John Le Rougetel

Sir John Helier Le Rougetel KCMG MC (19 June 1894 – 3 January 1975[1]) was a British diplomat.

Sir John Le Rougetel KCMG MC
British Ambassador to South Africa
In office 1951–1955
Preceded by	Evelyn Baring
Succeeded by	Percivale Liesching
British Ambassador to Belgium
In office 1950–1951
Preceded by	Sir George Rendel
Succeeded by	Sir Christopher Warner
British Ambassador to Iran
In office 1946–1950
Preceded by	Sir Reader Bullard
Succeeded by	Sir Francis Shepherd
Personal details
Born	(1894-07-19)19 July 1894
Died	3 January 1975(1975-01-03) (aged 80)
Nationality	British
Occupation	Diplomat
Awards	Military Cross
Military service
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Branch/service	British Army
Years of service	1915–1920
Unit	Northamptonshire Regiment
Battles/wars	First World War

Le Rougetel was educated at Rossall School and Magdalene College, Cambridge. He was commissioned into the Northamptonshire Regiment at the start of the First World War, joining its 3rd Battalion.[2] He was awarded the Military Cross and Bar for his actions during the war, in which he served on the Western Front and was attached to the Machine Gun Corps.[3] Le Rougtel joined the Foreign Office in 1920, and subsequently served in postings in Vienna, Budapest, Ottawa, Tokyo, Pekin, The Hague, Bucharest, Moscow, Shanghai. He was made a Second Secretary in 1923[4] and a First Secretary in 1930.[5] He was in Shanghai during its occupation by the Japanese and was taken prisoner in 1942, although was later repatriated. He was made a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1943.[6] From 1944 to 1946 he was Political Representative in Romania, before receiving his first ambassadorial posting to Tehran in 1946. Le Rougetel later served as British Ambassador to Belgium (1950-1) and as a High Commissioner to South Africa (1951-5). He retired in 1955, having been made a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George.