Chief of the General Staff (United Kingdom)
Chief of the General Staff | |
---|---|
since 15 June 2024 | |
Ministry of Defence British Army | |
Abbreviation | CGS |
Member of | Defence Council Army Board Chiefs of Staff Committee |
Reports to | Chief of the Defence Staff |
Nominator | Secretary of State for Defence |
Appointer | The Monarch On the advice of the Prime Minister, subject to formal approval by the King-in-Council |
Term length | No fixed length |
Precursor | Commander-in-Chief of the Forces |
Formation | 1904, 1964 |
First holder | Sir Neville Lyttelton |
Deputy | Deputy Chief of the General Staff |
The Chief of the General Staff (CGS) has been the title of the professional head of the British Army since 1964. The CGS is a member of both the Chiefs of Staff Committee and the Army Board; he is also the Chair of the Executive Committee of the Army Board. Prior to 1964, the title was Chief of the Imperial General Staff (CIGS). Since 1959, the post has been immediately subordinate to the Chief of the Defence Staff, the post held by the professional head of the British Armed Forces.
The current Chief of the General Staff is General Sir Roland Walker, who succeeded General Sir Patrick Sanders in the role on 15 June 2024.[1]
Responsibilities
[edit]The Chief of the General Staff (CGS) is the professional head of the Army, with responsibility for developing and generating military capability from an integrated Army (Regular and Reserve) and for maintaining the fighting effectiveness, efficiency and morale of the Service. The CGS reports to the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) and, as a Service COS, has a right of direct access to the Secretary of State and the Prime Minister. The CGS is a member of the Defence Council and the Army Board, the Armed Forces Committee, the Chiefs of Staff Committee and the Senior Appointments Committee. Responsibile for:
- Maintains the institutional health of the Army by exercising Full Command responsibility for all Army personnel
- Ensures the efficient and effective governance of the service
- Chairs the Executive Committee of the Army Board and the Army Command Group
- Contributes to the conduct of defence higher level business, with a particular responsibility for providing specialist advice on Army matters
- Develops future Army capability within the context of Defence strategic direction and resource allocation
- Leads the senior management team of the British Army[2]
Background
[edit]The title was also used for five years between the demise of the Commander-in-Chief of the Forces in 1904 and the introduction of Chief of the Imperial General Staff in 1909. The post was then held by General Sir Neville Lyttelton and, briefly, by Field Marshal Sir William Nicholson.
Throughout the existence of the post the Chief of the General Staff has been the First Military Member of the Army Board.[3]
Royal Navy | British Army | Royal Air Force | Combined | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1645 | N/A | Commander-in-Chief of the Forces (1645/60–1904, intermittently) | N/A. The RAF was formed in 1918 | |
1689 | Senior Naval Lord (1689–1771) | |||
1771 | First Naval Lord (1771–1904) | |||
1904 | First Sea Lord (1904–1917) | Chief of the General Staff (1904–1909) | Inter-service co-ordination was carried out from 1904 by the Committee of Imperial Defence under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister | |
1909 | Chief of the Imperial General Staff (1909–1964) | |||
1917 | First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff (1917–present) | |||
1918 | Chief of the Air Staff (1918–present) | |||
1923 | Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee (1923–1959, held by one of the service heads until 1956) | |||
1959 | Chief of the Defence Staff (1959–present) | |||
1964 | Chief of the General Staff (1964–present) |
Roles
[edit]The Chief was responsible for commanding the entire British Army. During the Second World War, General Brooke focused on grand strategy, and his relationships, through the Combined Chiefs of Staff with his American counterparts. He was also responsible for the appointment and evaluation of senior commanders, allocation of manpower and equipment, and the organisation of tactical air forces in support of land operations of field commanders; he also had primary responsibility for supervising the military operations of the Free French, Polish, Dutch, Belgian, and Czech units reporting to their governments in exile in London. Brooke vigorously allocated responsibilities to his deputies, and despite the traditional historical distrust that had existed between the military and the political side of the War Office, he got along quite well with his counterpart, the Secretary of State for War, first David Margesson and later, Sir James Grigg. [4]
Appointees
[edit]The following table lists all those who have held the post of Chief of the General Staff or its preceding positions. Ranks and honours are as at the completion of their tenure:
No. | Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chiefs of the General Staff | ||||||
1 | Sir Neville Lyttelton (1845–1931) | General12 February 1904 | 2 April 1908 | 4 years, 50 days | [5] | |
2 | Sir William Nicholson (1845–1918) | Field Marshal2 April 1908 | 22 November 1909 | 1 year, 234 days | [6] | |
Chiefs of the Imperial General Staff | ||||||
2 | Sir William Nicholson (1845–1918) | Field Marshal22 November 1909 | 15 March 1912 | 2 years, 114 days | [7] | |
3 | Sir John French (1852–1925) | Field Marshal15 March 1912 | 6 April 1914 | 2 years, 22 days | [8] | |
4 | Sir Charles Douglas (1850–1914) | General6 April 1914 | 25 October 1914 † | 202 days | [9] | |
5 | Sir James Wolfe Murray (1853–1919) | Lieutenant-General25 October 1914 | 26 September 1915 | 1 year, 154 days | [10] | |
6 | Sir Archibald Murray (1860–1945) | Lieutenant-General26 September 1915 | 23 December 1915 | 88 days | [11] | |
7 | Sir William Robertson (1860–1933) | General23 December 1915 | 19 February 1918 | 2 years, 58 days | [12] | |
8 | Sir Henry Wilson (1864–1922) | Field Marshal19 February 1918 | 19 February 1922 | 4 years | [13] | |
9 | Rudolph Lambart, 10th Earl of Cavan (1865–1946) | Field Marshal19 February 1922 | 19 February 1926 | 4 years | [14] | |
10 | Sir George Milne (1866–1948) | Field Marshal19 February 1926 | 19 February 1933 | 7 years | [15] | |
11 | Sir Archibald Montgomery-Massingberd (1871–1947) | Field Marshal19 February 1933 | 15 May 1936 | 3 years, 86 days | [16] | |
12 | Sir Cyril Deverell (1874–1947) | Field Marshal15 May 1936 | 6 December 1937 | 1 year, 205 days | [17] | |
13 | John Vereker, 6th Viscount Gort (1886–1946) | General6 December 1937 | 3 September 1939 | 1 year, 271 days | [18] | |
14 | Sir Edmund Ironside (1880–1959) | General4 September 1939 | 26 May 1940 | 266 days | [19] | |
15 | Sir John Dill (1881–1944) | Field Marshal26 May 1940 | 25 December 1941 | 1 year, 213 days | [20] | |
16 | Alan Brooke, 1st Viscount Alanbrooke (1883–1963) | Field Marshal25 December 1941 | 25 June 1946 | 4 years, 182 days | [21] | |
17 | Bernard Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein (1887–1976) | Field Marshal26 June 1946 | 1 November 1948 | 2 years, 129 days | [21][22] | |
18 | Sir William Slim (1891–1970) | Field Marshal1 November 1948 | 1 November 1952 | 4 years | [23] | |
19 | Sir John Harding (1896–1989) | Field Marshal1 November 1952 | 29 September 1955 | 2 years, 332 days | [24] | |
20 | Sir Gerald Templer (1898–1979) | Field Marshal29 September 1955 | 29 September 1958 | 3 years | [25] | |
21 | Sir Francis Festing (1902–1976) | Field Marshal29 September 1958 | 1 November 1961 | 3 years, 33 days | [26] | |
22 | Sir Richard Hull (1902–1989) | General1 November 1961 | April 1964 | 2 years, 5 months | [27][28][29] | |
Chiefs of the General Staff | ||||||
22 | Sir Richard Hull (1902–1989) [a] | Field MarshalApril 1964 | 8 February 1965 | 10 months | - | |
23 | Sir James Cassels (1907–1996) | General8 February 1965 | 1 March 1968 | 3 years, 22 days | [28] | |
24 | Sir Geoffrey Baker (1912–1980) [b] | General1 March 1968 | 1 April 1971 | 3 years, 31 days | [30][31][32] | |
25 | Sir Michael Carver (1915–2001) [a] | Field Marshal1 April 1971 | 19 July 1973 | 2 years, 109 days | [33][31] | |
26 | Sir Peter Hunt (1916–1988) [b] | General19 July 1973 | 15 July 1976 | 2 years, 362 days | [34][35] | |
27 | Sir Roland Gibbs (1921–2004) [b] | General15 July 1976 | 14 July 1979 | 2 years, 364 days | [36][37] | |
28 | Sir Edwin Bramall (1923–2019) [a] | Field Marshal14 July 1979 | 1 August 1982 | 3 years, 18 days | [38][39][40] | |
29 | Sir John Stanier (1925–2007) [b] | General1 August 1982 | 28 July 1985 | 2 years, 361 days | [35][41][42] | |
30 | Sir Nigel Bagnall (1927–2002) | General28 July 1985 | 10 September 1988 | 3 years, 44 days | [43] | |
31 | Sir John Chapple (1931–2022) | General10 September 1988 | 14 February 1992 | 3 years, 157 days | [44] | |
32 | Sir Peter Inge (1935–2022) [a][b] | General14 February 1992 | 15 March 1994 | 2 years, 29 days | [35][45][46] | |
33 | Sir Charles Guthrie (born 1938) [a] | General15 March 1994 | 3 February 1997 | 2 years, 325 days | [46][47] | |
34 | Sir Roger Wheeler (born 1941) [b] | General3 February 1997 | 17 April 2000 | 3 years, 74 days | [48][49] | |
35 | Sir Michael Walker (born 1944) [a] | General17 April 2000 | 1 February 2003 | 2 years, 290 days | [50][51][52] | |
36 | Sir Mike Jackson (1944–2024) | General1 February 2003 | 29 August 2006 | 3 years, 209 days | [53] | |
37 | Sir Richard Dannatt (born 1950) [b] | General29 August 2006 | 28 August 2009 | 2 years, 364 days | [54][55] | |
38 | Sir David Richards (born 1952) [a] | General28 August 2009 | 15 September 2010 | 1 year, 18 days | [56][57] | |
39 | Sir Peter Wall (born 1955) | General15 September 2010 | 5 September 2014 | 3 years, 355 days | [58] | |
40 | Sir Nick Carter (born 1959) [a] | General5 September 2014 | 11 June 2018 | 3 years, 279 days | [59] | |
41 | Sir Mark Carleton-Smith (born 1964) | General11 June 2018 | 13 June 2022 | 4 years, 2 days | [60] | |
42 | Sir Patrick Sanders (born 1966) | General13 June 2022 | 15 June 2024 | 2 years, 176 days | [61] | |
43 | Sir Roland Walker (born 1970) | General15 June 2024 | 174 days | [1] |
See also
[edit]- Chief of the Defence Staff
- First Sea Lord / Chief of the Naval Staff
- Chief of the Air Staff
- Deputy Chief of the General Staff
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b "General Sir Roly Walker KCB DSO". GOV.UK. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
- ^ "General Sir Patrick Sanders KCB CBE DSO ADC Gen". GOV.UK. Retrieved 29 June 2023. Text was copied from this source, which is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0. © Crown copyright.
- ^ Arnold-Foster, Hugh Oakeley (1906). The Army in 1906: a Policy and a Vindication. London: John Murray. p. 481.
- ^ Roberts, Andrew (2010). Masters and Commanders: How Four Titans Won the War in the West, 1941–1945. HarperCollins. pp. 61–62. ISBN 9780061228582.
- ^ "No. 27645". The London Gazette. 12 February 1904. p. 939.
- ^ "No. 28125". The London Gazette. 3 April 1908. p. 2567.
- ^ "No. 28311". The London Gazette. 23 November 1909. p. 8662.
- ^ "John French, 1st Earl of Ypres". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/33272. Retrieved 5 February 2012. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
- ^ "No. 28819". The London Gazette. 7 April 1914. p. 3002.
- ^ "Sir James Wolfe-Murray". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. 2004. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/35164. Retrieved 29 January 2012. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
- ^ "No. 29353". The London Gazette. 5 November 1915. p. 10912.
- ^ "No. 29426". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 1915. p. 120.
- ^ "No. 30559". The London Gazette (Supplement). 5 March 1918. p. 2867.
- ^ "No. 32615". The London Gazette (Supplement). 20 February 1922. p. 1489.
- ^ "No. 33134". The London Gazette. 19 February 1926. p. 1242.
- ^ Harris, J.P. (2004). "Oxford Dictionary of National Biography". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/35082. Retrieved 13 January 2012. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
- ^ Heathcote, T. A. (1999). The British Field Marshals 1736–1997. Barnsley: Leo Cooper. p. 102. ISBN 0-85052-696-5.
- ^ "No. 34464". The London Gazette. 17 December 1937. p. 7917.
- ^ Cairns, John C. (2004). "Edmund Ironside, 1st Baron Ironside". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/34113. Retrieved 19 February 2012. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
- ^ "No. 34858". The London Gazette (Supplement). 24 May 1940. p. 3175.
- ^ a b Fraser (1997), pp. 174, 485
- ^ Hamilton (1986), pp. 621, 725
- ^ "William Slim, 1st Viscount Slim". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. 2004. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/36120. Retrieved 19 February 2012. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
- ^ "No. 39689". The London Gazette (Supplement). 4 November 1952. p. 5863.
- ^ "No. 40598". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 September 1955. p. 5555.
- ^ "No. 41508". The London Gazette (Supplement). 26 September 1958. p. 5954.
- ^ "No. 42503". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 October 1961. p. 7925.
- ^ a b "No. 43569". The London Gazette (Supplement). 5 February 1965. p. 1361.
- ^ "No. 43712". The London Gazette (Supplement). 13 July 1965. p. 6717.
- ^ "No. 44539". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 March 1968. p. 2655.
- ^ a b "No. 45337". The London Gazette (Supplement). 5 April 1971. p. 3336.
- ^ "Constable of the Tower of London". Parliament of the United Kingdom. Archived from the original on 24 April 2010. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
- ^ "No. 46109". The London Gazette (Supplement). 23 October 1973. p. 12551.
- ^ "No. 46046". The London Gazette (Supplement). 7 August 1973. p. 9395.
- ^ a b c "General Sir Richard Dannatt announced as new Constable of the Tower". Historic Royal Palaces. 5 February 2009. Archived from the original on 1 January 2011. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
- ^ "Field Marshal Sir Roland Gibbs". The Daily Telegraph. 2 November 2004. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
- ^ "No. 46965". The London Gazette (Supplement). 19 July 1976. p. 9899.
- ^ "Lord Bramall". Parliament of the United Kingdom. Archived from the original on 27 December 2010. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
- ^ "No. 49142". The London Gazette (Supplement). 18 October 1982. p. 13571.
- ^ "No. 47916". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 July 1979. p. 9695.
- ^ "Field Marshal Sir John Stanie". The Times. 13 November 2007. Archived from the original on 8 July 2008. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
- ^ "No. 49069". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 August 1982. p. 10134.
- ^ "No. 50226". The London Gazette (Supplement). 12 August 1985. p. 11147.
- ^ "No. 51467". The London Gazette (Supplement). 12 September 1988. p. 10255.
- ^ "No. 52838". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 February 1992. p. 2789.
- ^ a b "No. 53645". The London Gazette (Supplement). 18 April 1994. p. 5799.
- ^ "No. 54726". The London Gazette (Supplement). 7 April 1997. p. 4170.
- ^ "No. 54668". The London Gazette (Supplement). 3 February 1997. p. 1419.
- ^ "No. 56294". The London Gazette. 6 August 2001. p. 1001.
- ^ "No. 55823". The London Gazette (Supplement). 18 April 2000. p. 4372.
- ^ "No. 56992". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 July 2003. p. 8463.
- ^ "2014 Birthday Honours for service personnel and defence civilians". Ministry of Defence. 13 June 2014. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
- ^ "No. 56837". The London Gazette (Supplement). 3 February 2003. p. 1389.
- ^ "No. 58081". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 August 2006. p. 11754.
- ^ "No. 59144". The London Gazette. 31 July 2009. p. 13209.
- ^ "No. 59177". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 September 2009. p. 15384.
- ^ "No. 59593". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 November 2010. p. 21039.
- ^ "No. 59550". The London Gazette (Supplement). 21 September 2010. p. 18235.
- ^ "No. 60984". The London Gazette (Supplement). 9 September 2014. p. 2.
- ^ "Lieutenant General Mark Carleton-Smith appointed new Chief of the General Staff". gov.uk. 5 May 2018. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
- ^ "General Patrick Sanders to be appointed new Chief of the General Staff". BFBS Forces News. 27 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
Bibliography
[edit]- Fraser, David (1997). Alanbrooke. HarperCollins. ISBN 9780006388630.
- Hamilton, Nigel (1986). Monty: Final Years of the Field Marshal 1944–1976. McGraw-Hill. ISBN 9780070258075.