Hugh Beach
Encyclopedia
General
Sir Hugh Beach, GBE
, KCB
, MC
(born 20 May 1923) is a British
soldier who, in retirement, researches and advises on defence policy, arms control and disarmament, with an active interest in promoting concerns about ethical issues of peace and war.
, Peterhouse, Cambridge
(MA 1961) and Edinburgh University (M.Sc. 1971), Beach joined the Corps of Royal Engineers
in August 1941. He saw active service in France
in 1944 and in Java
in 1946. During the 1960s he commanded an engineer regiment and an infantry brigade, both at Osnabrück
in Germany
. He was director of army staff duties at the Ministry of Defence
from 1971 to 1973, commandant of the Staff College, Camberley
from 1974 to 1975 and Deputy Commander-in-Chief UK Land Forces
from 1976 to 1977 before becoming Master-General of the Ordnance
(Army Board member for Procurement) from 1977 to 1981.
Retiring from the army in 1981, he served as warden of St. George's House, Windsor Castle
from 1981 to 1986, vice-Lord Lieutenant of Greater London from 1981 to 1987, Chief Royal Engineer
from 1982 to 1987 and member of the Security Commission
from 1982 to 1991. He chaired Ministry of Defence Study Groups on Censorship in War in 1983 and Education in the Army in 1984. He was director of the Council for Arms Control from 1986 to 1989. In the 1990s he was chairman of the governors of Gordon's
and Bedales
schools, and also chaired the boards of the Church Army
and the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge.
He is currently a member of the board or executive committee of: the Council for Christian Approaches to Defence, the Centre for Defence Studies (King's College London
), the Verification Technology Information Centre (VERTIC), the International Security Information Service (ISIS), and of the British Pugwash Group. He lectures and has contributed chapters to over two dozen books as well as publishing a number of monographs, articles and book reviews. In 1999 he co-authored, with Nadine Gurr, a book on British nuclear weapons policy and, in 2001, a briefing paper on cluster bombs,
He holds an honorary Doctorate of Civil Laws from the University of Kent
in Canterbury (1990). He is an honorary fellow of Peterhouse, Cambridge and of the Chartered Institute of Building Service Engineers, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a Companion of the Chartered Management Institute.
In January 2009, The Times newspaper published a joint letter from Field Marshal Lord Bramall, General Lord Ramsbotham and General Beach arguing that the UK government should fund more realistic military needs rather than perpetuate its Trident programme
, arguing that
General (United Kingdom)
General is currently the highest peace-time rank in the British Army and Royal Marines. It is subordinate to the Army rank of Field Marshal, has a NATO-code of OF-9, and is a four-star rank....
Sir Hugh Beach, GBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, KCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
(born 20 May 1923) is a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
soldier who, in retirement, researches and advises on defence policy, arms control and disarmament, with an active interest in promoting concerns about ethical issues of peace and war.
Military career
Educated at Winchester CollegeWinchester College
Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
, Peterhouse, Cambridge
Peterhouse, Cambridge
Peterhouse is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. It is the oldest college of the University, having been founded in 1284 by Hugo de Balsham, Bishop of Ely...
(MA 1961) and Edinburgh University (M.Sc. 1971), Beach joined the Corps of Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
in August 1941. He saw active service in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 1944 and in Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
in 1946. During the 1960s he commanded an engineer regiment and an infantry brigade, both at Osnabrück
Osnabrück
Osnabrück is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany, some 80 km NNE of Dortmund, 45 km NE of Münster, and some 100 km due west of Hanover. It lies in a valley penned between the Wiehen Hills and the northern tip of the Teutoburg Forest...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. He was director of army staff duties at the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
from 1971 to 1973, commandant of the Staff College, Camberley
Staff College, Camberley
Staff College, Camberley, Surrey, was a staff college for the British Army from 1802 to 1997, with periods of closure during major wars. In 1997 it was merged into the new Joint Services Command and Staff College.-Origins:...
from 1974 to 1975 and Deputy Commander-in-Chief UK Land Forces
Commander Field Army (United Kingdom)
The Commander Field Army was a senior British Army officer who had command over the Deployable Divisions of the British Army i.e. those divisions on full strength...
from 1976 to 1977 before becoming Master-General of the Ordnance
Master-General of the Ordnance
The Master-General of the Ordnance was a very senior British military position before 1855, when the Board of Ordnance was abolished.-Responsibilities:...
(Army Board member for Procurement) from 1977 to 1981.
Retiring from the army in 1981, he served as warden of St. George's House, Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a medieval castle and royal residence in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, notable for its long association with the British royal family and its architecture. The original castle was built after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I it...
from 1981 to 1986, vice-Lord Lieutenant of Greater London from 1981 to 1987, Chief Royal Engineer
Chief Royal Engineer
The Chief Royal Engineer is the official head of the Corps of Royal Engineers. He was also the professional head of the Corps until 1941, when that role was moved to that of the Engineer-in-Chief.-Origin and development:...
from 1982 to 1987 and member of the Security Commission
Security Commission
The Security Commission is a UK non-departmental public body established in 1964 to investigate breaches of security in the public sector.Current members are:*The Rt Hon Lady Justice Butler-Sloss, DBE...
from 1982 to 1991. He chaired Ministry of Defence Study Groups on Censorship in War in 1983 and Education in the Army in 1984. He was director of the Council for Arms Control from 1986 to 1989. In the 1990s he was chairman of the governors of Gordon's
Gordon's School
Gordon's School is a voluntary-aided comprehensive secondary school in Woking, Surrey. It was founded in 1886 by public subscription as a memorial to Gordon of Khartoum, and officer of the Corps of Royal Engineers, who was killed in 1885. The school website claims that the idea came from Queen...
and Bedales
Bedales School
Bedales School is a co-educational independent school situated in Hampshire, in the south east of England. Founded in 1893 by John Haden Badley in reaction to the limitations of conventional Victorian schools, today the school is one of the most expensive in the UK, charging £9,985 per term for a...
schools, and also chaired the boards of the Church Army
Church Army
Church Army is an evangelistic Church of England organisation operating in many parts of the Anglican Communion.-History:Church Army was founded in England in 1882 by the Revd Wilson Carlile , who banded together in an orderly army of soldiers, officers, and a few working men and women, whom he and...
and the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge.
He is currently a member of the board or executive committee of: the Council for Christian Approaches to Defence, the Centre for Defence Studies (King's College London
King's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
), the Verification Technology Information Centre (VERTIC), the International Security Information Service (ISIS), and of the British Pugwash Group. He lectures and has contributed chapters to over two dozen books as well as publishing a number of monographs, articles and book reviews. In 1999 he co-authored, with Nadine Gurr, a book on British nuclear weapons policy and, in 2001, a briefing paper on cluster bombs,
He holds an honorary Doctorate of Civil Laws from the University of Kent
University of Kent
The University of Kent, previously the University of Kent at Canterbury, is a public research university based in Kent, United Kingdom...
in Canterbury (1990). He is an honorary fellow of Peterhouse, Cambridge and of the Chartered Institute of Building Service Engineers, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a Companion of the Chartered Management Institute.
In January 2009, The Times newspaper published a joint letter from Field Marshal Lord Bramall, General Lord Ramsbotham and General Beach arguing that the UK government should fund more realistic military needs rather than perpetuate its Trident programme
UK Trident programme
The UK Trident programme is the United Kingdom's Trident missile-based nuclear weapons programme. Under the programme, the Royal Navy operates 58 nuclear-armed Trident II D-5 submarine-launched ballistic missiles and around 200 nuclear warheads on 4 Vanguard-class ballistic missile submarines from...
, arguing that
Nuclear weapons have shown themselves to be completely useless as a deterrent to the threats and scale of violence we currently, or are likely to, face — particularly international terrorism; and the more you analyse them the more unusable they appear.