Alexander Harley
Encyclopedia
General
Sir Alexander George Hamilton Harley KBE CB (born 3 May 1941) is a former Adjutant-General to the Forces
in the United Kingdom
.
Alexander Harley was commissioned into the Royal Artillery
in 1962. He was mentioned in despatches for services in Northern Ireland
in 1978. He was appointed Commanding Officer
of 19 Field Regiment RA
in 1979. In 1985 he became Commander of 33 Armoured Brigade
. Then in 1988 he was appointed Assistant Chief of Staff Operations for the Northern Army Group and in 1990 Assistant Chief of Defence Staff. In 1993 he went on to be Commander British Forces Cyprus
.
Alexander Harley became Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Commitments) in 1995. He was appointed Adjutant-General to the Forces
in 1997 and retired from the British Army
in August 2000.
He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 1981 Queen's Birthday Honours
and Companion of the Order of the Bath in the 1991 Queen's Birthday Honours.
, a post he gave up in 2008. In retirement he also became an advisor to Thales Air Systems
and a Vice-President of Raleigh International
.
General (United Kingdom)
General is currently the highest peace-time rank in the British Army and Royal Marines. It is subordinate to the Army rank of Field Marshal, has a NATO-code of OF-9, and is a four-star rank....
Sir Alexander George Hamilton Harley KBE CB (born 3 May 1941) is a former Adjutant-General to the Forces
Adjutant-General to the Forces
The Adjutant-General to the Forces, commonly just referred to as the Adjutant-General , is one of the most senior officers in the British Army. He is in charge of administration, personnel and organisational matters. The Adjutant-General usually holds the rank of General or Lieutenant-General...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Military career
Educated at Caterham SchoolCaterham School
Caterham School is an independent coeducational day and boarding school in Caterham, Surrey and a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference.-History:...
Alexander Harley was commissioned into 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 1962. He was mentioned in despatches for services in 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...
in 1978. 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 19 Field Regiment RA
19th Regiment Royal Artillery
19th Regiment Royal Artillery – The Highland Gunners – is a regiment of the Royal Artillery in the British Army. It currently supports 12 Mechanised Brigade in the armoured field artillery role. The regiment has Fire Support Teams mounted in Warrior Mechanised Artillery Observation Vehicles...
in 1979. In 1985 he became Commander of 33 Armoured Brigade
33rd Armoured Brigade (United Kingdom)
The 33rd Armoured Brigade was a British Army brigade active in 1944-45, in the 1970s, and in 1980-92.- Normandy :The brigade was formed in the UK on 17 March 1944 by re-designating of the 33rd Tank Brigade. The brigade took part in the Normandy campaign and landed on Gold Beach on 6 June 1944...
. Then in 1988 he was appointed Assistant Chief of Staff Operations for the Northern Army Group and in 1990 Assistant Chief of Defence Staff. In 1993 he went on to be Commander British Forces 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...
.
Alexander Harley became Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Commitments) in 1995. He was appointed Adjutant-General to the Forces
Adjutant-General to the Forces
The Adjutant-General to the Forces, commonly just referred to as the Adjutant-General , is one of the most senior officers in the British Army. He is in charge of administration, personnel and organisational matters. The Adjutant-General usually holds the rank of General or Lieutenant-General...
in 1997 and 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...
in August 2000.
He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 1981 Queen's Birthday Honours
Queen's Birthday Honours
The Queen's Birthday Honours is a part of the British honours system, being a civic occasion on the celebration of the Queen's Official Birthday in which new members of most Commonwealth Realms honours are named. The awards are presented by the reigning monarch or head of state, currently Queen...
and Companion of the Order of the Bath in the 1991 Queen's Birthday Honours.
Retirement
In 2001 he became Master Gunner, St. James's ParkMaster 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 gave up in 2008. In retirement he also became an advisor to Thales Air Systems
Thales Group
The Thales Group is a French electronics company delivering information systems and services for the aerospace, defense, transportation and security markets...
and a Vice-President of Raleigh International
Raleigh International
Raleigh International is a UK-based youth and sustainable development charity that aims to help people of all backgrounds and nationalities to discover their full potential through their work to improve communities and protect the environment....
.