Robert Leith-Macgregor
| Robert Leith-Macgregor | |
|---|---|
| Born | 23 August 1917 |
| Died | 14 November 2008 (aged 91) |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/branch |
British Army Royal Air Force |
| Years of service | 1937–1962 |
| Rank | Lieutenant Colonel |
| Unit |
Royal Northumberland Fusiliers No. 241 Squadron RAF No. 208 Squadron RAF Nigeria Regiment |
| Battles/wars | Korean War |
| Awards |
Military Cross Distinguished Flying Cross |
| Other work | Marketing director |
Lieutenant Colonel Robert Leith-Macgregor MC DFC (23 August 1917 – 14 November 2008) was a British Army officer and Royal Air Force pilot. He fought in the Second World War, initially as an infantry officer in the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, before training as a pilot and transferring to the Royal Air Force. He was shot down several times and eventually became a Prisoner of War.
Post-war he returned to the army, serving again with the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers in the Korean War, and later commanding a battalion of that regiment.
The stepson of an admiral, Leith-Macgregor initially trained at the Nautical College, Pangbourne but could not deal with the five hours of mathematics a day, and after three years transferred to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. On passing out he was commissioned into the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers as a second lieutenant on 25 August 1938, and was posted to the 2nd Battalion. He served in Belgium in 1939 but became bored with serving as a soldier, and instead volunteered to be trained as an army liaison pilot, gaining an additional RAF commission as a pilot officer in the Royal Air Force on 11 April 1940. After training on a de Havilland Tiger Moth he was taught to fly the Westland Lysander and posted to No. 241 Squadron RAF. He was transferred to No. 208 Squadron RAF to fly the Hawker Hurricane in the North African Campaign, and twice crashed. He was first shot down, but survived with no injuries despite his crashed aircraft being strafed by three German fighters before he could escape. On the second occasion his engines failed and he was forced to crash-land; it later transpired he had taxied 75 yards in an active minefield without detonating anything. He had retained his army commission and was promoted lieutenant on 1 January 1941, and in the RAF, war substantive flying officer on 11 April 1941.
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