LEAKEY, Maj Gen Arundell Rea (1915-1999)

Scope and Content

Papers relating to his life and career, 1915-1991, dated 1963, 1969 and [1991], principally comprising 'Nine lives, a soldier's story', a typescript memoir covering the period 1915-1991, including his service in North Africa and the Western Desert, 1939-1942 and 1943, the Middle East, 1942-1943 and 1954-1956, Normandy, 1944, and France, Belgium and Germany, 1945-1947, and his work as Director General of Fighting Vehicles, 1964-1966, and General Officer Commanding, Malta and Libya, 1967-1968, written in [1991].

Administrative / Biographical History

Born in 1915; educated at Weymouth College and Royal Military College, Sandhurst; 2nd Lt, Royal Tank Corps; Lt, 1939; served in North Africa and Western Desert, 1939-1942, as Navigator and Intelligence Officer, 4 Armoured Bde, Air Intelligence Liaison Officer, No 451 Sqn, Royal Australian Air Force, Staff Officer, HQ 10 Army and General Staff Officer Grade 2, 7 Armoured Div; served in Middle East as General Staff Officer Grade 2, HQ 10 Army, 1942-1943; returned to North Africa to command B Sqn, 3 Royal Tank Regt, 1943; served with 4 Royal Tank Regt and 7 Royal Tank Regt, Normandy, 1944; Capt, 1944; commanded 5 Royal Tank Regt in France, Belgium and Germany, 1945-1947; Instructor, Staff College, Maj, 1949; Camberley, 1951-1952; Commander, 1st Arab Legion Armoured Car Regt, 1954-1956; Lt Col, 1955; Instructor, Staff College, Camberley, 1958-1960; Commander, 7 Armoured Bde, 1961-1963; Director General of Fighting Vehicles, 1964-1966; General Officer Commanding, Malta and Libya, 1967-1968; retired, 1968.

Arrangement

2 files

Access Information

Open, subject to signature of reader's undertaking form.

Acquisition Information

Placed in the Centre by Leakey in 1992.

Other Finding Aids

Summary guide entry on-line at http://www.kcl.ac.uk/iss/archives/cats/, and detailed catalogue available in hard copy in the Centre's reading room.

Conditions Governing Use

Copies, subject to the condition of the original, may be supplied for research use only. Requests to publish original material should be submitted to the Trustees of the Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, attention of the Director of Archive Services.

Corporate Names

Geographical Names