climate finally arrived for the 1^st Battalion when on 15 December, 1915 they sailed back to Egypt on the transport Franconia. The 57^th Punjabis, 47^th Sikhs, and Headquarters staff of the Sirhind Brigade and Lahore Division also left…final designation, Basra, Mesopotamia (the relief of Kut al Amara).

The Sirhind Brigade now resumed and was henceforth known as the 9^th (Sirhind) Brigade or simply the 9^th Brigade. It now consisted of – 1^st HLI, 1/1^st Gurkhas, 1/9^th Gurkhas and the 93^rd Burma Infantry. The Brigade saw action against the Turk defenses at Hanna (Jan.-Feb.) and the Dujaila Redoubt (Feb.-March). Major Dopping-Hepenstal saw considerable action in the severe fighting of the Dujaila offensive. British forces casualties in this unfortunate battle were high (3,500 including approx. 1,000 missing). Major Dopping-Hepenstal was slightly wounded on 8 March, 1916 spending one month behind the line recuperating from his wounds.

The next action Major Dopping-Hepenstal was involved in was against the Turkish defenses of Bait Aissa on the Tigris River. The offensive began on 11 April, 1916.

At this time Major Dopping-Hepenstal was temporarily in command of the 1^st Gurkhas owning to the illness of Lieut. Colonel W.C. Anderson. The fighting against the Turks at Bait Aissa were extremely rough suffering heavy losses.

On 16 May, 1916 Major Dopping-Hepenstal received the Distinguished Service Order, ‘immediate award’ for his conspicuous gallantry in leading his battalion in the attack at Bait Aissa under heavy rifle and machine-gun fire. This brilliant action captured 400 Turkish and German prisoners, six machine-guns and two field guns.

On 8 August, 1916 Lieut. Colonel Anderson, C.M.G. rejoined the battalion and took over command from Major Dopping-Hepenstal, D.S.O.

On 9 December, 1916 on the promotion to Brevet Colonel, Col. Anderson took command of the 9^th Brigade. Major Dopping-Hepenstal, D.S.O. assumed command of the 1/1^st Gurkhas. This proved to be short lived as Colonel Anderson was relieved (22 Jan. 1917) in the Brigade Command by Brig. General Campbell. Col. Anderson returned as battalion commander. During this time the battalion was in a position known as the Kut East Mounds…preparing for the final assault and capture of Kut al Amara. The 1/1^st Gurkhas, however, were not involved in any significant action in this battle.

The advance to Baghdad brought on a major action in and around the foothills of

Jabal Hamrin. The operation in late March was very costly in casualties to British and Gurkha officers. The 1/1^st Gurkhas suffered badly with one lieutenant killed and four officers severely wounded. Colonel Anderson and Major Dopping-Hepenstal were both severely wounded - shot through the lungs, Captain W.B. Northey was shot through both cheeks and Lieutenant F.S. Sheridan, missing and presumed dead. According to the regimental history the wounds suffered by Anderson, Dopping-Hepenstal and Northey all took place within minutes of each other.

Major Dopping-Hepenstal, D.S.O. was sent to the Officer’s Hospital in Bombay where he spent eight months convalescence. On his return to active duty in November 1917 he briefly became the commander of the battalion depot. Soon after, Colonel Anderson, C.M.G. took over the depot command as he returned to light duty.

On 1 January, 1918 Major Dopping-Hepenstal, D.S.O. joined the 2^nd Battalion 1^st Gurkha Rifles at Ferozepur as second-in-command.

On 2 March, 1918 Major Dopping-Hepenstal succeeded Lieut. Colonel E.D. Money, C.I.E., D.S.O., as commandant of the battalion.

On 11 March, Major Dopping-Hepenstal was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel.

Major Dopping-Hepenstal received the 1914-15 Star, War Medal and Victory Medal with Mentioned-in-Despatches.

The end of the Great War on November 11, 1918 shifted the focus towards the continuous uprisings in the North-West Frontier and elsewhere on India’s borders.

On 6 May, 1919 war was declared against Afghanistan (The Third Afghan War). The

2^nd Battalion was to engage in numerous skirmishes and police-like activities. For his actions and service during these hostilities Lieut. Colonel Dopping-Hepenstal, D.S.O. was made a Commander of the British Empire (C.BE.) on 3 August, 1920. He was also awarded the IGS Medal 1908-1935 with clasp, Afghanistan NWF 1919.

Additional clasps for service in punitive operations on the frontier includes:

Waziristan 1919-21 and Waziristan 1921-24.

The battalion left the Wazir Force in late December of 1921 and returned to battalion headquarters at Dharmsala arriving 11 January, 1922.

On 11 March, 1922 Lieut. Colonel Dopping-Hepenstal, C.B.E., D.S.O. was promoted Colonel. He stepped down same day ending his long and distinguished service with the Regiment. He remained in the Indian Army until officially retiring and leaving on

11 September,1922. He was affectionately known as “Dopper” by this fellow officers and friends.

On 12 June 1923, Colonel Dopping-Hepenstal, C.B.E., D.S.O. received his fourth (and final) Mentioned-in-Dispatches (MID).

After Imperial Service

Upon retirement “Dopper” settled in Duncan, Vancouver, British Columbia where he enjoyed fishing, shooting, cricket and lawn tennis. His main interest was the association with the local Quamichan Boy Scout Troop. “Dopper” became Scoutmaster in 1926 and served in that capacity until 1934 when he took charge as the district commissioner. The Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia, W.C Woodward, awarded him the Order of the Silver Wolf in 1942. At that time the 1^st Quanichan Troop added “Hepenstal’s Own” to its name. Colonel Dopping-Hepenstal, C.B.E., D.S.O. expressed his gratitude to the troop for this great honour. He presented every member of the Scout Troop and the Cub Pack with new shoulder flashes bearing his name. This imperial soldier and scout was granted a special ‘salute’.

On 6 May, 1935 Colonel Dopping-Hepenstal, C.B.E., D.S.O. was awarded the King’s 1935 Jubilee Medal. The following year he attended a reception and events in London given by the Gurkha contingent in honour of the Coronation of King George VI.

“Dopper” died at King’s Daughters’ Hospital in 1965 at the age of 93 years. The funeral took place at St. Peter’s Church, in Quamicham with full Scout honours. The pallbearers were officials of the Scout movement. He was well known and a respected figure in Duncan. He never married.

-Authored by Bill Nanny

Rayner was born in Lockwood, Huddersfield in 1911 and christened John Rayner Heppenstall. His middle name was his mother’s maiden name and when he was older he preferred to be known just as Rayner Heppenstall. He attended a local primary school in Lockwood and had just nicely moved to Huddersfield College on a scholarship when his father Edgar got a job as manager of the Coop drapery department in Guisborough, North Yorkshire. The family lived in Guisborough for a couple of years during which time Rayner attended Guisborough Grammar School. They came back to live in Lockwood in 1925 and Rayner finished off his secondary education at Huddersfield College.

He went to Leeds University to study Modern Languages in 1929, living at home and travelling by train every day, except for a semester spent at Strasbourg University. Rayner was an accomplished musician and won the original music prize for a choral setting of a Swinburne poem in 1931 at the Mrs Sunderland competition in Huddersfield. He graduated BA in 1932 and stayed on the following year to do a Diploma of Education.

Two terms in a secondary school in Dagenham showed him he was not really cut out for teaching and so at the end of 1934 he moved into London to start a career as a freelance writer and critic. His friends during this period included the writers Michael Innes, George Orwell and Dylan Thomas, the critic Myddleton Murray and the sculptor Eric Gill. He met his future wife Margaret Edwards at a literary gathering in 1936 and they married in her hometown of Newport, Monmouthshire in 1937. Most of his published poetry was written during this period (Patina, First Poems, Sebastian, Blind Men’s Flowers are Green, Poems 1933-45). His first novel The Blaze of Noon was published in 1939 but was not a great success perhaps because of the outbreak of war. Much later in 1967 this book won him the Arts Council Prize for a novel deemed not to have received appropriate acclaim when first published.

During WW2 he was called up for army service in 1940 and spent the next five years in Yorkshire and Northern Ireland, firstly in the Royal Artillery and then in the Royal Army Pay Corps. After leaving the army in 1945 he joined the BBC as a features writer and drama producer, working mainly for the Third Programme (now known as Radio 3) and he remained with them for the next 22 years. During this time he and Margaret lived with their son and daughter in Hampstead and then Notting Hill Gate. Whilst at the BBC he wrote and published novels (Saturnine, The Lesser Infortune,The Greater Infortune, The Woodshed, The Connecting Door), memoirs (Four Absentees, The Intellectual Part) and criticism (Leon Bloy, The Fourfold Tradition, Raymond Roussel)

Rayner became a freelance writer again in 1967 and remained so for the rest of his life, moving with his wife in 1974 to live in Deal, Kent. He translated from the French Roussel’s Impressions of Africa, Balzac’s A Harlot High and Low, and Floriot’s When Justice Falters. He wrote three more novels (The Shearers, Two Moons, The Pier), a further volume of memoirs (Portrait of the Artist as a Professional Man) and developed an interest in criminal history (A Little Pattern of French Crime, French Crime in the Romantic age, Bluebeard and After, The Sex War and Others, Reflections on the Newgate Calendar, Tales from the Newgate Calendar). He suffered a stroke whilst at his typewriter in May 1981 and died in Deal Hospital six days later.

For many years before his death he had kept a journal. These writings were edited by Jonathon Goodman and published as The Master Eccentric in 1986. Rayner Heppenstall’s manuscripts are stored in the Brotherton Library, University of Leeds.

-Biography generously submitted by David Mellor

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