John Akehurst (British Army officer)
Encyclopedia
General
Sir John Bryan Akehurst KCB CBE (12 February 1930 - 20 February 2007) was a British Army
General who rose to be Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe.
and the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, John Akehurst was commissioned into the Northamptonshire Regiment
in 1949. He was seconded to the Malay Regiment in 1952 during the Malayan emergency
. He was appointed Commanding Officer
of 2nd battalion Royal Anglian Regiment
in 1968.
In 1974 he commanded the Dhofar
Brigade of the Sultan of Oman's Armed Forces
against a communist-inspired armed insurrection during the Dhofar Rebellion
.
He spent two years as Deputy Military Secretary from 1976 to 1978 and then became General Officer Commanding
4th Armoured Division
in 1979. In 1982 he was appointed Commandant
of the Staff College, Camberley
and in 1984 he became Commander of the UK Field Army
. His final appointment was as Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe in 1987; he retired in 1990.
.
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 John Bryan Akehurst KCB CBE (12 February 1930 - 20 February 2007) was a British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
General who rose to be Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe.
Military career
Educated at Cranbrook SchoolCranbrook School, Kent
Cranbrook School is a co-educational boarding and day grammar school located in Cranbrook, Kent in South East England.-Brief history:Founded in 1518 for poor boys of the town, it received a charter from Queen Elizabeth I in 1574. Although in 1817 the town petitioned the Master of the Rolls,...
and the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, John Akehurst was commissioned into the Northamptonshire Regiment
Northamptonshire Regiment
The Northamptonshire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1960. Its lineage is now continued by The Royal Anglian Regiment.-Formation:The regiment was formed as part of the reorganisation of the infantry by the Childers reforms...
in 1949. He was seconded to the Malay Regiment in 1952 during the Malayan emergency
Malayan Emergency
The Malayan Emergency was a guerrilla war fought between Commonwealth armed forces and the Malayan National Liberation Army , the military arm of the Malayan Communist Party, from 1948 to 1960....
. He was appointed Commanding Officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
of 2nd battalion Royal Anglian Regiment
Royal Anglian Regiment
The Royal Anglian Regiment is an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Queen's Division.The regiment was formed on 1 September 1964 as the first of the new large infantry regiments, through the amalgamation of the four regiments of the East Anglian Brigade.* 1st Battalion from the...
in 1968.
In 1974 he commanded the Dhofar
Dhofar
The Dhofar region lies in Southern Oman, on the eastern border with Yemen. Its mountainous area covers and has a population of 215,960 as of the 2003 census. The largest town in the region is Salalah. Historically, it was the chief source of frankincense in the world. However, its frankincense...
Brigade of the Sultan of Oman's Armed Forces
Sultan of Oman's Armed Forces
The Sultan of Oman's Armed Forces are the Royal Army of Oman , Royal Navy of Oman, Royal Air Force of Oman and other defence forces of the Sultanate of Oman...
against a communist-inspired armed insurrection during the Dhofar Rebellion
Dhofar Rebellion
The Dhofar Rebellion was launched in the province of Dhofar against the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman, which had British support, from 1962 to 1976. It ended with the defeat of the rebels, but the state of Oman had to be radically reformed and modernised to cope with the campaign.-Background:In...
.
He spent two years as Deputy Military Secretary from 1976 to 1978 and then became General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...
4th Armoured Division
4th Infantry Division (United Kingdom)
The 4th Infantry Division is a regular British Army division with a long history having been present at the Peninsular War the Crimean War , the First World War , and during the Second World War.- Napoleonic Wars :...
in 1979. In 1982 he was appointed Commandant
Commandant
Commandant is a senior title often given to the officer in charge of a large training establishment or academy. This usage is common in anglophone nations...
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:...
and in 1984 he became Commander of the UK Field Army
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...
. His final appointment was as Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe in 1987; he retired in 1990.
Family
In 1955 he married Shirley Anne Webb. Their two children died in childhood from cystic fibrosisCystic fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis is a recessive genetic disease affecting most critically the lungs, and also the pancreas, liver, and intestine...
.