Chiefs of Staff Committee

The Chiefs of Staff Committee is composed of the most senior military personnel in the British Armed Forces.

History

The Chiefs of Staff Committee was initially established as a sub-committee of the Committee of Imperial Defence in 1923. It remained as such until the abolition of the CID upon the outbreak of World War II in 1939. The initial composition of the committee was the professional heads of the three services, the First Sea Lord, the Chief of the Imperial General Staff and the Chief of the Air Staff. Each service head took turns being chairman of the committee.

During World War II the committee was a sub-committee of the War Cabinet, and in addition to the three service chiefs, it had an additional member, in the person of General Sir Hastings Ismay, who acted as its secretary. Subcommittees of the committee were also formed, including the Joint Planning Staff and Joint Intelligence Committee. The Chiefs of Staff committee was responsible for the overall conduct of the British military part of the war effort. When matters required joint Anglo-American decision, the Chiefs of Staff Committee members formed part of the Combined Chiefs of Staff, meeting in concert with their American counterparts, the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Combined Chiefs of Staff were based in Washington, so for most of the time the Chiefs of Staff were represented at meetings by the British Joint Staff Mission.

Following WWII, the Chiefs of Staff Committee was transferred to the Ministry of Defence.

In 1955 the Government decided to create the post of Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee. The post came into existence on 1 January 1956 and the only incumbent was Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir William Dickson who served until 1 January 1959 when he became the first Chief of the Defence Staff. The CDS remained as chairman of the committee and was also recognized as the professional head of the British Armed Forces. In 1964, the post of Chief of the Imperial General Staff was discontinued and the Army was thereafter represented by the Chief of the General Staff. Since then, the only major change has been the appointment of the Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff to act as a deputy to the CDS.

World War Two

The following men were part of the Chiefs-of-Staff Committee During World War II. (Not including sub committees):

• Chairman
  • Air Chief Marshal Sir Cyril Louis Norton Newell (Air Force - 1939 - October 1940) / Admiral of the Fleet Sir Alfred Dudley Pickham Rogers Pound (Navy - October 1940 - March 1942) / Field Marshall Alan Francis Brooke (Army - March 1942 - End of War)
• Chief of the Imperial General Staff (Army)
  • Field Marshall Sir Cyril John Deverell - Retired in December 1937 / General Lord William Edmund Ironside, The Baron of Ironside - December 1937 - May 1940 / General Sir John Greer Dill - May 1940 - December 1941 / General Alan Francis Brooke - December 1941 - End of War
• First Sea Lord of the Royal Navy
  • Admiral of the Fleet Sir Alfred Dudley Pickham Rogers Pound - ??/?? - December 1943 / Admiral of the Fleet Sir Andrew Browne Cunningham - December 1943 - End of War
• Chief of Staff, Royal Air Force
  • Air Chief Marshal Sir Cyril Louis Norton Newell - ??/?? - October 1940 / Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Frederick Algenon Portal - October 1940 - End of War
• Joint Intelligence Committee
• Joint Planning Staff
  • Army = Colonel Vivan Dykes - ??/?? - December 1941 / Colonel Steward - December 1941 - End of War
  • Navy = Commander Sir William Gerrard Andrewes - 1939 - 1939 / Captain Sir Charles Saumarez Daniel - 1940 - July 1941 / Captain Edward Gerald Hyslop Bellars - July 1941 - March 1942 / Captain Sir Cecil Charles Hughes Hallett - March 1942 - November 1944 / Captain Sir Charles Edward Lambe - November 1944 - End of War
  • Air Force = Air Officer Commanding William Foster Dickson - March 1941 - April 1942 / Air Officer Commanding - April 1942 - January 1944 / Air Officer Commanding Walter Lloyd Dawson - January 1944 - End of War
• Combined Operations
  • Admiral of the Fleet Sir Rodger John Brownlow Keyes - 1940 - December 1941 / Vice Admiral The Right Honourable Lord Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas Mountbatten - December 1941 - August 1943 / Major General Sir Robert Edward Layeock - August 1943 - End of War
• Joint Communication Board
  • Major General Courtney William Fladgate - 1942-1942

Membership

The current membership of the Chiefs of Staff Committee is:

• Chief of the Defence Staff—Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup (chair)
• Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff—General Sir Nicholas Houghton
• First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff—Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope, Royal Navy
• Chief of the General Staff—General Sir David Richards, British Army
• Chief of the Air Staff—Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton, Royal Air Force