Charles Leslie Richardson

Sir Charles Richardson
Born 11 August 1908
Died 7 February 1994
Allegiance United Kingdom United Kingdom
Service/branch British Army
Rank General
Unit Royal Engineers
Commands held Singapore District
Northern Command
Battles/wars World War II
Awards Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Distinguished Service Order

General Sir Charles Leslie Richardson GCB CBE DSO (11 August 1908 7 February 1994) was a senior British Army officer who saw service in World War II and later reached high office in the 1950s.

Military career

Educated at St. Ronan's School[1] and Clare College, Cambridge, Richardson was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the Royal Engineers in 1928.[2] He served in World War II as a General Staff Officer for the Plans Headquarters of the British Eighth Army from 1942.

Richardson played a significant role in the Battle of El Alamein and was responsible for planning the deception operation codenamed Operation Bertram in particular. He was Deputy Chief of Staff for Mark Clark's U.S. Fifth Army from 1943 and as a brigadier for 21st Army Group from 1944.[2]

After the War he was with the British Control Commission in Berlin from 1945 to 1946 and then with the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) from 1947 to 1948.[2] He held various staff appointments in the UK and Egypt between 1949 and 1952.[2]

He was appointed Commandant of the Royal Military College of Science at Shrivenham in 1955 and then General Officer Commanding for Singapore District in 1958.[2] He went on to be Director of Combat Development at the War Office in 1960 and Director General of Military Training in 1961.[2] In this latter role he was credited with recognising the significance of the Special Air Service which hitherto had been treated as little more than a 'private army of ill-disciplined mavericks'.[3]

In 1963 he became General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Northern Command and in 1965 he became Quartermaster-General to the Forces.[2] His final appointment was as Master-General of the Ordnance in 1966: he retired in 1971.[2]

He was Chief Royal Engineer from 1972 to 1977.[2]

His banner as a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath hangs in St Michael's Church at Betchworth in Surrey.[4]

References

Bibliography

Military offices
Preceded by
Sir Charles Jones
GOC-in-C Northern Command
19631964
Succeeded by
Sir Geoffrey Musson
Preceded by
Sir Gerald Lathbury
Quartermaster-General to the Forces
19651966
Succeeded by
Sir Alan Jolly
Preceded by
Sir Charles Jones
Master-General of the Ordnance
19661971
Succeeded by
Sir Noel Thomas
Honorary titles
Preceded by
Sir Charles Jones
Chief Royal Engineer
1972–1977
Succeeded by
Sir David Willison
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