Richard Trant
Encyclopedia
General
Sir Richard ("Dick") Brooking Trant, KCB
, DL
(30 March 1928 – 3 October 2007) was an officer in the British Army
. He was Land Deputy Commander in the Falklands War
, and served as Quartermaster-General to the Forces
from 1983 to 1986.
in south Devon
and educated at Newquay Grammar School. He attended the Bangalore Officer Training School in 1947, receiving an emergency commission in the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry
. He transferred to a regular commission in the Royal Regiment of Artillery in 1949, and served with anti-aircraft units in the United Kingdom. He joined the 32nd Medium Regiment in Hong Kong
in 1952, and served in the Korean War
with 74th Medium Battery in 1953.
He returned to Europe in 1957, joining A Battery (The Chestnut Troop) of the 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery
, serving with the British Army of the Rhine
. He was posted back to India
in 1961, to study at the Indian Army Staff College in Wellington Cantonment
, and then served as GSO 2 to the Federal Regular Army in Aden Protectorate
. He returned to England in 1964, to study at the Joint Services Staff College
. He commanded C Battery of 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery
, and then became an instructor at the Staff College, Camberley
. He took command of 3RHA, and after another year at Camberley
as Colonel GS of the Staff College Division, he became commander of the 5th Airportable Brigade in 1972, when the unit was temporarily sent to Northern Ireland
, to reinforce British forces at the height of the Troubles
.
He was Deputy Military Secretary in the Ministry of Defence
for two year before being promoted to Major General
and taking command of land forces in Northern Ireland in 1977. He was appointed CB in 1979. Earl Mountbatten of Burma
was killed just after Trant left to become Director Army Staff Duties in the Ministry of Defence. During this period, the Army, in common with the other British armed forces, faced significant cuts in funding following the Defence Review conducted by Secretary of State for Defence
John Nott
in 1981.
He was promoted to Lieutenant General
in 1982, and became GOC
South East District
, taking charge of the British Army's rapid reaction forces for operations outside the NATO area shortly before Argentina
invaded the Falkland Islands
. He succeeded Royal Marines
Major General
Jeremy Moore
as adviser to the overall commander, Admiral Sir John Fieldhouse, based at Northwood
, when Moore flew south to become overall commander of British land forces in theatre. He was advanced to KCB in 1982.
Trant became Quartermaster-General
in 1983, succeeding Sir Paul Travers
, and joined the Army Board
.
He became a Freeman of the City of London
in 1984, and retired from the Army in 1986. He became a senior military adviser to Belfast aircraft manufacturer Short Brothers
, later joining the boards of Hunting Engineering and Wilson Hogg Robinson. He was vice-president of the Defence Manufacturers' Association from 1989 to 1996.
He was colonel commandant
of the Royal Army Educational Corps
from 1979 to 1982, of the Royal Regiment of Artillery from 1982 to 1987, of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps
from 1984 to 1989, and of Honourable Artillery Company
, and also honorary colonel of 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery
. He was also a commissioner at the Royal Hospital Chelsea
for 6 years. He served as a Deputy Lieutenant
of Cornwall from 1997, and was also a Cornish bard, Chairman of the Cornwall Heritage Trust for 14 years, chairman of the Devon and Cornwall Historic Society, Patron of St Bartholomew's church
in Lostwithiel
, and president of the Royal Cornwall Show in 2004.
Trant married his wife, Diana Clare Zachary (known as "Tink"), in 1957. They had a son and two daughters. He was survived by his wife and their three children.
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Sir Richard ("Dick") Brooking Trant, 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...
, DL
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
(30 March 1928 – 3 October 2007) was an officer in 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...
. He was Land Deputy Commander in the Falklands War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
, and served as Quartermaster-General to the Forces
Quartermaster-General to the Forces
In the United Kingdom, the Quartermaster-General to the Forces is a senior general in the British Army.From 1904 the Quartermaster-General to the Forces was the Third Military Member of the Army Board.-Responsibilities:...
from 1983 to 1986.
Military career
Trant was born in ThurlestoneThurlestone
Thurlestone is a village 5 miles west of Kingsbridge in the South Hams district in south Devon, England.The village takes its name from Thurlestone Rock, the so-called "thirled stone", an arch-shaped rock formation just offshore in Thurlestone Bay.The village's All Saints church is built of the...
in south Devon
South Devon
South Devon is the southern part of the county of Devon, England.South Devon may also refer to*South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty*South Devon *South Devon College*South Devon cattle, a breed of cattle...
and educated at Newquay Grammar School. He attended the Bangalore Officer Training School in 1947, receiving an emergency commission in the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry
Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry
The Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry was an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1959. Its lineage is continued today by The Rifles....
. He transferred to a regular commission in the Royal Regiment of Artillery in 1949, and served with anti-aircraft units in the United Kingdom. He joined the 32nd Medium Regiment in 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 1952, and served in the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
with 74th Medium Battery in 1953.
He returned to Europe in 1957, joining A Battery (The Chestnut Troop) of the 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery
1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery
1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery is a regiment of the Royal Horse Artillery in the British Army. It currently serves in the armoured field artillery role, and is equipped with the AS-90 self-propelled gun...
, serving with the British Army of the Rhine
British Army of the Rhine
There have been two formations named British Army of the Rhine . Both were originally occupation forces in Germany, one after the First World War, and the other after the Second World War.-1919–1929:...
. He was posted back to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
in 1961, to study at the Indian Army Staff College in Wellington Cantonment
Wellington Cantonment
Wellington is a cantonment town in the Nilgiris District of Tamil Nadu. It is the Regimental Centre for the Madras Regiment of the Indian Army. One of its most famous residents was Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, who died in the town on June 27, 2008....
, and then served as GSO 2 to the Federal Regular Army in Aden Protectorate
Aden Protectorate
The Aden Protectorate was a British protectorate in southern Arabia which evolved in the hinterland of Aden following the acquisition of that port by Britain in 1839 as an anti-piracy station, and it continued until the 1960s. For administrative purposes it was divided into the Western...
. He returned to England in 1964, to study at the Joint Services Staff College
Joint Services Staff College
Joint Services Staff College may refer to:* Joint Services Staff College , the former name of the "Joint Service Defence College"* Joint Services Staff College , the former name of the "Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies"...
. He commanded C Battery of 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery
3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery
3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery is a regiment of the Royal Horse Artillery in the British Army. They are currently based in Caen Barracks, Hohne, Germany.-Current role:...
, and then became an instructor at 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:...
. He took command of 3RHA, and after another year at Camberley
Camberley
Camberley is a town in Surrey, England, situated 31 miles southwest of central London, in the corridor between the M3 and M4 motorways. The town lies close to the borders of both Hampshire and Berkshire; the boundaries intersect on the western edge of the town where all three counties...
as Colonel GS of the Staff College Division, he became commander of the 5th Airportable Brigade in 1972, when the unit was temporarily sent to Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, to reinforce British forces at the height of the Troubles
The Troubles
The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
.
He was Deputy Military Secretary in 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....
for two year before being promoted to Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
and taking command of land forces in Northern Ireland in 1977. He was appointed CB in 1979. Earl Mountbatten of Burma
Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma
Admiral of the Fleet Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas George Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, KG, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCIE, GCVO, DSO, PC, FRS , was a British statesman and naval officer, and an uncle of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
was killed just after Trant left to become Director Army Staff Duties in the Ministry of Defence. During this period, the Army, in common with the other British armed forces, faced significant cuts in funding following the Defence Review conducted by Secretary of State for Defence
Secretary of State for Defence
The Secretary of State for Defence, popularly known as the Defence Secretary, is the senior Government of the United Kingdom minister in charge of the Ministry of Defence, chairing the Defence Council. It is a Cabinet position...
John Nott
John Nott
Sir John William Frederic Nott KCB is a former British Conservative Party politician prominent in the late 1970s and early 1980s...
in 1981.
He was promoted to Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
in 1982, and became GOC
GOC
GOC may refer to:*Gareth O'Callaghan, Irish author and presenter*General Officer Commanding, a general officer who holds a military command appointment*General Optical Council, an organisation in the United Kingdom that regulates opticians and optometrists...
South East District
Aldershot Command
-History:After the success of the Chobham Manoeuvres of 1853, a permanent training camp was established at Aldershot in 1854 on the recommendation of the Commander-in-Chief, Viscount Hardinge...
, taking charge of the British Army's rapid reaction forces for operations outside the NATO area shortly before Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
invaded the Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
. He succeeded Royal Marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Jeremy Moore
Jeremy Moore
Major General Sir John Jeremy Moore KCB, OBE, MC & Bar was the commander of the British land forces during the Falklands War in 1982. Moore received the surrender of the Argentine forces on the islands.-Military career:...
as adviser to the overall commander, Admiral Sir John Fieldhouse, based at Northwood
Northwood Headquarters
Northwood Headquarters is a military headquarters facility of the British Armed Forces in Eastbury, Hertfordshire, England, adjacent to the London suburb of Northwood...
, when Moore flew south to become overall commander of British land forces in theatre. He was advanced to KCB in 1982.
Trant became Quartermaster-General
Quartermaster-General to the Forces
In the United Kingdom, the Quartermaster-General to the Forces is a senior general in the British Army.From 1904 the Quartermaster-General to the Forces was the Third Military Member of the Army Board.-Responsibilities:...
in 1983, succeeding Sir Paul Travers
Paul Travers
Lieutenant General Sir Paul Athony Travers KCB is a former Quartermaster-General to the Forces.-Military career:Travers was commissioned into the South Lancashire Regiment in 1947....
, and joined the Army Board
Army Board
The Army Board is the senior single-service management committee of the British Army:-Army Board members:*Civilian** The Secretary of State for Defence** Minister for the Armed Forces** Minister for Defence Equipment and Support...
.
He became a Freeman of the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
in 1984, and retired from the Army in 1986. He became a senior military adviser to Belfast aircraft manufacturer Short Brothers
Short Brothers
Short Brothers plc is a British aerospace company, usually referred to simply as Shorts, that is now based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Founded in 1908, Shorts was the first company in the world to make production aircraft and was a manufacturer of flying boats during the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s...
, later joining the boards of Hunting Engineering and Wilson Hogg Robinson. He was vice-president of the Defence Manufacturers' Association from 1989 to 1996.
He was colonel commandant
Colonel Commandant
Colonel Commandant is a military title used in the armed forces of some English-speaking countries. The title, not a substantive rank, could denote a senior colonel with authority over fellow colonels...
of the Royal Army Educational Corps
Royal Army Educational Corps
The Royal Army Educational Corps was a corps of the British Army tasked with educating and instructing personnel in a diverse range of skills...
from 1979 to 1982, of the Royal Regiment of Artillery from 1982 to 1987, of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps
Royal Army Ordnance Corps
The Royal Army Ordnance Corps was a corps of the British Army. It dealt only with the supply and maintenance of weaponry, munitions and other military equipment until 1965, when it took over most other supply functions, as well as the provision of staff clerks, from the Royal Army Service...
from 1984 to 1989, and of Honourable Artillery Company
Honourable Artillery Company
The Honourable Artillery Company was incorporated by Royal Charter in 1537 by King Henry VIII. Today it is a Registered Charity whose purpose is to attend to the “better defence of the realm"...
, and also honorary colonel of 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery
3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery
3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery is a regiment of the Royal Horse Artillery in the British Army. They are currently based in Caen Barracks, Hohne, Germany.-Current role:...
. He was also a commissioner at the Royal Hospital Chelsea
Royal Hospital Chelsea
The Royal Hospital Chelsea is a retirement home and nursing home for British soldiers who are unfit for further duty due to injury or old age, located in the Chelsea region of central London, now the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is a true hospital in the original sense of the word,...
for 6 years. He served as a Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
of Cornwall from 1997, and was also a Cornish bard, Chairman of the Cornwall Heritage Trust for 14 years, chairman of the Devon and Cornwall Historic Society, Patron of St Bartholomew's church
St Bartholomew's Church, Lostwithiel
St Bartholomew's Church is a parish church of the Church of England in Lostwithiel, Cornwall, UK.-Background:It is a Grade I listed building. It includes a tower from the thirteenth century, a spire added in the early fourteenth century, and an octagonal screen around its foot, with former windows...
in Lostwithiel
Lostwithiel
Lostwithiel is a civil parish and small town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom at the head of the estuary of the River Fowey. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 2,739...
, and president of the Royal Cornwall Show in 2004.
Trant married his wife, Diana Clare Zachary (known as "Tink"), in 1957. They had a son and two daughters. He was survived by his wife and their three children.