Edward Pemberton Leach

General Sir Edward Pemberton Leach VC KCB KCVO (2 April 1847 – 27 April 1913) was a British recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Sir Edward Pemberton Leach
Gen. Sir Edward Leach
Born	2 April 1847 County Londonderry, Ireland
Died	27 April 1913 (aged 66) Cadenabbia, Lake Como, Italy
Buried	Griante Cemetery, via Independezia, Griante
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1866–1912
Rank	General
Unit	Royal Engineers
Commands held	9th (Scottish) Division Scottish Command
Battles/wars	Lushai Expedition Second Anglo-Afghan War Mahdist War
Awards	Victoria Cross Order of the Bath Royal Victorian Order

Early life

Leach was born in County Londonderry, Ireland on 2 April 1847. He was educated at Highgate School in England.

Military career

Leach was commissioned into the Royal Engineers in 1866.[1]

He was 31 years old, and a captain in the Corps of Royal Engineers, British Army and with Bengal Sappers and Miners (British Indian Army) during the Second Anglo-Afghan War when the following deed took place on 17 March 1879 near Maidanah, Afghanistan for which he was awarded the VC.[2]

For having, in action with the Shinwarris near Maidanah, Afghanistan, on 17 March 1879, when covering the retirement of the Survey Escort who were carrying Lieutenant Barclay, 45th Sikhs, mortally wounded, behaved with the utmost gallantry in charging, with some men of the 45th Sikhs, a very much larger number of the enemy. In this encounter Captain Leach killed two or three of the enemy himself, and he received a severe wound from an Afghan knife in the left arm. Captain Leach's determination and gallantry in this affair, in attacking and driving back the enemy from the last position, saved the whole party from annihilation.[3]

Later life

After this incident promotion followed and he was made Commander of 24 Field Company during the Suakin Expedition in 1885.[1] He was promoted to Major-General on 1 October 1897. By 1899 he was General Officer Commanding Belfast in which capacity he founded the Ballykinlar training camp.[1] He was appointed General Officer Commanding the 9th Division within Third Army Corps in Ireland on 1 April 1902,[4] and served until 1905.[5] Later that year, he was appointed General Officer Commanding-in-Chief for Scottish Command where he served from 1905 to 1909 before he retired in 1912.[1]

Leach died in Cadenabbia, Lake Como, Italy on 27 April 1913.[6] His younger daughter Elsie Leach became a distinguished ornithologist.

The medal

His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Royal Engineers Museum, Chatham, England.

Notes

1. Royal Engineers Museum Archived 25 September 2009 at the Wayback Machine
2. The Royal Engineers Museum – Victoria Crosses held by the Royal Engineers Museum Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
3. "No. 24790". The London Gazette. 9 December 1879. p. 7265.
4. "No. 27434". The London Gazette. 16 May 1902. p. 3254.
5. Army Commands Archived 5 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine
6. Who's Who 1914 has his date of death as 26 April

References

Listed in order of publication year

• The Register of the Victoria Cross (1981, 1988 and 1997)
• Clark, Brian D. H. (1986). "A register of awards to Irish-born officers and men". The Irish Sword. XVI (64): 185–287.
• Ireland's VCs ISBN 1-899243-00-3 (Dept of Economic Development 1995)
• The Sapper VCs (Gerald Napier, 1998)
• Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
• Irish Winners of the Victoria Cross (Richard Doherty & David Truesdale, 2000)

External links

• Royal Engineers Museum Sappers VCs