British Army General, Second Anglo-Afghan War Victoria Cross Recipient. A native of Ireland, he received the award from British Queen Victoria on December 9, 1879, for his actions as a captain with Corps of Royal Engineers, British Army and with Bengal Sappers and Miners (British Indian Army) on March 17, 1879, near Maidanah, Afghanistan, during the Second Anglo-Afghan War. Following his education at Highgate School in London, England, he was commissioned into the British Royal Engineers in 1866. He took part in the Lushai Expedition in Burma and by 1878 he was serving in the Second Anglo-Afghan War, during which his courage and valor won him the Victoria Cross. Afterwards, he became Commander of 24 Field Company during the Suakin Expedition in 1885. In October 1887 he was promoted to the rank of Major Genera and by 1899 he was General Officer Commanding Belfast. In April 1902 he was appointed General Officer Commanding the 9th Division within the British Third Army Corps in Ireland and served until 1905. Later that year, he was appointed General Officer Commanding-in-Chief for Scottish Command where he served from 1905 to 1909 before he retired in 1912, with 46 years of military service. His other honors include the the Most Honourable Order of the Bath and the Royal Vuctorian Order. He died at the age of 66. His Victoria Cross citation reads: "For having, in action with the Shinwarris near Maidanah, Afghanistan, on 17 March 1879, when covering the retirement of the Survey Escort who were carrying Lieutenant Barclay, 45th Sikhs, mortally wounded, behaved with the utmost gallantry in charging, with some men of the 45th Sikhs, a very much larger number of the enemy. In this encounter Captain Leach killed two or three of the enemy himself, and he received a severe wound from an Afghan knife in the left arm. Captain Leach's determination and gallantry in this affair, in attacking and driving back the enemy from the last position, saved the whole party from annihilation." His Victoria Cross is on display at the Royal Engineers Museum in Chatham, England.