Sir John Hurleston Leche, KCMG OBE

Sir John Leche was British consulate in Madrid.

K.C.M.G. London Gazette 9.6.1949 John Hurleston Leche,Esq., C.M.G., O.B.E., His Majesty’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary at Santiago C.M.G. London Gazette 1.2.1937 John Hurleston Leche,Esq., O.B.E. Counsellor at His Majesty’s Embassy Buenos AiresO.B.E

He was educated at Eton and Sandhurst and then joined the 12th Lancers, with whom he served in France from 1914 to 1919, receiving the military O.B.E., the Order of the Crown of Belgium and two mentions in dispatches for his services.

Times' Obituary 1960

Sir John Leche, K.C.M.G. O.B.E., formally British Ambassador to Chile, died at his home, Stretton Hall, Malpas, Cheshire, yesterday. He was 70.

John Hurleston Leche was born on November 21, 1889, the eldest surviving son of Mr, John Hurleston Leche, of Carden Park, Chester, and Kathleen, daughter of C. D. Hudson, M.P. He was educated at Eton and Sandhurst and then joined the 12th Lancers, with whom he served in France from 1914 to 1919, receiving the military O.B.E., the Order of the Crown of Belgium and two mentions in dispatches for his services.

After the war he entered the Diplomatic Service and after serving in Spain, Brazil, Argentina and elsewhere was promoted in 1937 to the difficult post of Charge d'Affaires to the Spanish Republican Goverment at Valencia and later Barcelona. From 1939 to 1945 he was the very popular Minister to the Central American Republics with the exception of Costa Rica and Panama, with head-quarters in Guatemala. Here in his last year he gave sanctuary for some days in his Legation to the deposed president of Guatemala, General Ubico, and his wife until they could be smuggled out of the country to New Orleans, and by this humanitarian act no doubt saved the fallen dictator's life. For the ensuing four years he was Ambassador to Chile.

Leche was a man of fine and upstanding presence, an excellent Spanish and French scholar, a discerning gourmet and himself a very good cook. His hospitality was proverbial. He was made C.M.G. in 1937 and K.C.M.G. 1n 1949.

He married

• first in 1916 Amy Violet. daughter of Colonel C. W. Unthank, of Intwood Hall, Norwich, by whom he had one daughter.
• After her death he married, secondly, Helen Morris, daughter of F. A. Janney, of Philadelphia, by whom he had two sons and two daughters. She died in 1952,
• and the following year he married Mrs. Helen Margaret Kerrison, daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel R. C. Donaldson-Hudson, D.S.O. She died in 1957.

'Times' Obituary 1960

Sir John Leche, K.C.M.G. O.B.E., formally British Ambassador to Chile, died at his home, Stretton Hall, Malpas, Cheshire, yesterday. He was 70.

John Hurleston Leche was born on November 21, 1889, the eldest surviving son of Mr, John Hurleston Leche, of Carden Park, Chester, and Kathleen, daughter of C. D. Hudson, M.P. He was educated at Eton and Sandhurst and then joined the 12th Lancers, with whom he served in France from 1914 to 1919, receiving the military O.B.E., the Order of the Crown of Belgium and two mentions in dispatches for his services.

After the war he entered the Diplomatic Service and after serving in Spain, Brazil, Argentina and elsewhere was promoted in 1937 to the difficult post of Charge d'Affaires to the Spanish Republican Goverment at Valencia and later Barcelona. From 1939 to 1945 he was the very popular Minister to the Central American Republics with the exception of Costa Rica and Panama, with head-quarters in Guatemala. Here in his last year he gave sanctuary for some days in his Legation to the deposed president of Guatemala, General Ubico, and his wife until they could be smuggled out of the country to New Orleans, and by this humanitarian act no doubt saved the fallen dictator's life. For the ensuing four years he was Ambassador to Chile.

Leche was a man of fine and upstanding presence, an excellent Spanish and French scholar, a discerning gourmet and himself a very good cook. His hospitality was proverbial.

He was made C.M.G. in 1937 and K.C.M.G. in 1949.

He married first in 1916 Amy Violet. daughter of Colonel C. W. Unthank, of Intwood Hall, Norwich, by whom he had one daughter. After her death he married, secondly, Helen Morris, daughter of F. A. Janney, of Philadelphia, by whom he had two sons and two daughters. She died in 1952, and the following year he married Mrs. Helen Margaret Kerrison, daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel R. C. Donaldson-Hudson, D.S.O. She died in 1957.

Sir John Leche would have known many famous (and infamous) historical figures, such as Franco and Von-Ribbontrop, its even likely that he might of met Hitler and Mussolini. He would have certainly known all the leaders of the wartime South American countries like Peron.

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