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|name=John Sydney Lethbridge
|name=John Sydney Lethbridge
|birth_date=11 December 1897
|birth_date=11 December 1897
|death_date=11 August 1961
|death_date=11 August 1961 (aged 63)
|nickname=
|nickname=
|birth_place=
|birth_place=
|death_place=
|death_place=[[Devon]], England{{sfn|Smart|2005|p=188}}
|allegiance={{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[United Kingdom]]
|allegiance={{flag|United Kingdom}}
|branch={{army|United Kingdom}}  
|branch={{army|United Kingdom}}  
|serviceyears=1915-1960
|serviceyears=1915-1960
|rank=[[Major-General (UK)|Major General]]
|rank=[[Major-general (United Kingdom)|Major General]]
|unit=
|unit= [[Royal Engineers]]
|servicenumber= 13389
|battles=[[World War I|First World War]]<br>[[World War II|Second World War]]
|battles=[[World War I|First World War]]<br>[[World War II|Second World War]]
|relations=
|relations=
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|laterwork=
|laterwork=
}}
}}
[[Major-General (UK)|Major-General]] '''John Sydney Lethbridge''' [[Order of the Bath|CB]], [[Order of the British Empire|CBE]], [[Military Cross|MC]] (11 December 1897 – 11 August 1961) was a [[United Kingdom|British]] [[soldier]].
[[Major-general (United Kingdom)|Major-General]] '''John Sydney Lethbridge''' [[Order of the Bath|CB]], [[Order of the British Empire|CBE]], [[Military Cross|MC]] (11 December 1897 – 11 August 1961) was a British [[soldier]].


==Early life==
==Early life==
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==Military career==
==Military career==
[[File:Memorial to the Lethbridge family, Exeter Cathedral.JPG|thumb|Memorial to Lethbridge and his family in [[Exeter Cathedral]]]]
[[File:Memorial to the Lethbridge family, Exeter Cathedral.JPG|thumb|Memorial to Lethbridge and his family in [[Exeter Cathedral]]]]
Lethbridge was commissioned into the [[Corps of Royal Engineers]] in 1915 during the [[World War I|First World War]] and saw active service on the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]] with 123 Field Company at the first battle of [[Ypres]] in 1915 and later at the [[Battle of the Somme]] in 1916 and as a temporary [[Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)|Captain]] with the [[Bengal Engineer Group|King George V's Own Bengal Sappers and Miners]] in [[India]] in 1917 before serving with the Aden Frontier Force for operations in southern Arabia between 1917 and 1918.<ref name=lh>[http://www.kcl.ac.uk/lhcma/cats/lethbridge/le50-0.shtml#BIO Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives]</ref> He commanded, as acting [[major]], a company of King George V's Own Bengal Sappers and Miners in [[Afghanistan]] and on the [[North-West Frontier Province (1901–1955)|North West Frontier]] during the [[Third Anglo-Afghan War]] from 1919 to 1922.<ref name=lh/> He served again with King George V's Own Bengal Sappers and Miners at [[Roorkee]] and [[Rawalpindi]] and saw active service in [[Peshawar]] against [[Afridi (Pashtun)|Afridi]] raiders in 1930.<ref name=lh/> After graduating from [[Command and Staff College|Staff College]] at [[Quetta]] in 1932 he became Superintendent of Instruction at [[Roorkee]] and was then appointed a Field Works major at [[Chatham, Medway|Chatham]] in 1933.<ref name=lh/> He joined the General Staff at Headquarters, [[Northern Command (United Kingdom)|Northern Command]] at [[York]] and then transferred to the Military Operations Branch and Directorate of Recruiting and Organisation at the [[War Office]] in 1936 before becoming an instructor at the Senior Officers' School at [[Sheerness]] in 1939.<ref name=lh/>
Lethbridge was commissioned into the [[Corps of Royal Engineers]] in 1915 during the [[World War I|First World War]] and saw active service on the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]] with 123 Field Company at the first battle of [[Ypres]] in 1915 and later at the [[Battle of the Somme]] in 1916 and as a temporary [[Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)|Captain]] with the [[Bengal Engineer Group|King George V's Own Bengal Sappers and Miners]] in [[India]] in 1917 before serving with the Aden Frontier Force for operations in southern Arabia between 1917 and 1918.<ref name=lh>[http://www.kcl.ac.uk/lhcma/cats/lethbridge/le50-0.shtml#BIO Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives]</ref> He commanded, as acting [[major]], a company of King George V's Own Bengal Sappers and Miners in [[Afghanistan]] and on the [[North-West Frontier Province (1901–1955)|North West Frontier]] during the [[Third Anglo-Afghan War]] from 1919 to 1922.<ref name=lh/> He served again with King George V's Own Bengal Sappers and Miners at [[Roorkee]] and [[Rawalpindi]] and saw active service in [[Peshawar]] against [[Afridi (Pashtun)|Afridi]] raiders in 1930.<ref name=lh/> After graduating from [[Pakistan Command and Staff College|Staff College]] at [[Quetta]] in 1932 he became Superintendent of Instruction at [[Roorkee]] and was then appointed a Field Works major at [[Chatham, Medway|Chatham]] in 1933.<ref name=lh/> He joined the General Staff at Headquarters, [[Northern Command (United Kingdom)|Northern Command]] at [[York]] and then transferred to the Military Operations Branch and Directorate of Recruiting and Organisation at the [[War Office]] in 1936 before becoming an instructor at the Senior Officers' School at [[Sheerness]] in 1939.<ref name=lh/>


Lethbridge served in the [[World War II|Second World War]] with [[British Expeditionary Force (World War II)|British Expeditionary Force]] in France in 1939 before becoming Commander Royal Engineers for the [[59th (Staffordshire) Infantry Division]].<ref name=lh/> He went on to be Deputy Director of Staff Duties at the [[War Office]] in 1940, liaison officer with US Forces in London in 1942 and leader of the 'Lethbridge Mission' to study tactics and equipment required to defeat Japan in the Far East in 1943.<ref name=lh/> His last war appointment was as Chief of Staff for the [[Fourteenth Army (United Kingdom)|14th Army]] in [[Burma]] from 1944 under the command of Field Marshal Sir [[William Slim]], later 1st Viscount Slim.<ref name=lh/>
Lethbridge served in the [[World War II|Second World War]] with [[British Expeditionary Force (World War II)|British Expeditionary Force]] in France in 1939 before becoming Commander Royal Engineers for the [[59th (Staffordshire) Infantry Division]].<ref name=lh/> He went on to be Deputy Director of Staff Duties at the [[War Office]] in 1940, liaison officer with US Forces in London in 1942 and leader of the 'Lethbridge Mission' to study tactics and equipment required to defeat Japan in the Far East in 1943.<ref name=lh/> His last war appointment was as Chief of Staff for the [[Fourteenth Army (United Kingdom)|14th Army]] in [[Burma]] from 1944 under the command of Field Marshal Sir [[William Slim]], later 1st Viscount Slim.<ref name=lh/>
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==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
==Bibliography==
*{{cite book| first=Nick| last=Smart| title=Biographical Dictionary of British Generals of the Second World War| isbn=1844150496| year=2005| location=Barnesley| publisher=Pen & Sword}}
==External links==
*[https://generals.dk/general/Lethbrigde/John_Sydney/Great_Britain.html Generals of World War II]


{{DEFAULTSORT:Lethbridge, John Sydney}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lethbridge, John Sydney}}
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[[Category:Bengal Sappers and Miners personnel]]
[[Category:Bengal Sappers and Miners personnel]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of World War I]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of World War I]]
[[Category:British Army major generals]]
[[Category:Indian Army personnel of World War I]]
[[Category:Indian Army personnel of World War I]]
[[Category:British military personnel of the Third Anglo-Afghan War]]
[[Category:British military personnel of the Third Anglo-Afghan War]]
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[[Category:Commanders of the Legion of Merit]]
[[Category:Commanders of the Legion of Merit]]
[[Category:Lethbridge family|John Sydney]]
[[Category:Lethbridge family|John Sydney]]
[[Category:Military personnel of British India]]
[[Category:Graduates of the Staff College, Quetta]]
[[Category:Graduates of the Staff College, Quetta]]

Latest revision as of 19:55, 22 June 2022


John Sydney Lethbridge
Born11 December 1897
Died11 August 1961 (aged 63)
Devon, England[1]
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service/branch British Army
Years of service1915-1960
RankMajor General
Service number13389
UnitRoyal Engineers
Battles/warsFirst World War
Second World War
AwardsCompanion of the Order of the Bath
Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Military Cross

Major-General John Sydney Lethbridge CB, CBE, MC (11 December 1897 – 11 August 1961) was a British soldier.

Early life[edit]

Born in Barrackpore, India, the son of Lt-Col. Sydney Lethbridge, OBE RA and Susannah Maud Slator, Lethbridge was educated at Gresham's School, Holt, Uppingham School, Leicestershire, the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich and Jesus College, Cambridge.[2]

Military career[edit]

Memorial to Lethbridge and his family in Exeter Cathedral

Lethbridge was commissioned into the Corps of Royal Engineers in 1915 during the First World War and saw active service on the Western Front with 123 Field Company at the first battle of Ypres in 1915 and later at the Battle of the Somme in 1916 and as a temporary Captain with the King George V's Own Bengal Sappers and Miners in India in 1917 before serving with the Aden Frontier Force for operations in southern Arabia between 1917 and 1918.[3] He commanded, as acting major, a company of King George V's Own Bengal Sappers and Miners in Afghanistan and on the North West Frontier during the Third Anglo-Afghan War from 1919 to 1922.[3] He served again with King George V's Own Bengal Sappers and Miners at Roorkee and Rawalpindi and saw active service in Peshawar against Afridi raiders in 1930.[3] After graduating from Staff College at Quetta in 1932 he became Superintendent of Instruction at Roorkee and was then appointed a Field Works major at Chatham in 1933.[3] He joined the General Staff at Headquarters, Northern Command at York and then transferred to the Military Operations Branch and Directorate of Recruiting and Organisation at the War Office in 1936 before becoming an instructor at the Senior Officers' School at Sheerness in 1939.[3]

Lethbridge served in the Second World War with British Expeditionary Force in France in 1939 before becoming Commander Royal Engineers for the 59th (Staffordshire) Infantry Division.[3] He went on to be Deputy Director of Staff Duties at the War Office in 1940, liaison officer with US Forces in London in 1942 and leader of the 'Lethbridge Mission' to study tactics and equipment required to defeat Japan in the Far East in 1943.[3] His last war appointment was as Chief of Staff for the 14th Army in Burma from 1944 under the command of Field Marshal Sir William Slim, later 1st Viscount Slim.[3]

After the War Lethbridge became Chief of Intelligence for the Control Commission for Germany and British Army of the Rhine in 1945, Commandant of the Civil Defence Staff College in 1949 and Director of Civil Defence for the South West Region (Bristol) in September 1955.[2] Lethbridge retired to Bondleigh, near North Tawton, in Devon, but died in August 1961, less than a year after his retirement.[2]

Family[edit]

In 1925, Lethbridge married Katharine Greville Maynard, the daughter of Sir John Maynard, KCIE CSI in Shimla, India, and they had one son and two daughters.[2]

Honours[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ↑ Smart 2005, p. 188.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 LETHBRIDGE, Major-General John Sydney[permanent dead link] at Who Was Who 1897-2006 online at xreferplus.com (Retrieved 4 November 2007)
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives

Bibliography[edit]

  • Smart, Nick (2005). Biographical Dictionary of British Generals of the Second World War. Barnesley: Pen & Sword. ISBN 1844150496.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_Sydney_Lethbridge&oldid=363700"