Henry Cronin
Encyclopedia
Henry Francis Cronin CBE, MC
, BSc (Eng)
(1894–1977) was a British
civil engineer
and army officer.
Henry Francis Cronin was born in Ketton
, Rutland
in 1894 and was the holder of a Bachelor of Science
degree in engineering. Cronin served as a commissioned officer in the British Army
during the First World War, being first appointed to the rank of Temporary Lieutenant
in the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
. He transferred in the same rank to the Royal Engineers
on 19 May 1917.
Whilst serving with the Royal Engineers Cronin won the Military Cross
for gallantry in battle at an unknown location. He was ordered to follow behind an attacking infantry unit with a section
of sapper
s and to assist with the construction of strongpoints to make the position more defendable. Cronin reached the front with his men and immediately began the construction of field defences despite being under extremely heavy enemy fire from a flank. This fire eventually became so heavy that he halted works and assisted the infantry with the mopping up of enemy resistance. In the course of this Cronin assaulted enemy positions and captured several prisoners of war. He then resumed construction of the defensive works. Cronin's actions were said, in his medal citation, to have "very greatly helped" the success of the attack.
Cronin resumed his association with the military on 29 October 1943 when he was appointed Lieutenant Colonel of the Engineer and Railway Staff Corps, an unpaid Territorial Army unit which provided technical expertise to the British Army. By this stage he was a professional member of both the Institution of Civil Engineers
and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers
. Cronin was promoted to Colonel in the corps on 6 September 1950, by which point he had also been appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire. Cronin retired from the corps on 25 February 1957, receiving permission to retain the use of his rank. Cronin was elected president of the Institution of Civil Engineers in May 1952 for the November 1952 to November 1953 session. He became a fellow of Imperial College London
in 1954. Cronin died in 1977.
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
, BSc (Eng)
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
(1894–1977) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
civil engineer
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
and army officer.
Henry Francis Cronin was born in Ketton
Ketton
Ketton is a village and civil parish in the county of Rutland in the East Midlands of England. It is located about eight miles east of Oakham and three miles west of Stamford in Lincolnshire...
, Rutland
Rutland
Rutland is a landlocked county in central England, bounded on the west and north by Leicestershire, northeast by Lincolnshire and southeast by Peterborough and Northamptonshire....
in 1894 and was the holder of a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in engineering. Cronin served as a commissioned officer in the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
during the First World War, being first appointed to the rank of Temporary Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers was a Irish infantry regiment of the British Army formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 27th Regiment of Foot and the 108th Regiment of Foot...
. He transferred in the same rank to the Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
on 19 May 1917.
Whilst serving with the Royal Engineers Cronin won the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
for gallantry in battle at an unknown location. He was ordered to follow behind an attacking infantry unit with a section
Section (military unit)
A section is a small military unit in some armies. In many armies, it is a squad of seven to twelve soldiers. However in France and armies based on the French model, it is the sub-division of a company .-Australian Army:...
of sapper
Sapper
A sapper, pioneer or combat engineer is a combatant soldier who performs a wide variety of combat engineering duties, typically including, but not limited to, bridge-building, laying or clearing minefields, demolitions, field defences, general construction and building, as well as road and airfield...
s and to assist with the construction of strongpoints to make the position more defendable. Cronin reached the front with his men and immediately began the construction of field defences despite being under extremely heavy enemy fire from a flank. This fire eventually became so heavy that he halted works and assisted the infantry with the mopping up of enemy resistance. In the course of this Cronin assaulted enemy positions and captured several prisoners of war. He then resumed construction of the defensive works. Cronin's actions were said, in his medal citation, to have "very greatly helped" the success of the attack.
Cronin resumed his association with the military on 29 October 1943 when he was appointed Lieutenant Colonel of the Engineer and Railway Staff Corps, an unpaid Territorial Army unit which provided technical expertise to the British Army. By this stage he was a professional member of both the Institution of Civil Engineers
Institution of Civil Engineers
Founded on 2 January 1818, the Institution of Civil Engineers is an independent professional association, based in central London, representing civil engineering. Like its early membership, the majority of its current members are British engineers, but it also has members in more than 150...
and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers
Institution of Mechanical Engineers
The Institution of Mechanical Engineers is the British engineering society based in central London, representing mechanical engineering. It is licensed by the Engineering Council UK to assess candidates for inclusion on ECUK's Register of professional Engineers...
. Cronin was promoted to Colonel in the corps on 6 September 1950, by which point he had also been appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire. Cronin retired from the corps on 25 February 1957, receiving permission to retain the use of his rank. Cronin was elected president of the Institution of Civil Engineers in May 1952 for the November 1952 to November 1953 session. He became a fellow of Imperial College London
Imperial College London
Imperial College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom, specialising in science, engineering, business and medicine...
in 1954. Cronin died in 1977.