NEW COMMANDER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25427, 7 January 1944, Page 3

NEW COMMANDER

EIGHTH ARMY LEADER RUGBY, Jan. 5. Acting Lieutenant-general Sir Oliver Leese. who commanded the 30th Corps with General Montgomery since El Alamein, is commander-in-chief of the Eighth Army, states a correspondent at Allied headquarters in North Africa. He was promoted to his present rank in September, 1942, and went to the Middle East to assume command of the 30th Corps. For his services in France with the B.E.F. he was awarded the C.B.E. In December, 1940, he was promoted major-general, and two months later was transferred to the command of a division. During the last war he was awarded the D. 5.0., wounded three times, and mentioned in despatches twice. General Leese is among the youngest of the army’s higher commanders. He has made an enviable reputation during the past four years, having the gift of being in the right p.lace at the right time and of always making the most of his opportunities. .He was born 49 years ago in Hertfordshire. From Eton General Leese joined the Coldstream Guards through a special reserve, and saw active service on the western front,. where he was in the fighting line before his twentieth birthday.

He had not intended to make the army his profession, but once he tried soldiering there was no longer any question about his career. He quickly proved himself an excellent regimental officer and an equally good instructor.

At the outbreak of the present war he was chief instructor at the staff college at Quetta, in India, with the rank of colonel. He was called back to England in 1940, and was given an infantry brigade a month later. He was sent to France as acting majorgeneral to take up his duties as Deputy Chief of the General Staff at general headquarters of the B.E.F. He was just in time for the rapid advance through Belgium to the River Dyle and the subsequent fighting withdrawal to Dunkirk. He was mentioned in despatches and received the C.B.E. General Leese was selected to command the 30th Corps in* the Middle East when it was almost ready for the knock-out blow of- El Alamein. He arrived in Egypt in September, 1942, and in October his corps went into the attack. For 12 days guns, infantry, and armour of Englishmen, Scotsmen, Australians, South Africans, New Zealanders. and Indians commanded by General Leese fought their way forward, crushing furious counter-attacks. By the morning of November 4 the Axis armies were broken. The Mareth Line. Wadi Akarit, and Enfidaville were other battles in which his 30th Corps showed again the skill, dash, and tenacity which have become famous. , , In July the corps landed in Sicily and fought its way up the eastern flank of the island past Catania to Mount Etna and Messina.