Leonard Addison

Addison was born in Woolwich, the son of Joseph Lancelot Addison and Harriet Jowett. He was educated at King's College School and Dulwich College, before attending the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.[1]

In 1927 he married Phyllis Mabel Coombs, the daughter of E.E. Coombs OBE. They had one son and one daughter.

On 1 February 1923 he commissioned into the 1st Battalion, Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment.[2] In June 1926 he was seconded to the Indian Army, and in July 1927 transferred to the Royal Indian Army Service Corps.[3] He served on the North West Frontier during the 1930-31 campaign.[4] He was promoted Captain in 1932 and Major in 1939. He served in India during the Second World War, working as Assistant Director of Contracts at Army HQ in Simla before seeing action in the Burma Campaign, during which he was Mentioned in Dispatches. In May 1945 Addison was transferred to the Home Department of the Indian Government. In April 1946 he became Chief Director of Purchase at the Indian Department of Food,[5] and in June 1947 he was invested as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

In 1947 he became a Counsellor at the British High Commission in Calcutta. In March 1948 Addison was promoted to honorary brigadier and retired from the army. Between 1949 and 1952 he was Deputy High Commissioner in India.[6] He was invested as a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in June 1952.[7]