A RARE and important group of 12 medals awarded to a Minehead-born war hero is to be auctioned later this month.
The medals belonged to Brigadier Sir Mark ‘Honker’ Henniker, of the Royal Engineers, who was one of the founders of Britain’s 1st Airborne Division during the Second World War.
He escaped with his men from the beaches of Dunkirk in a rowing boat, and later took part in the now-famous Operation Market Garden, the largest airborne operation in history, with nearly 35,000 troops parachuting or landing in gliders to seize strategically important river bridges in the Netherlands.
Sir Mark also took part in the airborne invasion of Sicily, and was closely involved in planning the attempted destruction of Germany’s heavy water production plant in Telemark, Norway, and the Bruneval Raid, in February, 1942, to seize German radar equipment on the northern coast of France.
His medals will be offered by Noonans Mayfair in its auction of orders, decorations, medals, and militaria being held on Wednesday, February 14.
The collection is being sold by his family and is expected to fetch between £60,000 and £80,000.
Noonans medal specialist and associate director Mark Quayle said: “This is an outstanding group of medals, and of particular importance.
“Brigadier Sir Mark Henniker’s involvement in all things airborne during the Second World War must be without parallel.
“A key strategist, planner, and an undoubted man of action who came to the fore time and time again - often ‘swathed in bandages’.
“His finest hour came when he masterminded the daring nighttime rescue of the beleaguered remnants of the British 1st Airborne Division from Arnhem in September, 1944.”
A family member said: “It is important to us that the heroics displayed by the British Airborne Forces during the Second World War, and the sacrifices made by them, continue to live on in the public consciousness for generations to come.
“By selling these medals now we hope to highlight their story, and at the same time secure the safekeeping of Sir Mark’s medals for the long-term future.”
Sir Mark was born in Minehead in January, 1906, and after his long military career he died in December, 1991, aged 85, and is buried in St Peter’s Church, Llanwenarth Citra, Abergavenny.
He honed his skills on the North West Frontier and eventually advanced to Lieutenant Colonel, becoming one of the founder members in the autumn of 1941 and part of the skeleton divisional staff of the fledgling 1st Airborne Division.
Henniker served with the likes of Lieutenant General Sir Frederick ‘Boy’ Browning, and Major General Roy Urquhart and was a member of ‘The Dungeon Party’, as the 1st Airborne’s original command staff became known because their initial accommodation was two floors below ground level in a building in King Charles Street, Whitehall, London.
The pinnacle of Sir Mark’s career was serving as Chief Royal Engineer, 43rd (Wessex Division) during Operation Market Garden when he was responsible for the planning and execution of Operation Berlin - the iconic nighttime evacuation of the remnants of the beleaguered 1st Airborne Division under Roy Urquhart.
Trapped in German-occupied territory north of the Lower Rhine and just west of Arnhem, Sir Mark executed an intricate plan on the night of September 25-26, 1944, and secured the rescue of 2,400 men across the river in all manner of boats and rafts - all under heavy fire, and all personally directed by him throughout the night from his position on the riverbank.