John Chapple
Encyclopedia
Field Marshal
Sir John Lyon Chapple, GCB, CBE (born 27 May 1931) was a career British Army
officer in the second half of the 20th century. He served as Chief of the General Staff
, the professional head of the British Army
, from 1989 to 1992.
, John Chapple was commissioned into the 2nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles (The Sirmoor Rifles)
in 1954: he served with the regiment in Malaya
, Borneo
and Hong Kong
.
In 1970 he was appointed Commanding Officer
of 1 Battalion 2nd Gurkha Rifles
and in 1976 brigade commander of 48 Gurkha Infantry Brigade.
In 1980 he was appointed Commander of British Forces in Hong Kong
returning to the UK in 1983 to be Director of Military Operations. In 1986 he became Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff and was then appointed Commander-in-Chief UK Land Forces in 1987. He was Chief of the General Staff
from 1989 to 1992 when he retired from the British Army
.
from 1993 to 1995 and has served as president of the Zoological Society of London
and a trustee of the World Wildlife Fund.
, the charity that had organised the trip.
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Field Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
Sir John Lyon Chapple, GCB, CBE (born 27 May 1931) was a career 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...
officer in the second half of the 20th century. He served as Chief of the General Staff
Chief of the General Staff (United Kingdom)
Chief of the General Staff 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...
, the professional head of the 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...
, from 1989 to 1992.
Army career
Educated at Haileybury College and Trinity College, CambridgeTrinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
, John Chapple was commissioned into the 2nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles (The Sirmoor Rifles)
2nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles (The Sirmoor Rifles)
The 2nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army before being transferred to the British Army on India's independence in 1947. The 4th Battalion joined the Indian Army as the 5th Battalion, 8th Gurkha Rifles , where it exists to this day...
in 1954: he served with the regiment in Malaya
Federation of Malaya
The Federation of Malaya is the name given to a federation of 11 states that existed from 31 January 1948 until 16 September 1963. The Federation became independent on 31 August 1957...
, Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
and Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
.
In 1970 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 1 Battalion 2nd Gurkha Rifles
2nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles (The Sirmoor Rifles)
The 2nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army before being transferred to the British Army on India's independence in 1947. The 4th Battalion joined the Indian Army as the 5th Battalion, 8th Gurkha Rifles , where it exists to this day...
and in 1976 brigade commander of 48 Gurkha Infantry Brigade.
In 1980 he was appointed Commander of British Forces in Hong Kong
Commander British Forces in Hong Kong
The Commander British Forces in Hong Kong was a senior British Army officer who acted as Military Advisor to the Governor of Hong Kong.-Structure:...
returning to the UK in 1983 to be Director of Military Operations. In 1986 he became Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff and was then appointed Commander-in-Chief UK Land Forces in 1987. He was Chief of the General Staff
Chief of the General Staff (United Kingdom)
Chief of the General Staff 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...
from 1989 to 1992 when he retired from the 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...
.
Later career
He was also Governor of GibraltarGovernor of Gibraltar
The Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Gibraltar is the representative of the British monarch in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. The Governor is appointed by the British Monarch on the advice of the British Government...
from 1993 to 1995 and has served as president of the Zoological Society of London
Zoological Society of London
The Zoological Society of London is a charity devoted to the worldwide conservation of animals and their habitats...
and a trustee of the World Wildlife Fund.
Personal life
Chapple married Annabel Hill in 1959. They have four children. Their eldest daughter is Rachel Lucy Chapple a Social Anthropologist - she has four children and lives in New York with her husband. Their son is David Charles Lyon Chapple, a consultant orthopaedic and spinal surgeon; David's sons are Titus and Magnus England Chapple; David's eldest son, the late Horatio Chapple, was killed by a polar bear in Svalbard in August 2011. Chapple was once president of BSESBSES Expeditions
-History:BSES Expeditions is one of the longest-running and most distinctive youth development charities of its kind. Based at the Royal Geographical Society, BSES Expeditions was founded in 1932, by an original member of Captain Scott's final Antarctic Expedition of 1910-13, Surgeon Commander...
, the charity that had organised the trip.
Further reading
- Heathcote, T.A. (1999). The British Field Marshals 1736-1997. Pen & Sword Books Ltd. ISBN 0-85052-696-5
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