Chief of the General Staff (United Kingdom)

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.

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)

Rank	Name	Image	In office	Notes	Reference
General	Sir Neville Lyttelton		12 February 1904 – 2 April 1908	First CGS
Field Marshal	Sir William Nicholson		2 April 1908 – 22 November 1909

Chiefs of the Imperial General Staff, 1909–1964

Rank	Name	Image	Assumed office	Notes	Reference
Field Marshal	Sir William Nicholson		22 November 1909 – 15 March 1912
Field Marshal	Sir John French		15 March 1912 – 6 April 1914
General	Sir Charles Douglas		6 April 1914 – 25 October 1914
Lieutenant General	Sir James Wolfe-Murray		October 1914–26 September 1915
General	Sir Archibald Murray		26 September 1915 – December 1915
General	Sir William Robertson		23 December 1915 – February 1918
Field Marshal	Sir Henry Wilson		19 February 1918 – 19 February 1922
Field Marshal	Frederick Rudolph Lambart, 10th Earl of Cavan	File:Frederic Rudoloph Lambart.jpg	19 February 1922 – 19 February 1926
Field Marshal	Sir George Milne	File:George Francis Milne.jpg	19 February 1926 – 19 February 1933
Field Marshal	Sir Archibald Montgomery-Massingberd		February 1933 – February 1936
Field Marshal	Sir Cyril Deverell	File:Cdeverell.JPG	February 1936–6 December 1937
General	John Vereker, 6th Viscount Gort		6 December 1937 – 3 September 1939
General	Sir Edmund Ironside		4 September 1939 – 26 May 1940
Field Marshal	Sir John Dill		26 May 1940 – 25 December 1941
Field Marshal	Sir Alan Brooke		25 December 1941 – 25 June 1946
Field Marshal	Sir Bernard "Monty" Montgomery		26 June 1946 – 31 November 1948
Field Marshal	Sir William Slim		31 November 1948 – 1 November 1952
Field Marshal	Sir John Harding		1 November 1952 - 29 September 1955
Field Marshal	Sir Gerald Templer		29 September 1955 - 29 September 1958
Field Marshal	Sir Francis Festing		29 September 1958 - 1 November 1961
Field Marshal	Sir Richard Hull		1 November 1961 - April 1964	Last CIGS and first CGS; first Army officer to be Chief of the Defence Staff, 1965–1967

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
Field Marshal	Sir Geoffrey Baker		1 March 1968	Master Gunner, St James's Park, 1970–1976; Constable of the Tower of London, 1975–1980
Field Marshal	Sir Michael Carver		1 April 1971	CDS, 1973–1976
General	Sir Peter Hunt		19 July 1973	Constable of the Tower of London, 1980–1985
Field Marshal	Sir Roland Gibbs		15 July 1976	Constable of the Tower of London, 1985–1990
Field Marshal	Sir Edwin Bramall		14 July 1979	Lord Lieutenant of Greater London, 1986–1998; CDS, 1982–1985
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
Field Marshal	Sir Nigel Bagnall		28 July 1985
Field Marshal	Sir John Chapple		10 September 1988
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
Field Marshal	Sir Charles Guthrie		15 March 1994	CDS, 1997–2004. Promoted to the honorary rank of field marshal in June 2012.
General	Sir Roger Wheeler		3 February 1997	Constable of the Tower of London, 2001–2009
General	Sir Michael Walker		17 April 2000	Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), 2003–2006
General	Sir Mike Jackson		1 February 2003
General	Sir Richard Dannatt		29 August 2006	Currently Constable of the Tower
General	Sir David Richards		28 August 2009	Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), 2010–2013
General	Sir Peter Wall		15 September 2010	5 September 2014
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

• Chief of the Defence Staff
• First Sea Lord / Chief of the Naval Staff
• Chief of the Air Staff

References

Bibliography

• Heathcote, T.A. (1999). The British Field Marshals 1736–1997. Pen & Sword Books Ltd. ISBN 0-85052-696-5