General Sir Edward Pemberton Leach (2 April 1847 – 27 April 1913) was an Irish officer in the British Army and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Early life Leach was born in County Londonderry, Ireland on 2 April 1847. He was educated at Highgate School in England.

Military career Leach was commissioned into the Royal Engineers in 1866.Royal Engineers Museum

He was 31 years old, and a captain in the Corps of Royal Engineers, British Army and with Bengal Sappers and Miners (British Indian Army) during the Second Anglo-Afghan War when the following deed took place on 17 March 1879 near Maidanah, Afghanistan for which he was awarded the VC.The Royal Engineers Museum – Victoria Crosses held by the Royal Engineers Museum

Later life After this incident promotion followed and he was made Commander of 24 Field Company during the Suakin Expedition in 1885. He was promoted to Major-General on 1 October 1897. From April 1900 he was General Officer Commanding Belfast in which capacity he founded the Ballykinlar training camp. He was appointed General Officer Commanding the 9th Division within Third Army Corps in Ireland on 1 April 1902, and served until 1905.Army Commands Later that year, after being promoted to lieutenant general on 3 April, he was appointed General Officer Commanding-in-Chief for Scottish Command, in succession to Lieutenant General Sir Charles Tucker, where he served from 1905. to 1909 before he retired from the army in September 1912.

Leach, promoted on 31 August 1910 to lieutenant general, died in Cadenabbia, Lake Como, Italy on 27 April 1913.Who's Who 1914 has his date of death as 26 April His younger daughter Elsie Leach became a distinguished ornithologist.

The medal His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Royal Engineers Museum, Chatham, England.

Notes

References Listed in order of publication year The Register of the Victoria Cross (1981, 1988 and 1997)

Ireland's VCs (Dept of Economic Development 1995) The Sapper VCs (Gerald Napier, 1998) Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999) Irish Winners of the Victoria Cross (Richard Doherty & David Truesdale, 2000)

External links Royal Engineers Museum Sappers VCs