Career
He was the second and longest serving Chief of the Defence Staff (1965–1971). Born in Christchurch on 15 October 1916, Leonard Thornton received his education at Christchurch Boys" High School. At the age of 17, he was awarded a scholarship to the Royal Military College in Duntroon, Australia.
He was one of four cadets from New Zealand, the first intake from this country to enter Duntroon since 1921.
An excellent student, he was also a natural sportsman, participating in squash, hockey and boxing. Thornton was commissioned in the Royal New Zealand Artillery in December 1937 as a lieutenant.
Following the outbreak of the Second World War, he was posted as Battery Captain of 26 Battery, 4th Field Regiment, the first of the artillery regiments to be raised for service aboard with the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force (2NZEF). The regiment was to be attached to the 4th Infantry Brigade of the 2nd New Zealand Division.
The 2nd New Zealand Division was to be formed in three echelons, which would assemble in Egypt.
Thornton embarked with the first echelon on 6 January 1940 which arrived in Egypt at Maadi Camp, the main 2NEF base in the Middle East, on 11 February. He led the battery during the Battle of Greece, which helped cover the Allied retreats at Platamon and Tempe before it was evacuated to the island of Crete. His battery, having lost its guns, fought as infantry during the subsequent Battle of Crete after which it was transported to Egypt.
As the 2nd New Zealand Division was reorganised in Egypt and Syria following its losses in Operation Supercharge, Thornton was made brigade major of the 6th Infantry Brigade.
From October 1942, he served as General Staff Officer (GSO) of the division, coming to the attention of its commander, Major General Bernard Freyberg, for the quality of his operational work. In June 1943, Thornton, now a lieutenant colonel, was given command of 5th Field Regiment.
By now, the fighting in North Africa was over with the surrender of the Afrika Corps, and the 2nd New Zealand Division was transferred to Italy to participate in the campaign there. When the New Zealand Corps was established for the Battle of Monte Cassino in March 1944, he was made General Staff Officer of the 2nd New Zealand Division.
Although he returned to command of the 5th Field Regiment after the dissolution of the New Zealand Corps, Freyberg brought him back to the staff of the 2nd New Zealand Division as its senior operations officer
Shortly after the war ended in Europe, he was promoted to brigadier, the youngest in the 2NZEF at the time, and appointed Commander, Royal Artillery, for the division. After the war, he served as Deputy Chief (1948–1949) and Chief of the General Staff (1963–1965). He was also Commandant of Linton Army Camp from 1949 to 1951.
In his retirement, Thornton held a high profile.
He often commented on defence issues, particularly on New Zealand"s anti-nuclear stance as well as the ANZUS treaty, and was criticised by David Lange, New Zealand"s prime minister at the time. He also presented several documentaries on various aspects of New Zealand"s military history.
He died on 10 June 1999.
