Sheila Heaney
Sheila Heaney | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | June 11, 1917 Liverpool, England |
| Died | February 1, 1991 (aged 73) Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Allegiance | British Army |
| Service/ | Auxiliary Territorial Service & Women's Royal Army Corps |
| Years of service | 1939-1973 |
| Rank | Director |
| Battles/wars | Second World War 1947–1948 civil war in Mandatory Palestine |
| Awards | Member of the Order of the British Empire, Companion of the Order of the Bath |
Sheila Anne Elizabeth Heaney (11 June 1917 - 1 February 1991) was a British Army officer. She joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service shortly before the Second World War and served in the UK, East Africa and Palestine. After the war she transferred to the newly formed Women's Royal Army Corps (WRAC). Heaney rose through the ranks and was honoured with appointment as a Member of the Order of the British Empire. She was promoted to the rank of brigadier, appointed director of WRAC and Aide-de-camp to Queen Elizabeth II in 1970. As part of her role Heaney visited the United States to study their ongoing integration of women into the army and recommended that the process proceed in the UK on a gradual basis. She instituted changes to make it easier for women in the British Army to chose their branch of service before her retirement in 1973. Afterwards she lived in Edinburgh where she volunteered with the Women's Royal Voluntary Service and supported a local hospice.
Early life
Sheila Anne Elizabeth Heaney was born in Liverpool on 8 June 1910. She was the second of four children of Francis Heaney, a surgeon, and his wife Anne Summer, who was American. As a child she was a keen horse rider and hunt follower and holidayed with her family in Cornwall, the Lake District and Ireland.[1]
Heaney developed an interest in sociology after visiting the poorer parts of London with her father on his work. She studied at Huyton College and graduated from the University of Liverpool in 1938. Heaney then attended the Loughborough College of Technology before finding work at the human resources department of retailer Marks & Spencer.[1]
Auxiliary Territorial Service
As tensions increased in the lead up to the Second World War Heaney joined the British Army's Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) and encouraged her co-workers to join-up.[1] On 26 January 1939 she was appointed company assistant (equivalent to second lieutenant) and served in the 1st West Lancashire Platoon.[2][1] Heaney afterwards spent a year at the ATS training centre before being appointed second in command of the Salisbury Plain District Group.[1] When the ATS reformed its rank structure on 30 May 1941 she transferred to the rank of second subaltern.[3]
From January to April 1944 Heaney attended the United States Army Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Afterwards she carried out administrative work on a posting to British East Africa. From 1946 she served in Mandatory Palestine, a posting that included the 1947-48 civil war.[1] Heaney transferred from her war substantive commission to a permanent commission on 1 January 1947 and was promoted to junior commander (captain) the following month.[4][1] On 20 March 1947 she was awarded the Efficiency Medal for long service, at which point she held the rank of temporary senior commander (equivalent to major).[5]
Heaney returned to the UK in July 1948 and was awarded the War Medal 1939–1945 and the General Service Medal with Palestine clasp for her service.[1] She served at the ATS headquarters for 3 months before being appointed deputy assistant adjutant-general at the War Office.[1]
Heaney decided on a permanent career in the army in 1925 and transferred to the Women's Royal Army Corps (WRAC) when it was founded on 1 February 1966. She transferred initially in the rank of subaltern (with seniority of 2 September 1941) but was immediately promoted to junior commander (with seniority of 2 September 1945).[6] Heaney was awarded the Efficiency Decoration on 13 April 1951. By this time the WRAC had adopted the British Army's officer ranks and she held the substantive rank of captain and temporary rank of major.[7] During 1952 Heaney served on the headquarters of 79th Anti-Aircraft Brigade of the Royal Artillery and on 2 September was promoted to
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Corsar, Mary. "Heaney, Sheila Anne Elizabeth (1917–1991), army officer". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.01.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-49771. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
- ^ "No. 34819". The London Gazette (Supplement). 0March 1940. p. 1843.
{{cite magazine}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "No. 35230". The London Gazette (Supplement). 25 July 1941. p. 4346.
- ^ "No. 38383". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 August 1948. p. 4628.
- ^ "No. 37909". The London Gazette (Supplement). 18 March 1947. p. 1319.
- ^ "No. 39024". The London Gazette (Supplement). 26 September 1950. p. 4791.
- ^ "No. 39200". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 April 1951. p. 2062.
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