Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff (United Kingdom)

Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff
Admiral General Air Chief Marshal Rank insignia of the incumbent as per branch
Incumbent General Sir Gordon Messenger since May 2016
Style	Admiral General Air Chief Marshal
Inaugural holder	Air Chief Marshal Sir Alfred Earle

The Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff (VCDS) is the deputy to the Chief of the Defence Staff, the professional head of the British Armed Forces.^[1] The position was titled Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff before 1964.^[2] From 1966 to 1978 the post was occupied by a 3 star officer. From 1978 onwards the post has been held by a 4 star officer.

List of Vice Chiefs of the Defence Staff

These were:^[2]

Rank While in appointment	Name	Branch	Appointed	Relinquished appointment
Air Chief Marshal	Sir Alfred Earle GBE, CB	Royal Air Force	February 1964	May 1966
Lieutenant General	Sir George Cole KCB, CBE	British Army	May 1966	November 1967
Vice Admiral	Sir Ian Hogg KCB, DSC & Bar	Royal Navy	November 1967	March 1970
Air Marshal	Sir John Barraclough KCB, CBE, DFC, AFC	Royal Air Force	March 1970	February 1972
Lieutenant General	Sir John Gibbon GCB, OBE	British Army	February 1972	January 1974
Air Marshal	Sir Peter Le Cheminant KCB, DFC & Bar	Royal Air Force	January 1974	January 1976
Vice Admiral	Sir Henry Leach KCB	Royal Navy	January 1976	March 1977
Vice Admiral	Sir Anthony Morton KCB	Royal Navy	March 1977	April 1978
General	Sir Edwin Bramall KCB, OBE, MC	British Army	April 1978	May 1979
General	Sir Patrick Howard-Dobson GCB	British Army	May 1979	June 1981
Air Chief Marshal	Sir David Evans GBC, CBE	Royal Air Force	June 1981	June 1983
Admiral	Sir Peter Herbert KCB, OBE	Royal Navy	June 1983	January 1985
Air Chief Marshal	Sir Peter Harding KCB	Royal Air Force	January 1985	August 1985
Air Chief Marshal	Sir Patrick Hine KCB	Royal Air Force	August 1985	October 1987
General	Sir Richard Vincent KCB, DSO	British Army	October 1987	March 1991
Admiral	Sir Benjamin Bathurst GCB	Royal Navy	March 1991	January 1993
Admiral	Sir John Slater GCB, LVO	Royal Navy	January 1993	April 1995
Air Chief Marshal	Sir John Willis GBE, KCB	Royal Air Force	April 1995	October 1997
Admiral	Sir Peter Abbott GBE, KCB	Royal Navy	October 1997	May 2001
Air Chief Marshal	Sir Anthony Bagnall GBE, KCB	Royal Air Force	May 2001	July 2005
General	Sir Timothy Granville-Chapman GBE, KCB	British Army	July 2005	May 2009
General	Sir Nicholas Houghton GCB, CBE	British Army	May 2009	May 2013
Air Chief Marshal	Sir Stuart Peach GBE, KCB	Royal Air Force	May 2013	May 2016
General	Sir Gordon Messenger KCB, DSO & Bar, OBE, ADC	Royal Marines	May 2016	current

References

1. Vice Chief of Defence Staff Ministry of Defence
2. "V: MINISTRY OF DEFENCE AND TRI-SERVICE SENIOR APPOINTMENTS" (PDF). Retrieved 11 February 2012.