Born on 18 October 1893 in Kensington, London, England, Christopher Woolner was educated at Marlborough College and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich.
Over the course of the war he was mentioned in despatches twice, wounded once and received the Military Cross and two Bars for gallantry and leadership.
Some new troops holding a corner of "Fosse 8" were shaken by heavy shell fire, and, believing that the enemy were holding the Slag Heap in their rear, were on the point of retiring, when Lieutenant Woolner rallied them, and, collecting two sections of his own company, charged to the top of the Slag Heap and restored' confidence.
A retirement at this point would have been very serious.From October 1917 to July 1918 Woolner, promoted on 4 December 1914 to lieutenant,[5] was Commanding Officer (CO) of the 64th Field Company, Royal Engineers.
[9] From 1941 to 1943, he was General Officer Commanding (GOC) Sierra Leone & Gambia and in June 1942 was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath in 1942.