Leslie Vernell... "sage counsel and a dexterous pen,
by Jack C. Westoby and René G. Fontaine
JACK C. WESTOBY and RENÉ G. FONTAINE were, respectively, Assistant to the Director General and Director of the Forest Resources Division of the FAO Forestry Department at the time that they retired.
Leslie Vernell, who spent 26 years with FAO after extensive service in Burma and India, died at the age of 68 in July 1979 at his home, Far End House, in Poulton, Cirencester, Glos., UK. Leslie was graduated from St John's College, Oxford, where he studied tropical forestry under Professor Troup and was awarded the Sir William Schlich memorial prize. In 1932 he was appointed to the Burma Forest Service, and during the next seven years served in several positions in Lower and Upper Burma and in the Shan States. The active life he led as a forester, and the knowledge of the country he acquired, stood him in good stead when World War II came. Cut off by the Japanese, he trekked from the Chinese border across northern Burma and over the Naga hills to Kohima, India. It was an epic walk of almost 500 kilometres in 30 days, at the onset of the rains.
His seven-year army career during World War II was meteoric, and he rose to the rank of colonel, serving for a time as aide-de-camp to the Governor of Burma. During his military service he married Sylvia Coulthurst, a W.R.N.S. officer serving at Headquarters, Eastern Fleet in New Delhi. In 1945 he returned to Rangoon, having traversed Burma during the second Burma Campaign, this time with a tank regiment.
As soon as he joined the FAO Forestry Division in Washington in 1946, his potential as a staff officer was recognized and he became the "Directeur de Cabinet" to Marcel Leloup, the first Director of the Forestry Division. Very soon he added to his responsibilities the preparation of Unasylva taking over from its first Editor, Radu C. Fortunescu. He served continuously as Editor for more than 25 years and his talent gave the magazine an international reputation.
In 1972, for economic reasons the publication of Unasylva was suspended. Within a year after the suspension of the magazine and just before his retirement Leslie had the satisfaction of seeing Unasylva reinstated as a result of requests from numerous governments, forestry organizations and persons well-known in international forestry.
When the Division moved from Washington to Rome in 1951 Leslie Vernell became Chief Programme and Operations Officer, responsible for budget, programming and coordination of regional activities. His main responsibility, however, was the regional forestry commissions which were established progressively on the pattern of the European Forestry Commission. In 1961 he was appointed Assistant to the Director, Egon Glesinger, and later Chief of the Education and Institution Branch.
As a supervisor, he was known for allowing great freedom of thought and action, for his great knowledge of forestry and for invaluable experience in FAO structure and procedure. In the course of his career he organized and ran more than 50 international forestry meetings around the world, and played a prominent role in each of the postwar world forestry congresses.
These are bare facts which tell only a fraction of the story. What his colleagues miss, and what thousands of participants in international forestry meetings will miss, are his imperturbable demeanour, sage counsel and dexterous pen. Few foresters have sought the limelight less. Few have won such a wide circle of friends and admirers.
Leslie's death is deeply regretted by all his colleagues in the FAO Forestry Department. He will be remembered for his distinguished service and his human qualities. For many he will remain the model of an international civil servant. Their sympathy goes to his wife, Sylvia, and to his children.
