Henry Macleod Leslie Rundle was born on January 6th, 1856, and entered the Royal Artillery as a Lieutenant in August, 1876. He soon saw service, first in South Africa, in 1879-81, where he went through both the Zulu and Transvaal campaigns, winning mentions in Despatches for both. In the former he was present at Ulundi, in the latter he took part in the heroic defence of Potchefstroom, in the course of which he was wounded. In 1882 young Rundle served in the Egyptian Expedition and was present at Tel-el-Kebir. In 1883 he joined the Egyptian Army, and in 1884-5 was employed with it in the Nile Expedition on the lines of communication, received another mention in Despatches and a brevet Majority.
From 1885 to 1898 Rundle's career in Egypt was one of continued distinction both as a military administrator and a fighting soldier. In 1885-6-7-9-91 he was engaged in the operations of the Frontier Field Force, commanded the Mounted Corps at Sarras, and the Artillery at Toski, and came out of the fighting with the Distinguished Service Order and a brevet Lieutenant-Colonelcy. In 1891 he was present also at the capture of Tokar. In 1896 he accompanied Lord Kitchener as Chief of the Staff in the Expedition to Dongola, and was created a K. C. B. and a Major-General. In 1897-8 he served as Chief of the Staff in the advance on Khartoum, and was at the Sirdar's right hand, as a trusted and sagacious adviser, at the battle of Omdurman.
After the collapse of the Mahdist power, several of Kitchener's best men, having grandly accomplished their work and, perhaps, not altogether relishing the prospect of peaceful prosperity which seemed in store for Egypt, returned to England. Sir Leslie Rundle was naturally not allowed to remain unemployed at home, and the South-Eastern District, head-quarters Dover, being vacant, he was offered the command, and assumed it in December, 1898. During the early summer of 1899 he was temporarily taken away from his District to assist in the manoeuvre training of the British Army on Salisbury Plain. On the outbreak of the war in South Africa he was summoned to Army Headquarters to temporarily replace Sir Cornelius Clery as Deputy Adjutant-General to the Forces. In December last, as we have seen, he was appointed to the command of the Eighth Division of the South African Field Force, at an age when most officers are well content to be junior majors in the performance of regimental duty. With such a career behind him, and such possibilities ahead, it will not be surprising if Sir Leslie Rundle eventually rises to the very highest honours which the British Army has to bestow.