Sir Walter Leonard Allinson (born 1926) is a retired British civil servant and diplomat.

He was born on 1 May 1926, the only son of Walter Allinson and Alice Frances Cassidy of Tottenham

Tottenham

Tottenham is an area of the London Borough of Haringey, England, situated north north east of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:Tottenham is believed to have been named after Tota, a farmer, whose hamlet was mentioned in the Domesday Book; hence Tota's hamlet became Tottenham...

, and educated at Friern Barnet Grammar School

Friern Barnet Grammar School

The Friern Barnet Grammar School was a small independent day school for boys located on Friern Barnet Road, North London.It was later absorbed into the co-educational Woodside Park School foundation which is today known as The North London International School, notably one of the first schools to...

 and Merton College, Oxford

University of Oxford

The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...

, matriculating

Matriculation

Matriculation, in the broadest sense, means to be registered or added to a list, from the Latin matricula – little list. In Scottish heraldry, for instance, a matriculation is a registration of armorial bearings...

 in 1944. In 1951 he married Margaret Patricia Watts.

During his career, Allinson served as Principal at the British Ministry of Education

Ministry of Education (United Kingdom)

The administration of education policy in the United Kingdom began in the 19th century. Official mandation of education began with the Elementary Education Act 1870 for England and Wales, and the Education Act 1872 for Scotland...

 (1948–58), First Secretary in Lahore and Karachi, Pakistan (1960–62), First Secretary in Madras and New Delhi, India (1963–66), Deputy High Commissioner, Nairobi, Kenya (1970–73), Deputy High Commissioner and Minister, New Delhi (1975–77), High Commissioner, Lusaka (Zambia) (1978–80) and High Commissioner in Kenya and Ambassador to UN Environment Programme (1982–86).

In recognition of his contributions to Her Majesty the Queen’s Diplomatic Service

Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service

Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service is the diplomatic service of the United Kingdom, dealing with foreign affairs, as opposed to the Home Civil Service, which deals with domestic affairs...

, Allinson was awarded a knighthood, the KCVO, in 1979 having previously had the MVO

Royal Victorian Order

The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...

 (1961) and CMG

Order of St Michael and St George

The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....

(1976) conferred upon him.