Roderick McLeod

For those of a similar name, see Roderick Macleod (disambiguation).

Sir Roderick McLeod
Born	1905
Died	1980
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Rank	Lieutenant General
Commands held	1st Airlanding Light Regiment Special Air Service Brigade 6th Armoured Division Commander of British Forces in Hong Kong Eastern Command
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath

Lieutenant General Sir Roderick William McLeod GBE KCB (1905–1980) was a British Army General who achieved high office in the 1950s.

Military career

Educated at Wellington College and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich McLeod was commissioned into the Royal Artillery in 1925.

He saw service during the Khajuri Plains operations on the North West Frontier of India between 1930 and 1932.

He served in World War II and was Commanding Officer 1st Airlanding Light Regiment Royal Artillery in North Africa and Sicily in 1943 moving on to be Deputy Commander 1st Parachute Brigade later that year. He was then made the first Commander of the Special Air Service Brigade from 1944 to 1945.

After the War he became Director of Military Operations in India between 1945 and 1947. He was appointed Assistant Commandant at the Staff College in 1948 and then Commander Royal Artillery for 7th Armoured Division, which was then part of British Army of the Rhine in 1950. He went on to be Director of Military Operations at the War Office in 1951 and then General Officer Commanding 6th Armoured Division in 1955. He was made Chief Army Instructor at the Imperial Defence College in 1957 and Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff at the Ministry of Defence later that year. He became Commander of British Forces in Hong Kong in 1960.

He was also General Officer Commanding-in-Chief for Eastern Command from 1962; during his time at Eastern Command he chaired the McLeod Reorganisation of Army Logistics Committee which recommended re-organisation of the Logistic Services of the British Army: this led to the formation of the Royal Corps of Transport in 1965. He retired in 1965.

He lived at Woking in Surrey and from 1966 to his death was Chairman of the Hockering Residents' Association.

References

Military offices
Preceded by Francis Mitchell	GOC 6th Armoured Division 1955–1957	Succeeded by Denis O'Connor
Preceded by Sir Edric Bastyan	Commander of British Forces in Hong Kong 1960–1961	Succeeded by Sir Reginald Hewetson
Preceded by Sir Gerald Lathbury	GOC-in-C Eastern Command 1962–1965	Succeeded by Sir George Cole