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Oliver Leese (Oliver William Hargreaves Leese) was born on 27 October, 1894 in Westminster, London, England, is a British Army general (1894–1978). Discover Oliver Leese's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Learn How rich is he in this year and how he spends money? Also learn how he earned most of networth at the age of 84 years old?

Popular As Oliver William Hargreaves Leese
Occupation miscellaneous
Age 84 years old
Zodiac Sign Scorpio
Born 27 October, 1894
Birthday 27 October
Birthplace Westminster, London, England
Date of death 1978
Died Place Llanrhaeadr, Wales
Nationality United Kingdom

We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 27 October. He is a member of famous Miscellaneous with the age 84 years old group.

Oliver Leese Height, Weight & Measurements

At 84 years old, Oliver Leese height not available right now. We will update Oliver Leese's Height, weight, Body Measurements, Eye Color, Hair Color, Shoe & Dress size soon as possible.

Physical Status
Height Not Available
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Who Is Oliver Leese's Wife?

His wife is Margaret Alice Leicester (18 January 1933 - 1964) ( her death)

Family
Parents Not Available
Wife Margaret Alice Leicester (18 January 1933 - 1964) ( her death)
Sibling Not Available
Children Not Available

Oliver Leese Net Worth

His net worth has been growing significantly in 2023-2024. So, how much is Oliver Leese worth at the age of 84 years old? Oliver Leese’s income source is mostly from being a successful Miscellaneous. He is from United Kingdom. We have estimated Oliver Leese's net worth, money, salary, income, and assets.

Net Worth in 2024 $1 Million - $5 Million
Salary in 2024 Under Review
Net Worth in 2023 Pending
Salary in 2023 Under Review
House Not Available
Cars Not Available
Source of Income Miscellaneous

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Timeline

1894

Lieutenant General Sir Oliver William Hargreaves Leese, 3rd Baronet, (27 October 1894 – 22 January 1978) was a senior British Army officer who saw distinguished active service during both the world wars.

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 (later 2nd Baronet), a barrister, and Violet Mary Sandeman.

He was educated at Ludgrove and Eton.

1909

In 1909, while at Eton, he joined the Officers' Training Corps (OTC).

1914

Early in the First World War, he joined the British Army and was gazetted in the Special Reserve of Officers as a second lieutenant into the Coldstream Guards on 15 September 1914, later gazetted in the Land Forces on 15 May 1915.

Despite receiving only five weeks of training, Leese was sent to France in mid-October 1914 and was posted to the 3rd Battalion, Coldstream Guards, part of the 4th (Guards) Brigade of the 2nd Division, near Ypres, Belgium.

However, on 20 October, a week before Leese's 20th birthday, he was wounded, the first of three woundings he was to receive during the war, after being hit in the back by shrapnel.

1915

He returned to England for treatment, and in 1915 returned to France, serving this time with the 2nd Battalion, Coldstream Guards, also 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.

In September his battalion, now transferred to the 1st Guards Brigade of the newly created Guards Division, fought in the Battle of Loos and, on 3 October, Leese was promoted to lieutenant.

The next few months were spent holding the trenches, with no major engagements taking place.

1916

Leese was wounded for the third time during the Somme offensive in September 1916, an action in which he was mentioned in despatches and awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO).

The citation to his DSO, which was gazetted in November 1916, read:"For conspicuous gallantry in action. He led the assault against a strongly held part of the enemy's line, which was stopping the whole attack. He personally accounted for many of the enemy and enabled the attack to proceed. He was wounded during the fight."

1921

After the war, he remained in the British Army, being promoted captain in 1921, and attending the Staff College, Camberley from 1927 to 1928.

1929

Returning briefly to his battalion after graduation, in November 1929 he was appointed as brigade major to the 1st Infantry Brigade (Guards) and was formally promoted to major a few days later.

A few weeks after his return to the United Kingdom, and after relinquishing his acting rank of major general, Leese was ordered to form and train a large brigade group, the 29th Infantry Brigade.

The brigade was composed of four, instead of the usual three, battalions that had just returned from India, along with various supporting units such as artillery and engineers.

1932

From 1932 to 1938 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.

1933

He was promoted to brevet lieutenant-colonel in July 1933.

On 18 January 1933 Leese married a granddaughter of Sir Baldwyn Leighton, 8th Baronet, Margaret Alice (died 1964), daughter of Cuthbert Leighton (recte Leicester-Warren), DL, JP, (1877–1954), of Tabley House, Knutsford, by Hilda Margaret Davenport; they had no children.

Lady 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.

1937

He had succeeded to the baronetcy on his father's death on 17 January 1937.

The Second World War started while Leese was still in India, as the Chief Instructor at the Staff College, Quetta.

Each course usually lasted two years but had been reduced to a single year due to the outbreak of the war, with plans made to reduce it to five months to enable more staff officers to be produced in the rapidly expanding British and British-Indian armies.

Despite this, and the fact that Leese was selected as a possible Commandant of the college, he was anxious to return to Europe where the fighting was sure to be.

1938

In September 1938 he was posted to India to be a GSO1 instructor at the Staff College, Quetta.

1940

His wish was granted in March 1940 and he returned to England at the end of that month.

Shortly after his arrival, he assumed command of the hastily-raised 20th Independent Infantry Brigade (Guards), which was to participate in the ultimately doomed Norwegian campaign although this did not happen.

Due to the German Army's invasion of Western Europe, which began on 10 May, Leese received a signal ordering him to France and to report to General Lord Gort, Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C) of the British Expeditionary Force.

He was assigned to act as Lieutenant General Henry Pownall's Deputy Chief of Staff.

Leese arrived at the BEF's General Headquarters (GHQ), then at Arras, on the evening of the German assault.

On 11 May, he was promoted to the acting rank of major general, after having been promoted to the acting rank of brigadier just nine days earlier.

Four days after his arrival, he established an Advanced Headquarters at Renaix in order to be closer to the BEF, now stationed on the Dyle Line.

Over the following days, the BEF began retreating to a series of river lines and Gort's GHQ was moved to Wahagnies.

By 18 May, with the situation becoming worse by the day, Leese prepared an emergency plan for the BEF to retreat to Dunkirk, although it was politically impossible to go through with the plan at that time.

Events moved rapidly and GHQ relocated several times, eventually arriving at Last Panne, Belgium, within the Dunkirk perimeter, on 26 May.

Over the next few days, the staff worked frantically to oversee the withdrawal and evacuation of the BEF back to the United Kingdom, following largely the same plan that Leese had designed.

He himself was evacuated on 31 May.

Throughout the campaign, Leese was "a model of cool, unruffled fortitude during the retreat to Dunkirk" and who "more than anyone, imposed some order on the BEF's withdrawal and evacuation" while booming with confidence.

On 30 December 1940, he was again promoted to the acting rank of major general and given command of the West Sussex County Division that also included the 29th Brigade.

1944

He commanded XXX Corps in North Africa and Sicily, serving under General Sir Bernard Montgomery, before going on to command the Eighth Army in the Italian Campaign throughout most of 1944.