Chief of the General Staff (United Kingdom)
Nominated by
Recommendation of Secretary of State for Defence to the Prime Minister
Appointed by
Approved by the Monarch
Incumbent
General Sir Roland Walker
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 . 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 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 .[1]
Chief of the General Staff General Sir Peter Wall – succeeded his predecessor, General Sir David Richards in September 2010. He was in turn succeeded by General Sir Nick Carter in 2014, General Sir Mark Carleton-Smith in 2018, General Sir Patrick Sanders in 2022, and General Sir Roland Walker in 2024.
Chiefs of the General Staff (1904–1909) [ ]
Chiefs of the Imperial General Staff, 1909–1964 [ ]
Chiefs of the General Staff (post 1964) [ ]
Rank
Name
Image
Assumed office
Notes
Reference
Field Marshal
Sir Richard Hull
(Until 8 February 1965)
The post of Chief of the Imperial General Staff was renamed Chief of the General Staff in the 1960s
Field Marshal
Sir James Cassels
8 February 1965
[26]
Field Marshal
Sir Geoffrey Baker
1 March 1968
Master Gunner, St James's Park , 1970–1976; Constable of the Tower of London, 1975–1980
[28] [29] [30]
Field Marshal
Sir Michael Carver
1 April 1971
CDS, 1973–1976
[29] [31]
General
Sir Peter Hunt
19 July 1973
Constable of the Tower of London, 1980–1985
[32] [33]
Field Marshal
Sir Roland Gibbs
15 July 1976
Constable of the Tower of London , 1985–1990
[34] [35]
Field Marshal
Sir Edwin Bramall
14 July 1979
Lord Lieutenant of Greater London , 1986–1998; CDS, 1982–1985
[36] [37] [38]
Field Marshal
Sir John Stanier
1 August 1982
First CGS after World War II not to have served in that war; Constable of the Tower of London, 1990–1996
[33] [39] [40]
Field Marshal
Sir Nigel Bagnall
28 July 1985
[41]
Field Marshal
Sir John Chapple
10 September 1988
[42]
Field Marshal
Sir Peter Inge
14 February 1992
CDS, 1994–1997; Last CGS to hold the rank of field marshal; Constable of the Tower of London , 1996–2001
[33] [43] [44]
Field Marshal
Sir Charles Guthrie
15 March 1994
CDS, 1997–2004. Promoted to the honorary rank of field marshal in June 2012.[45]
[44] [46]
General
Sir Roger Wheeler
3 February 1997
Constable of the Tower of London , 2001–2009
[47] [48]
General
Sir Michael Walker
17 April 2000
Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), 2003–2006
[49] [50]
General
Sir Mike Jackson
1 February 2003
[51]
General
Sir Richard Dannatt
29 August 2006
Currently Constable of the Tower
[52] [53]
General
Sir David Richards
28 August 2009
Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), 2010–2013
[54] [55]
General
Sir Peter Wall
15 September 2010
5 September 2014
[56]
General
Sir Nick Carter
5 September 2014
11 June 2018
General
Sir Mark Carleton-Smith
11 June 2018
13 June 2022
General
Sir Patrick Sanders
13 June 2022
15 June 2024
General
Sir Roland Walker
15 June 2024
Incumbent
See also [ ]
References [ ]
↑ The Army in 1906: A Policy and a Vindication By Hugh Oakeley Arnold-Forster, Page 481 Bibliobazaar, 2008, ISBN 978-0-559-66499-1
↑ "No. 27645" . 12 February 1904. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/27645/page/
↑ "No. 28125" . 3 April 1908. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/28125/page/
↑ "No. 28311" . 23 November 1909. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/28311/page/
↑ "John French, 1st Earl of Ypres" . Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/33272?docPos=3 . Retrieved 5 February 2012 .
↑ "No. 28819" . 7 April 1914. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/28819/page/
↑ "Sir James Wolfe-Murray" . Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. 2004. http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/35164?docPos=1 . Retrieved 29 January 2012 .
↑ "No. 29353" . 5 November 1915. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29353/page/
↑ "No. 29426" . 31 December 1915. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29426/page/
↑ "No. 30559" . 5 March 1918. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30559/page/
↑ "No. 32615" . 20 February 1922. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/32615/page/
↑ "No. 33134" . 19 February 1926. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/33134/page/
↑ Harris, J.P. (2004). "Oxford Dictionary of National Biography" . Oxford University Press. http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/35082 . Retrieved 13 January 2012 .
↑ Heathcote, p.102
↑ "No. 34464" . 17 December 1937. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34464/page/
↑ "Edmund Ironside, 1st Baron Ironside" . Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/34113 . Retrieved 19 February 2012 .
↑ "No. 34858" . 24 May 1940. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34858/page/
↑ David Fraser, Alanbrooke |page 174; IBID page 485
↑ David Fraser, Alanbrooke |page 174; IBID page 485
↑ Nigel Hamilton, Monty: Final Years of the Field Marshall 1944–1976 |page 621: IBID page 725
↑ "William Slim, 1st Viscount Slim" . Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/36120?docPos=1 . Retrieved 19 February 2012 .
↑ "No. 39689" . 4 November 1952. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/39689/page/
↑ "No. 40598" . 30 September 1955. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/40598/page/
↑ "No. 41508" . 26 September 1958. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/41508/page/
↑ "No. 42503" . 31 October 1961. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/42503/page/
↑ 26.0 26.1 "No. 43569" . 5 February 1965. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/43569/page/
↑ "No. 43712" . 13 July 1965. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/43712/page/
↑ "No. 44539" . 1 March 1968. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/44539/page/
↑ 29.0 29.1 "No. 45337" . 5 April 1971. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/45337/page/
↑ "Constable of the Tower of London" . Parliament.uk. http://services.parliament.uk/hansard/Lords/ByDate/20100114/writtenanswers/part004.html . Retrieved 12 March 2011 .
↑ "No. 46109" . 23 October 1973. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/46109/page/
↑ "No. 46046" . 7 August 1973. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/46046/page/
↑ 33.0 33.1 33.2 "General Sir Richard Dannatt announced as new Constable of the Tower" . Historic Royal Palaces. 5 February 2009. http://www.hrp.org.uk/NewsAndMedia/Pressresources/tolpressresources/NewConstableforTowerofLondon.aspx . Retrieved 12 March 2011 .
↑ "Field Marshal Sir Roland Gibbs" . The Daily Telegraph . Telegraph Media Group. 2 November 2004. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1475599/Field-Marshal-Sir-Roland-Gibbs.html . Retrieved 12 March 2011 .
↑ "No. 46965" . 19 July 1976. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/46965/page/
↑ "Lord Bramall" . parliament.uk. http://www.parliament.uk/biographies/edwin-bramall/26642 . Retrieved 12 March 2011 .
↑ "No. 49142" . 18 October 1982. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/49142/page/
↑ "No. 47916" . 30 July 1979. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/47916/page/
↑ "Field Marshal Sir John Stanie" . The Times . Times Newspapers Ltd. 13 November 2007. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article2858878.ece . Retrieved 12 March 2011 .
↑ "No. 49069" . 2 August 1982. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/49069/page/
↑ "No. 50226" . 12 August 1985. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/50226/page/
↑ "No. 51467" . 12 September 1988. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/51467/page/
↑ "No. 52838" . 17 February 1992. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/52838/page/
↑ 44.0 44.1 "No. 53645" . 18 April 1994. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/53645/page/
↑ "Prince Charles awarded highest military ranks by Queen" . BBC. 16 June 2012. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18468118 . Retrieved 16 June 2012 .
↑ "No. 54726" . 7 April 1997. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/54726/page/
↑ "No. 54668" . 3 February 1997. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/54668/page/
↑ "No. 56294" . 6 August 2001. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/56294/page/
↑ "No. 55823" . 18 April 2000. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/55823/page/
↑ "No. 56992" . 8 July 2003. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/56992/page/
↑ "No. 56837" . 3 February 2003. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/56837/page/
↑ "No. 58081" . 29 August 2006. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/58081/page/
↑ "No. 59144" . 31 July 2009. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/59144/page/
↑ "No. 59177" . 8 September 2009. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/59177/page/
↑ "No. 59593" . 2 November 2010. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/59593/page/
↑ "No. 59550" . 21 September 2010. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/59550/page/
Bibliography [ ]
Heathcote, T.A. (1999). The British Field Marshals 1736–1997 . Pen & Sword Books Ltd. ISBN 0-85052-696-5
External links [ ]
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