William Henry Verelst Darell

William Henry Verelst Darell was the second son of Sir Lionel Darell 5th Bt. The Darell family fortune had been founded in the late eighteenth century in the East India Company’s service. William Darell was commissioned in the Coldstream Guards on 8 September 1897 after a brilliant career at Sandhurst where he won the Sword of Honour. He served in the South African War (1899–1902) and entered the Staff College in 1913. This almost certainly shaped the rest of his career. Trained staff officers were at a premium in 1914.

Darell was posted to Southampton as DAAG, where he helped to execute the deployment of the BEF to France. When he went to war it was as DAQMG 7th Division. He was promoted AA&QMG 3rd Division on 3 July 1915. His final promotion was to DA&QMG IV Corps on 24 December 1916. He succeeded W L White, who was twenty-two years his senior.

Darell held the post for the rest of the war. His career illustrates the difficulties that trained staff officers had in escaping the ‘staff ghetto’, especially if they were competent. Darell remained in the army after the war.

He was Deputy Director of Mobilization and Recruiting at the War Office (1920) and AAG War Office (1921). After commanding 1st Battalion Irish Guards (1924–8) he retired from the Army in 1929. Brigadier-General Darell was a keen oarsman, winning the Diamond Skulls at Henley in 1907.