1. Oliver William Hargreaves Leese was born on 27 October 1894 at St Ermin's, Westminster, London, the first of four children of William Hargreaves Leese, a barrister, and Violet Mary Sandeman.
25 Facts About Oliver Leese
1. 2.
Oliver Leese returned to England for treatment, and in 1915 returned to France, serving this time with the 2nd Battalion, Coldstream Guards, part of the 4th Brigade, 2nd Division, where he experienced trench warfare throughout most of the year, in July suffered a second wounding, receiving multiple wounds to the face, but he remained on duty.
3.
Oliver Leese was wounded for the third time during the Somme offensive in September 1916, an action in which he was mentioned in dispatches and awarded the Distinguished Service Order.
4.
Oliver Leese led the assault against a strongly held part of the enemy's line, which was stopping the whole attack.
5.
Oliver Leese personally accounted for many of the enemy and enabled the attack to proceed.
6.
Oliver Leese was promoted to brevet lieutenant-colonel in July 1933.
7.
Lady Oliver Leese's brother was the last of the line to own the Tabley estate which upon his death was eventually taken over by The University of Manchester.
8.
From 1932 to 1938 Oliver Leese held a number of staff appointments and was promoted to lieutenant-colonel in December 1936, brevet-colonel in September 1938 and colonel in October 1938.
9.
Oliver Leese had succeeded to the baronetcy on his father's death on 17 January 1937.
10.
The Second World War started while Oliver Leese was still in India, as the Chief Instructor at the Staff College, Quetta.
11.
Oliver Leese's wish was granted in March 1940 and he returned to England at the end of that month.
12.
Oliver Leese was assigned to act as Lieutenant General Henry Pownall's Deputy Chief of Staff.
13.
Oliver Leese arrived at the BEF's General Headquarters, then at Arras, on the evening of the German assault.
14.
In September 1942 Oliver Leese received new and unexpected orders and was sent to Egypt at the request of Lieutenant General Bernard Montgomery, the newly appointed commander of the British Eighth Army in the Western Desert.
15.
On 24 December 1943 Oliver Leese was ordered to Italy to succeed Montgomery as the Eighth Army commander.
16.
Oliver Leese then directed his army during Operation Olive, an assault on the Gothic Line later in the year.
17.
Oliver Leese viewed the existing command structure as inefficient, and proceeded to appoint former members of his Eighth Army staff.
18.
Oliver Leese believed that Slim was very tired, considering his years of service fighting in Burma and having asked for leave once Rangoon had been taken, and proposed that he should be replaced by Lieutenant General Philip Christison.
19.
Oliver Leese misread the situation and believed Slim was in agreement with these decisions.
20.
The political backlash resulted in Oliver Leese being removed from command and replaced by Slim.
21.
Richard Mead, in Churchill's Lions, argued that Oliver Leese was naive in his decision, Slim petulant, and Mountbatten devious due to switching positions from supporting to opposing Oliver Leese.
22.
Oliver Leese's career suffered and he returned to the UK to be GOC-in-C Eastern Command, a significant downward move from having been one of only three army group commanders in the British Army.
23.
Oliver Leese became a noted horticulturist, writing books on cacti and keeping a well noted garden at his house, Lower Hall in Worfield, Shropshire.
24.
Oliver Leese served as High Sheriff of Shropshire in 1958.
25.
Oliver Leese died there after a heart attack on 22 January 1978, at the age of 83, and was buried at Worfield parish church.