Sir Laurence George Gale (25 September 1905 – 8 July 1969) was a British civil servant who was controller of the

Royal Ordnance Factories Royal Ordnance Factories (ROFs) was the collective name of the UK government's munitions factories during and after the Second World War. Until privatisation, in 1987, they were the responsibility of the Ministry of Supply, and later the Ministr ...

, War Office (1964–69).

Life

Gale was born on 25 September 1905, the son of George Gale. He was educated at Bedford Modern School and

Emmanuel College, Cambridge Emmanuel College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was founded in 1584 by Sir Walter Mildmay, Chancellor of the Exchequer to Elizabeth I. The site on which the college sits was once a priory for Dominican mon ...

. Gale was Deputy Director-General of Armament Production (1952–57) and Director-General (1957–64). Between 1964 and 1969 he was Controller of the

, War Office. He was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1945 in recognition of his role in organising salvage operations during explosions at the Royal Ordnance Factory, Kirkby, Liverpool, where he was superintendent. The citation stated Gale, "... by his courage and inspiring leadership, completed a unique and terrifying salvage task without a single casualty". He became a Companion of the Order of the Bath in 1960 and a Knight Bachelor in 1968. Gale married Alice May Canvin in 1931 and they had one son. There is a photographic portrait of Gale at the National Portrait Gallery.

References

External links

Sir Laurence George Gale at the National Portrait Gallery
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gale, Laurence George 1905 births 1969 deaths People educated at Bedford Modern School Alumni of Emmanuel College, Cambridge Knights Bachelor Companions of the Order of the Bath Officers of the Order of the British Empire British civil servants Civil servants in the Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)