Ian Gleeson

{{Short description|South African Army officer (1934–2021)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Use South African English|date=April 2023}}

{{Infobox military person

| honorific_prefix =

| name = Ian Rimbault Gleeson

| honorific_suffix = {{Post-nominals|country=ZAR|SSAG|SD|SM}}

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| birth_date = {{birth date|1934|8|15|df=y}}

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2021|06|07|1934|08|15|df=y}}

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| allegiance = {{ZAF}}

| branch = South African Army

| serviceyears = 1954{{ndash}}1990

| rank = Lieutenant General

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| unit = 2 SA Infantry Battalion Group

| commands = {{plainlist |

• Chief of the Defence Force Staff
• Chief of Staff Operations
• Chief of Army Staff Operations
• GOC 101 Task Force
• 2 South African Infantry Battalion

}}

| battles = Battle of Cassinga

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| awards = {{MilAward Stack|SSAG |SD |SM52 |PP |GoodServiceG |GoodServiceS |PFGS|size=x12px}}

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| laterwork = Author of the {{em|Unknown Force}}

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Lieutenant General Ian Rimbault Gleeson {{Post-nominals|country=ZAR|SSAG|SD|SM}} (15 August 1934{{snd}}7 June 2021){{cite journal|first1=C.J.|last1=Nöthling|first2=E.M.|last2=Meyers|title=Leaders through the years (1912-1982)|journal=Scientaria Militaria|year=1982|volume=12|issue=2|page=93|url=http://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za/pub/article/view/631}} was a South African Army officer who served as Chief of the Defence Staff.

He graduated from the Military Academy after attending Christian Brothers College in Pretoria and joined the Army in 1954.{{cite journal | title=CIVILIAN-MILITARY INTERACTION ON THE MATIE CAMPUS: THE 'BATTLE OF WILGENHOF', 1957 | last1=Visser|first1=Deon | journal=Scientia Militaria: South African Journal of Military Studies | year=2009 | volume=37 | issue=2 | page=82}}{{cite journal | url=http://www.historicalpapers.wits.ac.za/inventories/inv_pdfo/AG1977/AG1977-A5-63-16-001-jpeg.pdf | title=The SADF: Supplement to the Financial Mail | journal=Financial Mail |date=July 1987 | page=14}} He became Officer Commanding 2 South African Infantry Battalion in 1971 and in 1972 OC Walvis Bay military base, and in July 1976 became GOC 101 Task Force. He then became Chief of Army Staff Operations on 15 January 1978 before taking on the recreated post of Chief of Defence Force Staff.

He retired in February 1990.{{cite news | url=http://152.111.1.87/argief/berigte/dieburger/1990/03/01/2/12.html | title=Meiring kry bevel van leër | newspaper=Die Burger | date=1 March 1990 | access-date=24 October 2014 | language=af | trans-title=Meiring gets command of Army | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141024124844/http://152.111.1.87/argief/berigte/dieburger/1990/03/01/2/12.html | archive-date=24 October 2014 }}

The post-Apartheid Truth and Reconciliation Commission found that when Generals Jannie Geldenhuys and Gleeson were informed that the SADF and Security Branch had assassinated Dr Fabian Ribeiro and his wife Florence on 1 December 1986 they failed to pass this information onto the Attorney-General or the police. The commission concluded that they both "acted in an obstructive way for which they are legally responsible".{{cite web |last1=Truth and Reconciliation Commission |title=Truth and Reconciliation Commission of South Africa Report. Volume Two. |url=https://www.justice.gov.za/trc/report/finalreport/Volume%202.pdf |publisher=Department of Justice and Constitutional Development |location=Pretoria|year=1998|pages=266–267}}