Walter David Alexander Lentaigne
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant General
Walter David Alexander Lentaigne, CB
, CBE
, DSO
, (1899–1955) British Indian Army
. Sometimes called "Joe" Lentaigne.
Walter Lentaigne was an officer in the British Indian Army. He fought in the Third Anglo-Afghan War
in 1919. During World War II
he commanded a battalion during the 1942 Burma Campaign and was later given command of 63rd Indian Infantry Brigade
. In 1943, he was personally selected by General Archibald Wavell (the Commander-in-chief of the British Indian Army) to form and command the 111th Indian Infantry Brigade
as a Long Range Pentration Brigade. In 1944, in the midst of the second Chindit operation (Operation Thursday) he was appointed commander of the Chindit Force
and led the force until it was disbanded in 1945. He then led the Indian Army's jungle training programs as commander of the 39th Indian Infantry Division. He served in the postwar Indian Army and rose finally to the rank of Lieutenant General.
On Wingate's death, Lentaigne took over command of the Chindit organization. He was the seniormost officer in the Chindits and also had the most command experience. General Slim described the problems involved in replacing Wingate within the Chindits: 'To step into Wingate's place would be no easy task. His successor had to be someone known to the men of Special Force, one who had shared their hardships and in whose skill and in whose skill and courage they could trust'.
Again. "British Commanders" states "the inevitable choice for the new chief of the Chindits was Major General Lentaigne. He was one of Wingates closest disciples and a veteran of the Burma fighting.
Amongst his rivals for the position including Mike Calvert
and Derek Tulloch there was criticism of this decision. They alleged that Lentaigne was the Chindit leader least in tune with Wingate's methods and tactics. They also pointed out that he had commanded 111 Indian Brigade in the field for only a few weeks. After the war, certain of his rivals used the comments of his Brigade Major John Masters
with regard to Lentaigne's age out of context to attack him.
Lentaigne had been a distinguished battalion commander who had fought during the 1942 Burma campaign. The other Chindit brigade commanders were unknown quantities lacking Staff College qualifications or significant time in command of even a battalion-sized formation. Additionally, there was no clear successor to Wingate even among his closest followers. Each of them thought that they would have been (or were) Wingate's obvious successor. Field Marshal Lord Slim wrote in his memoirs of the Burma War, Defeat into Victory
, that after Wingate's death, at least three officers went to him, and told him, separately and confidentially, that Wingate had designated each of them as the Divisional Commander, in the event of his death.
Colonel V Longer has listed Lentaigne as one of the handful of British General Officers to be offered attachement to, and service in, the post-Independence Indian Army. Among the others were General Sir Rob Lockhart, Lt-Gen Sir Dudley Russell
, and Maj-Gen H Williams, who, as Engineer-in-Chief, was the last to retire, late in 1955.
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
Walter David Alexander Lentaigne, CB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
, (1899–1955) British Indian Army
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, officially simply the Indian Army, was the principal army of the British Raj in India before the partition of India in 1947...
. Sometimes called "Joe" Lentaigne.
Walter Lentaigne was an officer in the British Indian Army. He fought in the Third Anglo-Afghan War
Third Anglo-Afghan War
The Third Anglo-Afghan War began on 6 May 1919 and ended with an armistice on 8 August 1919. It was a minor tactical victory for the British. For the British, the Durand Line was reaffirmed as the political boundary between the Emirate of Afghanistan and British India and the Afghans agreed not to...
in 1919. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he commanded a battalion during the 1942 Burma Campaign and was later given command of 63rd Indian Infantry Brigade
63rd Indian Infantry Brigade
The 63rd Indian Infantry Brigade was an Infantry formation of the Indian Army during World War II. It was formed in January 1942, at Jhansi in India and assigned to the 23rd Indian Infantry Division...
. In 1943, he was personally selected by General Archibald Wavell (the Commander-in-chief of the British Indian Army) to form and command the 111th Indian Infantry Brigade
111th Indian Infantry Brigade
The 111th Indian Infantry Brigade was an Infantry formation of the Indian Army during World War II. The brigade was formed in March 1943, in India as a Long Range Penetration Brigade attached to the Chindits 3rd Indian Infantry Division...
as a Long Range Pentration Brigade. In 1944, in the midst of the second Chindit operation (Operation Thursday) he was appointed commander of the Chindit Force
Chindits
The Chindits were a British India "Special Force" that served in Burma and India in 1943 and 1944 during the Burma Campaign in World War II. They were formed into long range penetration groups trained to operate deep behind Japanese lines...
and led the force until it was disbanded in 1945. He then led the Indian Army's jungle training programs as commander of the 39th Indian Infantry Division. He served in the postwar Indian Army and rose finally to the rank of Lieutenant General.
Career highlights
- 1899 Born
- 1918 Joined 4th Prince of Wales's Own Gurkha Rifles
- 1919 Third Anglo-Afghan WarThird Anglo-Afghan WarThe Third Anglo-Afghan War began on 6 May 1919 and ended with an armistice on 8 August 1919. It was a minor tactical victory for the British. For the British, the Durand Line was reaffirmed as the political boundary between the Emirate of Afghanistan and British India and the Afghans agreed not to...
- 1919-1924 Served in WaziristanWaziristanWaziristan is a mountainous region near the Northwest of Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan and covering some 11,585 km² . The area is entirely populated by ethnic Pashtuns . The language spoken in the valley is Pashto/Pakhto...
, North West Frontier - 1925-1929 Garrison and Depot duty, BaklohBaklohBakloh is a cantonment town in Chamba district in the state of Himachal Pradesh, India.The Bakloh Cantonment was established in 1866 for the 4th Gorkhas which was raised at PITHORA GARH . When this 4th Gorkhas came to Bakloh Cantt then Ist Battalion of 4th Gorkha was raised at Bakloh Cantonment...
, India - 1930-1934 Served in TirahTirahTirah is a region located in Kurram and Khyber agencies of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan . It lies between the Khyber Pass and the Khanki Valley. It is inhabited by the Afridi and Orakzai tribes of Pashtuns...
, North West Frontier - 1935-1936 Attended British Army Staff College, CamberleyCamberleyCamberley is a town in Surrey, England, situated 31 miles southwest of central London, in the corridor between the M3 and M4 motorways. The town lies close to the borders of both Hampshire and Berkshire; the boundaries intersect on the western edge of the town where all three counties...
- 1936-1939 Waziristan, North West Frontier
- World War II
- 1938-1941 Deputy Assistant Quartermaster General at General Headquarters(GHQ) India
- 1941-1942 Instructor at the Indian Army Staff CollegeCommand and Staff CollegeThe Command and Staff College was established in 1907 at Quetta, Balochistan, British Raj, now in Pakistan, and is the oldest and the most prestigious institution of the Pakistan Army. It was established in 1905 in Deolali and moved to its present location at Quetta in 1907 under the name of Quetta...
, QuettaQuettais the largest city and the provincial capital of the Balochistan Province of Pakistan. Known as the "Fruit Garden of Pakistan" due to the diversity of its plant and animal wildlife, Quetta is home to the Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, which contains some of the rarest species of wildlife in the... - 1942 Commanding Officer 1st Battalion, 4th Gurkha Rifles. Took part in the retreat from Burma, into India. Better described in "British Commanders" Published June 1945 by British Information Services in the USA as commanding a battalion which was landed in Burma in time to take part in General Alexander's battling withdrawal. He soon gained a legendary name for bravery. "Once this bespectacled giant had his revolver kicked out of his hand in a hand-to-hand scrap with four Japs. he tore the sword from the leader's hand and killed him with it; then, turning on the others, hewed one to the ground and chased the other two back into the jungle. Another time, when the japanese had captured an ambulance convoy, a wounded officer in one of them heard a noise which he described as like the roaring of the Bull of Bashan. It was Joe Lentaigne arriving. He had charged ahead of his Gurkhas and arrive first, killing several Japs before they caught up with him. The ambulances were saved."
- 1943 Temporarily commanded Indian 63rd Infantry Brigade in ImphalImphalImphal is the capital of the Indian state of Manipur.In the heart of the town and surrounded by a moat, are ruins of the old Palace of Kangla. Kangla Fort used to be the home of the Assam Rifles, a paramilitary force and on November 2004 it was handed over to state of Manipur by Prime minister Dr....
, India. Subsequently raised Indian 111 Infantry Brigade, a Long Range Penetration formation. - 1944 Led 111 Brigade in Operation Thursday, the second Chindit operation. On 24 March 1944 succeeded to command of Special Force / 3rd Indian Infantry Division, on the death of Major General Orde Wingate in an air crash. Commanded the Chindits until it they were disbanded early in 1945.
- 1945 General Officer Commanding Indian 39th Infantry DivisionIndian 39th Infantry Division39th Indian Infantry Division was an infantry division of the Indian Army during World War II, which became a Training Division in 1943 after its recovery into India from Burma.-History:...
- 1946 Attended Imperial Defence College
- 1947 Director of Military Operations and Deputy Quartermaster General at GHQ India
- 1948-1955 Commandant of the Indian Army Staff College, WellingtonWellington CantonmentWellington is a cantonment town in the Nilgiris District of Tamil Nadu. It is the Regimental Centre for the Madras Regiment of the Indian Army. One of its most famous residents was Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, who died in the town on June 27, 2008....
. - 1955 Retired as Lieut-General and died soon afterwards
Lentaigne and the Chindits
Lentaigne was an outsider in the Chindit organization. He was appointed by General Wavell in the spring of 1943 to raise 111th Indian Brigade as a second Chindit Brigade. Because Wingate was in Burma conducting the Chindit operation (Operation Longcloth), he was unable to influence the choice. Wingate's dislike of Indian Army officers and in particular officers of Gurkha battalions also worked against Lentaigne. He objected to the appointment after he learned of it but was unable to do anything about.On Wingate's death, Lentaigne took over command of the Chindit organization. He was the seniormost officer in the Chindits and also had the most command experience. General Slim described the problems involved in replacing Wingate within the Chindits: 'To step into Wingate's place would be no easy task. His successor had to be someone known to the men of Special Force, one who had shared their hardships and in whose skill and in whose skill and courage they could trust'.
Again. "British Commanders" states "the inevitable choice for the new chief of the Chindits was Major General Lentaigne. He was one of Wingates closest disciples and a veteran of the Burma fighting.
Amongst his rivals for the position including Mike Calvert
Mike Calvert
James Michael Calvert DSO and Bar was a British soldier involved in special operations in World War II. The degree to which he led very risky attacks in person led to his becoming widely known as "Mad Mike". Calvert was court-martialled and dismissed from the Army in 1952...
and Derek Tulloch there was criticism of this decision. They alleged that Lentaigne was the Chindit leader least in tune with Wingate's methods and tactics. They also pointed out that he had commanded 111 Indian Brigade in the field for only a few weeks. After the war, certain of his rivals used the comments of his Brigade Major John Masters
John Masters
Lieutenant Colonel John Masters, DSO was an English officer in the British Indian Army and novelist. His works are noted for their treatment of the British Empire in India.-Life:...
with regard to Lentaigne's age out of context to attack him.
Lentaigne had been a distinguished battalion commander who had fought during the 1942 Burma campaign. The other Chindit brigade commanders were unknown quantities lacking Staff College qualifications or significant time in command of even a battalion-sized formation. Additionally, there was no clear successor to Wingate even among his closest followers. Each of them thought that they would have been (or were) Wingate's obvious successor. Field Marshal Lord Slim wrote in his memoirs of the Burma War, Defeat into Victory
Defeat into Victory
Defeat into Victory is an account of the retaking of Burma by Allied forces during the Second World War by the British Field Marshal William Slim and published in the UK by Cassell in 1956. It was published in the United States as Defeat into Victory: Battling Japan in Burma and India, 1942-1945 by...
, that after Wingate's death, at least three officers went to him, and told him, separately and confidentially, that Wingate had designated each of them as the Divisional Commander, in the event of his death.
Postwar career
In his book, Red Coats to Olive GreenColonel V Longer has listed Lentaigne as one of the handful of British General Officers to be offered attachement to, and service in, the post-Independence Indian Army. Among the others were General Sir Rob Lockhart, Lt-Gen Sir Dudley Russell
Dudley Russell
Lieutenant-General Sir Dudley Russell KBE, CB, DSO, MC was an officer in the British and Indian Armies during World War I and World War II.-Early career:...
, and Maj-Gen H Williams, who, as Engineer-in-Chief, was the last to retire, late in 1955.
See also
- John MastersJohn MastersLieutenant Colonel John Masters, DSO was an English officer in the British Indian Army and novelist. His works are noted for their treatment of the British Empire in India.-Life:...
Brigade Major and subsequent commander of 111 Indian Infantry Brigade. - Joseph StilwellJoseph StilwellGeneral Joseph Warren Stilwell was a United States Army four-star General known for service in the China Burma India Theater. His caustic personality was reflected in the nickname "Vinegar Joe"...
American General.
External links
- Lentaigne's entry in the Liddell Hart Centre for Military ArchivesLiddell Hart Centre for Military ArchivesThe Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives at King's College London was set up in 1964. The Centre holds the private papers of over 700 senior British defence personnel who held office since 1900. Individual collections range in size from a single file to the 1000 boxes of Captain Sir Basil...
- Lentaigne's entry at Generals.dk
- Official website for The ChinditsChinditsThe Chindits were a British India "Special Force" that served in Burma and India in 1943 and 1944 during the Burma Campaign in World War II. They were formed into long range penetration groups trained to operate deep behind Japanese lines...
- British Military History - Major General Walter David Alexander LENTAIGNE
- Office of the US Surgeon GeneralSurgeon General of the United StatesThe Surgeon General of the United States is the operational head of the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and thus the leading spokesperson on matters of public health in the federal government...
Office of Medical History: Book 4, With Wingate's Chindits