Career
Educated at Charterhouse School and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, Lea was commissioned into the Lancashire Fusiliers in 1933. He served in the Second World War as brigade major of 4th Parachute Brigade and then as commanding officer of 11th Battalion, Parachute Regiment. In this role he saw action during Operation Market Garden and became a Prisoner of war.
Lea became Commanding Officer of the Special Air Service in 1955 and saw action again in Malaya.
He went on to be commander of 2nd Infantry Brigade in 1957, Deputy Military Secretary in 1960 and General Office Commanding 42nd Lancashire Territorial Division and North-West District in 1962. He was given command of the armed forces in Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland in 1963 and became Director of Operations in Borneo in 1965.
His last appointment was as head of the British Defence Staff in Washington, District of Columbia in 1967 before retiring in 1970. In retirement Lea was Lieutenant of the Tower of London.
