Roland Gibbs
Encyclopedia
Field Marshal
Sir Roland Christopher Gibbs GCB
, CBE
, DSO
, MC
, KStJ
(22 June 1921 - 31 October 2004) was Chief of the General Staff
, the professional head of the British Army
, from 1976 to 1979, and Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire
from 1989 to 1996.
near Bristol
. Educated at Eton College
, he was commissioned into the Kings Royal Rifle Corps in 1939. He was awarded the MC
in 1942 and the DSO
in 1945 during World War II
.
In 1960 he was appointed Commanding Officer
of 3rd Battalion the Parachute Regiment and in 1963 went on to command 16 Parachute Brigade which deployed in that year to Cyprus
.
In 1969 he was appointed Commander of British Land Forces in the Persian Gulf where he re-organised the Trucial Oman Scouts and laid the foundations for what is now the Sultan of Oman
's Land Forces.
In 1972 he became Commander of 1st British Corps and in 1974 went on to be Commander-in-Chief UK Land Forces. He served as Chief of the General Staff
from 1976 to 1979 when he retired from the British Army
.
He was colonel commandant
of the 2nd Battalion, the Royal Green Jackets
, from 1971 to 1979, and simultaneously of the Parachute Regiment between 1972 and 1977.
y in Wiltshire
, where his pastimes were shooting, hunting
with the Beaufort, and painting. He was the 155th Constable of the Tower of London
from 1985 to 1990 and served as Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire
from 1989 to 1996.
in 1968, KCB
in 1972 and GCB
in 1976.
. In 1955, Gibbs married Davina Merry, the artist, herself with aristocratic connections. They had two sons, and a daughter.
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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 Roland Christopher Gibbs GCB
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...
, CBE
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...
, 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...
, 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....
, KStJ
Venerable Order of Saint John
The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem , is a royal order of chivalry established in 1831 and found today throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Hong Kong, Ireland and the United States of America, with the world-wide mission "to prevent and relieve sickness and...
(22 June 1921 - 31 October 2004) 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...
, 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 1976 to 1979, and Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire
Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire
This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire. From 1750, all Lord Lieutenants have also been Custos Rotulorum of Wiltshire.-Lord Lieutenants of Wiltshire:*William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke 1551 – 17 March 1570...
from 1989 to 1996.
Army career
Roland Gibbs was born at Flax BourtonFlax Bourton
Flax Bourton is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England. The parish, with a population of 659, is situated within the Unitary Authority of North Somerset, on the edge of Nailsea Moor on the A370 road south west of Bristol city centre....
near Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
. Educated at Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
, he was commissioned into the Kings Royal Rifle Corps in 1939. He was awarded the 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....
in 1942 and the 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...
in 1945 during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
In 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 3rd Battalion the Parachute Regiment and in 1963 went on to command 16 Parachute Brigade which deployed in that year to Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
.
In 1969 he was appointed Commander of British Land Forces in the Persian Gulf where he re-organised the Trucial Oman Scouts and laid the foundations for what is now the Sultan of Oman
Sultan of Oman
-List of Imams :-Nabhan Dynasty :-Ya'ariba Dynasty :-Banu Ghafir Dynasty :-Ya'ariba Dynasty :-Al Said Dynasty :-See also:...
's Land Forces.
In 1972 he became Commander of 1st British Corps and in 1974 went on to be Commander-in-Chief UK Land Forces. 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...
from 1976 to 1979 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...
.
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 2nd Battalion, the Royal Green Jackets
Royal Green Jackets
The Royal Green Jackets was an infantry regiment of the British Army, one of two "large regiments" within the Light Division .-History:...
, from 1971 to 1979, and simultaneously of the Parachute Regiment between 1972 and 1977.
Later career
Gibbs retired to a former rectorRector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
y in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, where his pastimes were shooting, hunting
Fox hunting
Fox hunting is an activity involving the tracking, chase, and sometimes killing of a fox, traditionally a red fox, by trained foxhounds or other scent hounds, and a group of followers led by a master of foxhounds, who follow the hounds on foot or on horseback.Fox hunting originated in its current...
with the Beaufort, and painting. He was the 155th Constable of the Tower of London
Constable of the Tower
The Constable of the Tower is the most senior appointment at the Tower of London. In the middle ages a constable was the person in charge of a castle when the owner - the king or a nobleman - was not in residence...
from 1985 to 1990 and served as Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire
Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire
This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire. From 1750, all Lord Lieutenants have also been Custos Rotulorum of Wiltshire.-Lord Lieutenants of Wiltshire:*William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke 1551 – 17 March 1570...
from 1989 to 1996.
Honours
Gibbs was appointed CBEOrder 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...
in 1968, 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...
in 1972 and GCB
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...
in 1976.
Family
Gibbs was the fourth and youngest child and the younger son of Major Guy Melvil Gibbs and Margaret Olivia St. John, descended from the third son of the 3rd Viscount BolingbrokeGeorge St John, 3rd Viscount Bolingbroke
George Richard St John, 3rd Viscount Bolingbroke and 4th Viscount St John , styled The Honourable from birth until 1787, was a British peer and politician...
. In 1955, Gibbs married Davina Merry, the artist, herself with aristocratic connections. They had two sons, and a daughter.
Further reading
- Daily Telegraph Obituary
- Heathcote, T.A. (1999). The British Field Marshals 1736-1997. Pen & Sword Books Ltd. ISBN 0-85052-696-5
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