Roland Gibbs

Sir Roland Gibbs
Field Marshal Sir Roland Gibbs
Born	(1921-06-22)22 June 1921 Flax Bourton, Somerset
Died	31 October 2004(2004-10-31) (aged 83)
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1940–1979
Rank	Field Marshal
Commands held	Chief of the General Staff UK Land Forces 1st (British) Corps 16 Parachute Brigade 3rd Battalion Parachute Regiment
Battles/wars	Second World War Aden Emergency
Awards	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Commander of the Order of the British Empire Distinguished Service Order Military Cross Knight of the Venerable Order of Saint John
Other work	Constable of the Tower of London (1985–90)

Field Marshal Sir Roland Christopher Gibbs GCB, CBE, DSO, MC, KStJ, DL (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. He saw active service in the Second World War and acted as chief of staff to the commander of the operation to evacuate all British troops and civilians from Aden during the Aden Emergency.

Army career

Born the son of Major Guy Melvil Gibbs and Margaret Gibbs (née St John)^[1] and educated at Eton College and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst,^[2] Gibbs was commissioned into the Kings Royal Rifle Corps on 31 December 1939 during the early stages of the Second World War.^[3] Deployed to North Africa in 1941,^[4] he was promoted to lieutenant on 1 July 1941^[5] and awarded the Military Cross on 15 October 1942.^[6] He took command of 'C Company' in March 1943 and remained in that role for the rest of the War taking part in the Allied invasion of Italy, the Normandy landings and fighting in North West Europe^[4] before being awarded the Distinguished Service Order on 2 August 1945.^[7]

The allied invasion of Italy, in which Gibbs took part, during the Second World War

He was promoted to captain on 1 July 1946^[8] and deployed to Palestine before becoming an instructor at Sandhurst in December 1948.^[2] Promoted to major on 31 December 1952,^[9] he was posted as Brigade Major of 5th Infantry Brigade at Iserlohn in Germany^[2] and in 1957 he became a staff officer in Whitehall dealing with inter-service planning.^[4] In 1960 he was appointed Commanding Officer of 3rd Battalion the Parachute Regiment^[10] and in 1963, as a temporary brigadier, went on to command 16 Parachute Brigade^[10] which deployed that year to Cyprus in a peace keeping role.^[4] Promoted to colonel on 4 July 1964,^[11] he was posted to Aden in 1966 as chief of staff to Admiral Sir Michael Le Fanu who was commander of the operation to evacuate all British troops and civilians during the Aden Emergency.^[4] He was promoted to the substantive rank of brigadier on 6 December 1966^[12] and appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the New Year Honours 1968.^[13]

Gibbs served as Chief of Staff during the Aden Evacuation

He was appointed Commander of British Land Forces in the Persian Gulf on 30 April 1969^[14] in which role he re-organised the Trucial Oman Scouts and laid the foundations for what is now the Sultan of Oman's Land Forces.^[4] Appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in the New Year Honours 1972,^[15] he became Commander of 1st (British) Corps with the rank of lieutenant general on 14 January 1972^[16] and Commander-in-Chief, UK Land Forces with the rank of full general on 1 April 1974.^[17] Advanced to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in the Queen's Birthday Honours 1976^[18] and having become ADC General to the Queen on 25 June 1976,^[19] he became Chief of the General Staff on 15 July 1976.^[20] In this capacity he had to deal with the challenges of recruitment and retention in the Army at a time of high inflation.^[10] He was promoted to field marshal on 13 July 1979 on his retirement from the British Army.^[10]

He was also colonel commandant of the 2nd Battalion the Royal Green Jackets from 1971^[21] and Colonel commandant of the Parachute Regiment from 1972.^[4]

Gibbs retired to a former rectory in Wiltshire, where his pastimes were shooting, hunting with the Beaufort, and painting.^[4] He was the Constable of the Tower of London from 1985 to 1990 and served as Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire from 1989 to 1996.^[4]

His interests included shooting and hunting: he used to follow the Beaufort Hunt until a medical operation on his knee halted further participation.^[4] He was also a keen amateur artist.^[4] He died on 31 October 2004.^[4]

Family

In 1955, Gibbs married Davina Merry, the artist; they had two sons, and a daughter.^[1]

References

1 2 Debrett's People of Today 1994
1 2 3 Heathcote, Anthony pg 144
↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 34766. p. 67. 2 January 1940. Retrieved 24 December 2011.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Obituary: Field Marshal Sir Roland Gibbs". The Telegraph. 2 November 2004. Retrieved 24 December 2011.
↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 35207. p. 3810. 1 July 1941. Retrieved 24 December 2011.
↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 35745. p. 4479. 13 October 1942. Retrieved 24 December 2011.
↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 37204. p. 3955. 31 July 1945. Retrieved 24 December 2011.
↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 37635. p. 3378. 28 June 1946. Retrieved 24 December 2011.
↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 39744. p. 152. 2 January 1953. Retrieved 24 December 2011.
1 2 3 4 Heathcote, Anthony pg 145
↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 43509. p. 10435. 4 December 1964. Retrieved 24 December 2011.
↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 44238. p. 1154. 27 January 1967. Retrieved 24 December 2011.
↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 44484. p. 6. 29 December 1967. Retrieved 24 December 2011.
↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 44845. p. 4991. 9 May 1969. Retrieved 24 December 2011.
↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 45554. p. 2. 31 December 1971. Retrieved 24 December 2011.
↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 45575. p. 647. 18 January 1972. Retrieved 24 December 2011.
↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 46252. p. 4282. 1 April 1974. Retrieved 24 December 2011.
↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 46919. p. 8016. 4 June 1976. Retrieved 24 December 2011.
↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 46947. p. 8989. 28 June 1976. Retrieved 24 December 2011.
↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 46965. p. 9899. 19 July 1976. Retrieved 24 December 2011.
↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 45271. p. 120. 1 January 1971. Retrieved 24 December 2011.

Military offices
Preceded by Sir John Sharp	GOC 1st (British) Corps 1972–1974	Succeeded by Sir Jack Harman
Preceded by Sir Basil Eugster	Commander-in-Chief, UK Land Forces 1974–1976	Succeeded by Sir Edwin Bramall
Preceded by Sir Peter Hunt	Chief of the General Staff 1976–1979	Succeeded by Sir Edwin Bramall
Honorary titles
Preceded by Sir Hugh Brassey	Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire 1989–1996	Succeeded by Sir Maurice Johnston
Preceded by Sir Peter Hunt	Constable of the Tower of London 1985–1990	Succeeded by Sir John Stanier

Commanders-in-Chief of the Forces and Chiefs of the General Staff of the British Army

Commanders-in-Chief of the Forces	Duke of Albemarle Duke of Monmouth Earl of Marlborough Duke of Leinster Duke of Marlborough Duke of Ormonde Earl of Stair George Wade Duke of Cumberland Viscount Ligionier Marquess of Granby Lord Amherst Henry Conway Lord Amherst Duke of York Sir David Dundas Duke of York Duke of Wellington Viscount Hill Duke of Wellington Viscount Hardinge Duke of Cambridge Viscount Wolseley Earl Roberts

Chief of the General Staff	Sir Neville Lyttelton

Chiefs of the Imperial General Staff	Sir William Nicholson Sir John French Sir Charles Douglas Sir James Murray Sir Archibald Murray Sir William Robertson Sir Henry Wilson The Earl of Cavan Sir George Milne Sir Archibald Montgomery-Massingberd Sir Cyril Deverell The Viscount Gort Sir Edmund Ironside Sir John Dill Sir Alan Brooke The Viscount Montgomery of Alamein Sir William Slim Sir John Harding Sir Gerald Templer Sir Francis Festing Sir Richard Hull

Chiefs of the General Staff	Sir Richard Hull Sir James Cassels Sir Geoffrey Baker Sir Michael Carver Sir Peter Hunt Sir Roland Gibbs Sir Edwin Bramall Sir John Stanier Sir Nigel Bagnall Sir John Chapple Sir Peter Inge Sir Charles Guthrie Sir Roger Wheeler Sir Michael Walker Sir Mike Jackson Sir Richard Dannatt Sir David Richards Sir Peter Wall Sir Nick Carter

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Roland Gibbs

Army career

Family

References

Further reading