20 Facts About Rohan Delacombe

Rohan Delacombe was educated at Harrow School and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.

Rohan Delacombe was promoted to lieutenant on 4 February 1929.

Rohan Delacombe saw service in Egypt, North China and Quetta in India with the regiment's 1st Battalion, and was promoted to captain on 2 March 1937.

Rohan Delacombe then served in Palestine with the battalion during the Arab revolt from 1937 until the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939; he was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 1939 King's Birthday Honours.

Rohan Delacombe was posted with the 4th Infantry Brigade, then commanded by Brigadier James Gammell and one of three brigades which formed part of Major General Charles Loyd's 2nd Infantry Division.

In 1942, Rohan Delacombe was made commanding officer of the 8th Battalion, Royal Scots with the temporary rank of lieutenant colonel, and was promoted to the substantive rank of major on 4 February 1943.

Rohan Delacombe led the battalion, which formed part of the 227th Infantry Brigade of Major General Gordon "Babe" MacMillan's 15th Infantry Division, at the Battle of Normandy in mid-1944, where his leadership earned him a Distinguished Service Order, gazetted on 19 October 1944.

Rohan Delacombe was wounded and, after recovering, made commanding officer of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Scots, part of the 66th Brigade of the 1st Infantry Division, which fought in the Italian Campaign.

Rohan Delacombe returned to staff duties as General Staff Officer during the re-occupation of British Malaya from 1945 to 1947.

Rohan Delacombe was promoted to substantive lieutenant colonel on 22 March 1948, and served as a general staff colonel at the headquarters of the British Army of the Rhine.

Rohan Delacombe was promoted to colonel on 31 December 1950 and was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1951 New Year Honours.

Rohan Delacombe spent much of the next 14 years from 1948 to 1962 in Germany.

Rohan Delacombe served as a temporary brigadier commanding the 5th Infantry Brigade, and was promoted to brigadier on 16 November 1954, in which capacity he was Deputy Military Secretary for the War Office.

Rohan Delacombe was promoted to temporary major general on 4 October 1955 and appointed General Officer Commanding of the 52nd Infantry Division.

Rohan Delacombe was made substantive major general on 29 November 1956, and appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in the 1957 Birthday Honours.

Rohan Delacombe relinquished command of the division on 10 October 1958 and was appointed Commandant of the British Sector in Berlin on 23 March 1959.

Rohan Delacombe was appointed as Governor of Victoria in Australia in 1963, and was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in the 1964 New Year Honours.

In 1967, Rohan Delacombe was petitioned to exercise the Royal prerogative of mercy on behalf of the Queen, to commute the execution of Ronald Ryan.

Rohan Delacombe called a meeting with the Victorian cabinet, at which it was unanimously agreed that the execution should proceed.

Rohan Delacombe died on 10 November 1991 at his home at Shrewton, England, and was buried in the churchyard at the parish church, St Mary's.