George Lea (British Army officer)
Lieutenant-General Sir George Harris Lea (28 December 1912 - 27 December 1990) KCB, DSO, MBE was a British Army officer who became Head of the British Defence Staff in Washington, D.C.
Sir George Lea | |
|---|---|
| Born | 28 December 1912 Franche, Worcestershire |
| Died | 27 December 1990 Saint Brélade, Jersey |
| Allegiance |  |
| Service/ |  |
| Years of service | 1925–1965 |
| Rank | Lieutenant-general |
| Commands held | 11th Battalion, Parachute Regiment 2nd Infantry Brigade 42nd (Lancashire) Division/District |
| Battles/wars | Second World War Malayan Emergency Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation |
| Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Distinguished Service Order Member of the Order of the British Empire |
Military career
Educated at Charterhouse School and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, Lea was commissioned into the Lancashire Fusiliers in 1933.[1] He served in the Second World War as brigade major of 4th Parachute Brigade and then as commanding officer of 11th Battalion, Parachute Regiment.[1] In this role he saw action during Operation Market Garden and became a prisoner of war.[2]
Lea became commanding officer of the Special Air Service in 1955 and saw action again in Malaya. He went on to be commander of 2nd Infantry Brigade in 1957, deputy military secretary in 1960 and General Office Commanding 42nd (Lancashire) Division/District of the Territorial Army in 1962.[1] He was given command of the armed forces in Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland in 1963 and became director of operations in Borneo in the spring of 1965, just before a pivotal battle with Indonesia at Plaman Mapu during the Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation.[1] His last appointment was as head of the British Defence Staff in Washington, D.C. in 1967 before retiring in 1970.[3]
In retirement Lea was Lieutenant of the Tower of London.[4]
References
- "Lieutenant General Sir George Lea KCB DSO MBE". Lancashire Fusiliers. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
- "Geerge Lea". Pegassus Archive. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
- "Ministry of Defence and Senior Tri-Service Appointments" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
- "Army Commands" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 July 2015. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Claude Dunbar |
GOC 42nd (Lancashire) Division/District 1962−1963 |
Succeeded by Noel Thomas |
| Preceded by Sir Nigel Henderson |
Head of the British Defence Staff in Washington, D.C. 1968–1970 |
Succeeded by Sir John Lapsley |
| Preceded by Kenneth Darling |
Colonel of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers 1974–1977 |
Succeeded by Alexander James Wilson |