Leo de Gale

Sir Leo Victor de Gale was the first governor-general of Grenada, from February 7, 1974 to September 30, 1978.

Biography

Leo de Gale was born in St. Andrew's Parish, near Grenville, Grenada. He had served in WW2 with the Canadian armed forces in the Battle of Britain, Italian Campaign, liberation of France and invasion of Germany. After the war he served as acting Governor of Grenada for two weeks before it officially achieved independence in February 1974 and he became Governor-General. He retired the year before the 1979 Grenada Revolution.
In the 1960s, Dame Hilda Bynoe who was the incumbent governor of Grenada appointed Leo de Gale as the acting governor of Grenada because she had to take care of some business in a foreign country.
Sir Leo de Gale became the first governor-general during the time of Prime Minister Sir Eric Mathew Gairy. Sir Leo de Gale served from 1974 to 1978. He was then followed by Sir Paul Scoon.
Following his political career he took up residence in Bristol, England.
In 2014 De Gale’s medals were gifted by his daughter Frances Taborne to the Grenadian national museum.