Leonard Thornton
| Sir Leonard Thornton | |
|---|---|
| Born |
15 October 1916 Christchurch, New Zealand |
| Died |
10 June 1999 (aged 82) Wellington, New Zealand |
| Allegiance |
 New Zealand |
| Service/branch | New Zealand Army |
| Years of service | 1934–1971 |
| Rank | Lieutenant General |
| Commands held |
Chief of the Defence Staff Chief of the General Staff Linton Military Camp |
| Battles/wars |
Second World War |
| Awards |
Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Commander of the Order of the British Empire |
| Other work | Ambassador to Vietnam (1972–74) |
Lieutenant General Sir Leonard Whitmore "Bill" Thornton KCB, CBE (15 October 1916 – 10 June 1999) was a New Zealand Army officer. He was the second and longest serving Chief of the Defence Staff (1965–1971).
Thornton was born in Christchurch, and in 1934, he was one of the first New Zealand cadets to enter Royal Military College, Duntroon since the First World War. He was commissioned in the Royal New Zealand Artillery in 1937.
During the Second World War, he served as a staff officer and artillery commander in the 2nd New Zealand Division. After the war, he served as Deputy Chief (1948–1949) and Chief of the General Staff (1963–1965). He was also Commandant of Linton Army Camp from 1949 to 1951.
Works
- Thornton, L. W., Marking time : a personal memoir, Wellington, N.Z. 322 p., [33] leaves of plates : ill. (some col.) ; 22 cm., R. Thornton, 2005 (held by National Library of New Zealand)
External links
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Vice Admiral Sir Peter Phipps |
Chief of the Defence Staff 1965–1971 |
Succeeded by Lieutenant General Sir Richard Webb |
| Preceded by Major General Sir Stephen Weir |
Chief of the General Staff 1960–1965 |
Succeeded by Major General Walter McKinnon |
|