# Kenneth Loch

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[Lieutenant-General](/source/Lieutenant-general_(United_Kingdom)) **Sir Kenneth Morley Loch**, (18 September 1890 – 9 January 1961) was a senior [British Army](/source/British_Army) officer and defence planner.

## Early life and military career

Born on 18 September 1890, Loch was educated at [Wellington College, Berkshire](/source/Wellington_College,_Berkshire), and the [Royal Military Academy, Woolwich](/source/Royal_Military_Academy,_Woolwich), and, upon [passing out](/source/Passing_out_(military)) from the latter, received a [commission](/source/Officer_(armed_forces)) as a [second lieutenant](/source/Second_lieutenant) into the [Royal Artillery](/source/Royal_Artillery) on 23 December 1910.[1][2][3] He saw action during the [First World War](/source/First_World_War) at the [retreat from Mons](/source/Great_Retreat) and the battles of the [Marne](/source/First_Battle_of_the_Marne) and [Aisne](/source/First_Battle_of_the_Aisne), all in 1914.[3] Leaving the [front lines](/source/Front_lines) in 1916 he became an instructor in gunnery at the School of Instruction for the [Royal Horse Artillery](/source/Royal_Horse_Artillery) and the [Royal Field Artillery](/source/Royal_Field_Artillery) until he returned to front line service in the [Italian Campaign](/source/Italian_front_(World_War_I)) of 1918.[3] During the war Loch was twice [mentioned in despatches](/source/Mentioned_in_despatches) and received the [Military Cross](/source/Military_Cross).[4][2]

## Between the wars

Between the wars Loch remained in the army and attended the [Staff College, Camberley](/source/Staff_College,_Camberley), from 1923 to 1924.[2] His fellow students included numerous future [general officers](/source/General_officer), such as [Dudley Johnson](/source/Dudley_Graham_Johnson), [John Smyth](/source/Sir_John_Smyth,_1st_Baronet), [Arthur Wakely](/source/Arthur_Wakely_(British_Army_officer)), [Montagu Stopford](/source/Montagu_Stopford), [Arthur Percival](/source/Arthur_Percival), [Douglas Henry Pratt](/source/Douglas_Henry_Pratt), [Robert Stone](/source/Robert_Stone_(British_Army_officer)), [John Halsted](/source/John_Halsted_(British_Army_officer)), [Frederick Pile](/source/Frederick_Pile), [Michael Gambier-Parry](/source/Michael_Gambier-Parry), [Colville Wemyss](/source/Colville_Wemyss), [Robert Pargiter](/source/Robert_Pargiter_(British_Army_officer)), [Edmond Schreiber](/source/Edmond_Schreiber), [Alastair MacDougall](/source/Alastair_MacDougall_(British_Army_officer)), [Roderic Petre](/source/Roderic_Petre), [Balfour Hutchison](/source/Balfour_Hutchison), [Leslie Hill](/source/Leslie_Hill_(British_Army_officer)) and [Gordon Macready](/source/Gordon_Macready).[2] He was involved in air defence preparations for Britain around the [British Empire](/source/British_Empire).[3] From 1926 to 1929 he was a [General Staff Officer Grade 2](/source/Staff_(military)) (GSO2) to the [Territorial Army](/source/Army_Reserve_(United_Kingdom)) Air Defence Formations, and from 1932 to 1935 an instructor at the [Staff College, Quetta](/source/Pakistan_Command_and_Staff_College); GSO2 at the [War Office](/source/War_Office), 1935–1937, and GSO1, [Royal Air Force](/source/Royal_Air_Force) (RAF) [Fighter Command](/source/Fighter_Command), 1937–1938.[4][2]

## Second World War

From the beginning of the [Second World War](/source/Second_World_War) until 1941, Loch was Director of Anti-Aircraft and Coastal Defence,[3][4] first as acting [major-general](/source/Major_general_(United_Kingdom)), then from 25 November 1940 as temporary major-general.[5] He argued successfully against the use of [chemical weapons](/source/Chemical_weapons) in case of a German invasion of Britain (see [Operation Sea Lion](/source/Operation_Sea_Lion)).[6] After a three-year tour of inspection of anti-aircraft defences in the British Empire (a Special Employment), he became [Master-General of Ordnance, India](/source/Master-General_of_Ordnance,_India), from 1944 until his retirement in 1947.[3] After retiring the service Loch was with the [British Council](/source/British_Council) from 1947 to 1948, then served as a member of the [Control Commission](/source/Allied_Commission) for Germany, 1948–1949, and returned to the British Council from 1950 to 1958.[4] He was also Chairman of Governors of Wellington College.[2]

In 1929 Loch married Monica Joan Estelle Ruffer, the daughter of a [German banker](/source/A_Ruffer_%26_Sons), and had two sons. He was also the uncle of the Labour Member of Parliament [Tam Dalyell](/source/Tam_Dalyell).[7]

## References

1. No. 28454. 6 January 1911. p. 128.

1. Smart 2005, p. 192.

1. ["Loch, Kenneth"](http://www.kcl.ac.uk/lhcma/locreg/LOCH2.shtml). Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20070731012038/http://www.kcl.ac.uk/lhcma/locreg/LOCH2.shtml) 31 July 2007 at the Wayback Machine.

1. 'LOCH, Lt-Gen. Sir Kenneth Morley', in *[Who Was Who](/source/Who's_Who_(UK))* (A. & C. Black, 1920–2008; [online edition](http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whowaswho/U49299) by [Oxford University Press](/source/Oxford_University_Press), 2007, accessed 11 December 2011

1. No. 35000. 22 November 1940. p. 6745.

1. Edward M. Spiers, *Chemical Warfare* (University of Illinois Press, 1986), p. 67

1. Russell Galbraith (2000). *Inside Outside: A Biography of Tam Dalyell: The Man They Can't Gag*. Edinburgh: Mainstream, 15.

## Sources

- Smart, Nick (2005). *Biographical Dictionary of British Generals of the Second World War*. Barnesley: Pen & Sword. ISBN 1844150496.

## External links

- [Generals of World War II](https://generals.dk/general/Loch/Kenneth_Morley/Great_Britain.html)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Kenneth Loch](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_Loch) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_Loch?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.