His family had origins in Navan, County Meath in Ireland, but was domiciled in then Burma (a part of British India).

Whilst escorting a Malta convoy, the ship was torpedoed 17 January 1942 off Sidi Barani and later scuttled.

Again, "British Commanders" states "the inevitable choice for the new chief of the Chindits was Major General Lentaigne.

After the war, certain of his rivals used the comments of his Brigade Major John Masters with regard to Lentaigne's age out of context to attack him.

Field Marshal Lord Slim wrote in his memoirs of the Burma War, Defeat into Victory, that after Wingate's death, at least three officers went to him, and told him, separately and confidentially, that Wingate had designated each of them as the divisional commander, in the event of his death.

In his book Red Coats to Olive Green, Colonel V. Longer has listed Lentaigne as one of the handful of British general officers to be offered attachment to, and service in, the post-independence Indian Army.

He was acting Director Military Operations but was eased out as he proposed a 25-mile border corridor in Punjab under British troops to save innocent people.(Ref.

Transfer of Power, 8 Aug 1947 meeting) Nehru opposed him tooth and nail and was overruled by Mountbatten.

In February 1948, he was asked to lead Defence Services Staff College (DSSC), Wellington in the Nilgiris in what's now the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu.