Education
Woolner was educated at Marlborough College and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich.
General inspector army officer
Woolner was educated at Marlborough College and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich.
He commissioned into the Royal Engineers on 21 December 1912. He first saw active service in the First World War on the Western Front. From October 1917 to July 1918 Woolner was Officer Commanding, 64th Field Company, Royal Engineers.
Between the wars, Woolner served with the Royal Engineers in Gold Coast, Woolwich, India and Chatham.
He attended the Staff College, Camberley from 1927 to 1928. In 1939 he was Deputy Inspector and Deputy Commandant of the Royal School of Military Engineering.
Woolner served as a staff officer with the British Expeditionary Force during the Battle of France before becoming commander of the 8th Infantry Brigade. Between March and August 1943 he served as Commanding Officer of the 81st (West Africa) Division.
He then served as commander of the West Midlands District in the United Kingdom until the end of the war.
In 1947, Woolner was General Officer Commanding, 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division until his retirement in November 1947 with the rank of major general.