He was awarded the Military Cross (MC) for gallantry during the campaign against the Italian Army in East Africa in 1941 and the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) for his leadership and gallantry whilst in command of 1 Gambia Regiment in Burma in March 1945, during the Second World War.
Born on 10 September 1913 in London, and educated at Sandroyd School and Winchester College, Read attended the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, from where he was commissioned into the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry of the British Army on 1 February 1934.
[1][2] He was seconded to the Gold Coast Regiment, part of the Royal West African Frontier Force, in 1936.
[1] He saw active service in the Second World War and was awarded the Military Cross (MC) during the campaign against the Italians in East Africa in 1941.
[1] Read became Commanding Officer of the 1st Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry at Osnabrück in 1955.