Richard Vincent, Baron Vincent of Coleshill
Encyclopedia
Field Marshal
Richard Frederick Vincent, Baron Vincent of Coleshill, GBE
, KCB
, DSO
(born 23 August 1931), was Chief of the Defence Staff
(CDS) of the United Kingdom and thus the professional head of the British Armed Forces. After stepping down in 1992, he became Chair of the Military Committee
of NATO from 1993 to 1996.
He was one of the select band of CDSs not to have been the professional head of their service, having instead been Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff from 1987 to 1991, when he was appointed to the top job in the British Military.
in Hertfordshire
Richard Vincent joined the Royal Artillery
in 1951, initially as a National Service
Officer. He served with the British Army of the Rhine
from 1951 to 1955. He was seconded to the Radar Research Establishment
in Malvern
from 1960 to 1961.
He attended the Army
Staff College
in Camberley
in 1965, following which he served with the Commonwealth Brigade in Malaysia until 1968. Following a General Staff Officer appointment at the Ministry of Defence
from 1968 to 1970, he commanded the 12th Light Air Defence Regiment in Germany
and Northern Ireland
until 1972, following which he returned to Camberley where he was an Instructor at the Staff College until 1973.
He obviously found his niche in the academic area of military life, as he became Military Director of Studies at the Royal Military College of Science
in Shrivenham
from 1974 to 1975. After commanding 19th Airportable Brigade between 1975 and 1977, he then attended the Royal College of Defence Studies
in Belgrave Square
, London
, following which he undertook the senior staff level appointment as Deputy Military Secretary from 1979 to 1980. He then returned to Shrivenham as Commandant of the Royal Military College of Science from 1980 to 1983, following which he was appointed as Master-General of the Ordnance
at the Ministry of Defence, a post in which he served until appointed as Vice Chief of the Defence Staff in 1987. In 1991 he became Chief of the Defence Staff
.
(REME) from 1981 until 1987, and Honorary Colonel of 100 (Yeomanry
) Field Regiment RA(V) from 1982 until 1991. Following his retirement and ennoblement as life peer with the title Baron Vincent of Coleshill, of Shrivenham
in the County of Oxfordshire
, he was appointed to the ceremonial role of Master Gunner, St. James's Park
, a post he held until 2000.
Lord Vincent was Chancellor
of Cranfield University
from 1998 to 2010.
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...
Richard Frederick Vincent, Baron Vincent of Coleshill, 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...
, DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(born 23 August 1931), was Chief of the Defence Staff
Chief of the Defence Staff (United Kingdom)
The Chief of the Defence Staff is the professional head of the British Armed Forces, a senior official within the Ministry of Defence, and the most senior uniformed military adviser to the Secretary of State for Defence and the Prime Minister...
(CDS) of the United Kingdom and thus the professional head of the British Armed Forces. After stepping down in 1992, he became Chair of the Military Committee
Chairman of the NATO Military Committee
The Chairman of the NATO Military Committee's authority stems from the NATO Military Committee, to which he is responsible in the performance of his duties. He chairs all meetings of the Military Committee and acts in an international capacity. In his absence, the Deputy Chairman of the Military...
of NATO from 1993 to 1996.
He was one of the select band of CDSs not to have been the professional head of their service, having instead been Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff from 1987 to 1991, when he was appointed to the top job in the British Military.
Military career
Educated at Aldenham SchoolAldenham School
Aldenham School is a co-educational independent school for pupils aged thirteen to eighteen, located between Elstree and the village of Aldenham in Hertfordshire, England...
in Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
Richard Vincent joined the Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
in 1951, initially as a National Service
National service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
Officer. He served 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:...
from 1951 to 1955. He was seconded to the Radar Research Establishment
Royal Radar Establishment
The name Royal Radar Establishment was given to the existing Radar Research Establishment following a visit by Queen Elizabeth II in 1957. Both names were abbreviated to RRE. The establishment had been formed, under its first name, in 1953 by merging the Telecommunications Research Establishment ...
in Malvern
Malvern, Worcestershire
Malvern is a town and civil parish in Worcestershire, England, governed by Malvern Town Council. As of the 2001 census it has a population of 28,749, and includes the historical settlement and commercial centre of Great Malvern on the steep eastern flank of the Malvern Hills, and the former...
from 1960 to 1961.
He attended the 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...
Staff College
Joint Services Command and Staff College
Joint Services Command and Staff College is a British military academic establishment providing training and education to experienced officers of the Royal Navy, Army, Royal Air Force, Ministry of Defence Civil Service, and serving officers of other states.-History:JSCSC combined the single...
in 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...
in 1965, following which he served with the Commonwealth Brigade in Malaysia until 1968. Following a General Staff Officer appointment 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 1968 to 1970, he commanded the 12th Light Air Defence Regiment 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...
and 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...
until 1972, following which he returned to Camberley where he was an Instructor at the Staff College until 1973.
He obviously found his niche in the academic area of military life, as he became Military Director of Studies at the Royal Military College of Science
Defence College of Management and Technology
The Defence Academy - College of Management and Technology is a British postgraduate school, research institution and training provider formed in 2009 from five departments of the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, and as such part of the British Armed Forces. Since 1984 Cranfield University...
in Shrivenham
Shrivenham
Shrivenham is a large village and civil parish in Oxfordshire, England, close to the boundary with Wiltshire. It is in the Vale of White Horse, between Swindon and Faringdon. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire.-Character:Shrivenham features many...
from 1974 to 1975. After commanding 19th Airportable Brigade between 1975 and 1977, he then attended the Royal College of Defence Studies
Royal College of Defence Studies
The Royal College of Defence Studies is an internationally-renowned institution and component of the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom...
in Belgrave Square
Belgrave Square
Belgrave Square is one of the grandest and largest 19th century squares in London, England. It is the centrepiece of Belgravia, and was laid out by the property contractor Thomas Cubitt for the 2nd Earl Grosvenor, later the 1st Marquess of Westminster, in the 1820s. Most of the houses were occupied...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, following which he undertook the senior staff level appointment as Deputy Military Secretary from 1979 to 1980. He then returned to Shrivenham as Commandant of the Royal Military College of Science from 1980 to 1983, following which he was appointed as 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:...
at the Ministry of Defence, a post in which he served until appointed as Vice Chief of the Defence Staff in 1987. In 1991 he became Chief of the Defence Staff
Chief of the Defence Staff (United Kingdom)
The Chief of the Defence Staff is the professional head of the British Armed Forces, a senior official within the Ministry of Defence, and the most senior uniformed military adviser to the Secretary of State for Defence and the Prime Minister...
.
Later career
In addition to his full-time roles, he was Colonel Commandant of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical EngineersRoyal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
The Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers is a corps of the British Army that has responsibility for the maintenance, servicing and inspection of almost every electrical and mechanical piece of equipment within the British Army from Challenger II main battle tanks and WAH64 Apache...
(REME) from 1981 until 1987, and Honorary Colonel of 100 (Yeomanry
Yeomanry
Yeomanry is a designation used by a number of units or sub-units of the British Territorial Army, descended from volunteer cavalry regiments. Today, Yeomanry units may serve in a variety of different military roles.-History:...
) Field Regiment RA(V) from 1982 until 1991. Following his retirement and ennoblement as life peer with the title Baron Vincent of Coleshill, of Shrivenham
Shrivenham
Shrivenham is a large village and civil parish in Oxfordshire, England, close to the boundary with Wiltshire. It is in the Vale of White Horse, between Swindon and Faringdon. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire.-Character:Shrivenham features many...
in the County of Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, he was appointed to the ceremonial role of Master Gunner, St. James's Park
Master Gunner, St. James's Park
The Master Gunner , St James's Park is the ceremonial head of the Royal Regiment of Artillery and channel of communication between the Regiment and the Captain General ....
, a post he held until 2000.
Lord Vincent was Chancellor
Chancellor (education)
A chancellor or vice-chancellor is the chief executive of a university. Other titles are sometimes used, such as president or rector....
of Cranfield University
Cranfield University
Cranfield University is a British postgraduate university based on two campuses, with a research-oriented focus. The main campus is at Cranfield, Bedfordshire and the second is the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom based at Shrivenham, Oxfordshire. The main campus is unique in the United...
from 1998 to 2010.