Born Jan. 26, 1867 in Montreal; died in London, England, Sept. 26,
1932. Son of Desire GIROUARD, judge of the Supreme Court of Canada,
and Essie Cranwill. Educated at the Royal Military College of
Kingston, Ont. Commissionned in 1888 in the Royal Engineers,
he rose to the rank of colonel in 1909.
Having had experience on the engineering staff of the CPR, he was
appointed in 1890, traffic manager of the Royal Arsenal Railways
of Woolwich.
While serving in Africa in 1896 with the Dongola expeditionary
force, he was placed in charge of the construction of the Wadi
Halfa-Kartoum Railway. For his success in this enterprise, which
greatly facilitated the reconquest of the Sudan, he was awarded
the D.S.O.
During the South African War, he was director of railways in South
Africa; for his service he was created K.C.M.G., in 1900.
Appointed high commissioner of Northern Nigeria in 1907, he
superintended the construction of the railway line to Kano.
During his two-year tenure of office the title was changed to that
of governor. After serving as Governor of East Africa in 1909-12
he took a position in dindustry in England.
He returned to the government service briefly in 1915-16 as
director general of munitions supply in the British Ministry of
Munitions. While in this position he held the temporary rank of
maj-general.
He was the author of several books on the history and strategic
importance of railways.
In 1903, he married Mary Gwendolen, daughter of the Hon. Sir
Richard Solomon; they had one son.
(See "Canadian Who Was Who, Vol. 1.)
Note : this article was copied from "Encylopedia Canadiana" Vol. 4"
