Chief of the General Staff (United Kingdom)

Chief of the General Staff (CGS) has been the title of 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...

 since 1964. The CGS is a member of both the Chiefs of Staff Committee

Chiefs of Staff Committee

The Chiefs of Staff Committee is composed of the most senior military personnel in the British Armed Forces.-History:The Chiefs of Staff Committee was initially established as a sub-committee of the Committee of Imperial Defence in 1923. It remained as such until the abolition of the CID upon the...

 and the Army Board

Army Board

The Army Board is the senior single-service management committee of the British Army:-Army Board members:*Civilian** The Secretary of State for Defence** Minister for the Armed Forces** Minister for Defence Equipment and Support...

. Prior to 1964 the title was Chief of the Imperial General Staff.

The title was also used for four years between the demise of the Commander-in-Chief of the Forces

Commander-in-Chief of the Forces

The Commander-in-Chief of the Forces, or just the Commander-in-Chief , was the professional head of the British Army from 1660 until 1904, when the office was replaced by the Chief of the General Staff, soon to become Chief of the Imperial General Staff . From 1870, the C-in-C was subordinate to...

 in 1904 and the introduction of Chief of the Imperial General Staff in 1908. The post was then held by General Sir Neville Lyttelton

Neville Lyttelton

General Sir Neville Gerald Lyttelton GCB, GCVO, PC was a British Army Officer. He served as Chief of the General Staff.-Army career:...

.

Throughout the existence of the post the Chief of the General Staff has been the First Military Member of the Army Board

Army Board

The Army Board is the senior single-service management committee of the British Army:-Army Board members:*Civilian** The Secretary of State for Defence** Minister for the Armed Forces** Minister for Defence Equipment and Support...

.

The current Chief of the General Staff is General Sir Peter Wall

Peter Wall (British Army officer)

General Sir Peter Anthony Wall, KCB, CBE, ADC Gen. is a senior British Army officer, currently the Chief of the General Staff, the professional head of the British Army....

 - having succeeded his predecessor, General Sir David Richards in September 2010.

Chief of the General Staff (1904–1908)

Rank	Name	Image	In office	Notes/ref
General 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 Neville Lyttelton Neville Lyttelton General Sir Neville Gerald Lyttelton GCB, GCVO, PC was a British Army Officer. He served as Chief of the General Staff.-Army career:...		(1904–1908)

Chief of the Imperial General Staff, 1909–1964

Rank	Name	Image	Assumed office	Notes	Reference
Field Marshal	Sir William Nicholson William Nicholson, 1st Baron Nicholson Field Marshal William Gustavus Nicholson, 1st Baron Nicholson, GCB , was a British Army officer who, in a half-century of service, rose through the ranks in India and the Boer War to the rank of Field Marshal...		1908–1912
Field Marshal	Sir John French John French, 1st Earl of Ypres Field Marshal John Denton Pinkstone French, 1st Earl of Ypres, KP, GCB, OM, GCVO, KCMG, ADC, PC , known as The Viscount French between 1916 and 1922, was a British and Anglo-Irish officer...		1912 – April 1914
General 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 Charles Douglas		6 April 1914– 25 October 1914
Lieutenant General	Sir James Murray		30 October 1914–September 1915
General	Sir Archibald Murray Archibald Murray General Sir Archibald James Murray, GCMG, KCB, CVO, DSO was a British Army officer during World War I, most famous for his commanding the Egyptian Expeditionary Force from 1916 to 1917.-Army career:...		26 September 1915–December 1915
General	Sir William Robertson		23 December 1915–February 1918
Field Marshal	Sir Henry Wilson		19 February 1918–19 February 1922
Field Marshal	Frederick Rudolph Lambart, 10th Earl of Cavan Frederick Lambart, 10th Earl of Cavan Field Marshal Frederick Rudolph Lambart, 10th Earl of Cavan, KP, GCB, GCMG, GCVO, GBE was a British Army officer and Chief of the Imperial General Staff.-Army career:...		19 February 1922-19 February 1926
Field Marshal	Sir George Milne George Milne, 1st Baron Milne Field Marshal George Francis Milne, 1st Baron Milne, GCB, GCMG, DSO , was a British military commander who served as Chief of the Imperial General Staff from 1926 to 1933.-Army career:...		19 February 1926–19 February 1933
Field Marshal	Sir Archibald Montgomery-Massingberd		1933–1936
Field Marshal	Sir Cyril Deverell Cyril Deverell Field Marshal Sir Cyril John Deverell, GCB, KBE, ADC was a British career military officer who served as Chief of the Imperial General Staff in 1936 and 1937.-Army career:...		1936–1937
General	John Vereker, 6th Viscount Gort John Vereker, 6th Viscount Gort Field Marshal John Standish Surtees Prendergast Vereker, 6th Viscount Gort, VC, GCB, CBE, DSO & Two Bars, MVO, MC , was a British and Anglo-Irish soldier. As a young officer in World War I he won the Victoria Cross at the Battle of the Canal du Nord. During the 1930s he served as Chief of the...		1937–1939
General	Sir Edmund Ironside Edmund Ironside, 1st Baron Ironside Field Marshal William Edmund Ironside, 1st Baron Ironside GCB, CMG, CBE, DSO, was a British Army officer who served as Chief of the Imperial General Staff during the first year of the Second World War....		1939–1940
Field Marshal	Sir John Dill John Dill Field Marshal Sir John Greer Dill, GCB, CMG, DSO was a British commander in World War I and World War II. From May 1940 to December 1941 he was the Chief of the Imperial General Staff, the professional head of the British Army, and subsequently in Washington, as Chief of the British Joint Staff...		1940–1941
Field Marshal	Sir Alan Brooke Alan Brooke, 1st Viscount Alanbrooke Field Marshal The Rt. Hon. Alan Francis Brooke, 1st Viscount Alanbrooke, KG, GCB, OM, GCVO, DSO & Bar , was a senior commander in the British Army. He was the Chief of the Imperial General Staff during the Second World War, and was promoted to Field Marshal in 1944...		1941–1946
Field Marshal	Sir Bernard "Monty" Montgomery Bernard Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, KG, GCB, DSO, PC , nicknamed "Monty" and the "Spartan General" was a British Army officer. He saw action in the First World War, when he was seriously wounded, and during the Second World War he commanded the 8th Army from...		1946–1948		-
Field Marshal	Sir William Slim William Slim, 1st Viscount Slim Field Marshal William Joseph "Bill"'Slim, 1st Viscount Slim, KG, GCB, GCMG, GCVO, GBE, DSO, MC, KStJ was a British military commander and the 13th Governor-General of Australia....		1948–1952
Field Marshal	Sir John Harding John Harding, 1st Baron Harding of Petherton Field Marshal Allan Francis John Harding, 1st Baron Harding of Petherton, GCB, CBE, DSO, MC was a British Army officer and Governor of Cyprus from 1955 to 1957, Cyprus being a British colony at that time....		1 November 1952
Field Marshal	Sir Gerald Templer Gerald Templer Field Marshal Sir Gerald Walter Robert Templer KG, GCB, GCMG, KBE was a British military commander. He is best known for his defeat of the guerrilla rebels in Malaya between 1952 and 1954...		29 September 1955
Field Marshal	Sir Francis Festing Francis Festing Field Marshal Sir Francis Wogan Festing GCB, KBE, DSO , called 菲士挺 in Chinese, was a field marshal of the British Army...		29 September 1958
Field Marshal	Sir Richard Hull		1 November 1961	Last CIGS and first CGS; first Army officer to be 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... , 1965–1967

Chiefs of the General Staff (post 1964)

Rank	Name	Image	Assumed office	Notes	Reference
Field Marshal	Sir Richard Hull		(Until 8 February 1965)	The post of Chief of the Imperial General Staff was renamed Chief of the General Staff in the 1960s
Field Marshal	Sir James Cassels		8 February 1965
Field Marshal	Sir Geoffrey Baker Geoffrey Baker Field Marshal Sir Geoffrey Harding Baker GCB, CMG, CBE, MC was Chief of the General Staff, the professional head of the British Army.-Army career:...		1 March 1968	Master Gunner, St James's Park, 1970–1976; Constable of the Tower of London, 1975–1980
Field Marshal	Sir Michael Carver Michael Carver, Baron Carver Field Marshal Richard Michael Power Carver, Baron Carver GCB, CBE, DSO & Bar, MC was a British soldier. He served as the Chief of the Defence Staff of the United Kingdom and thus the professional head of the British Armed Forces.-Army career:Educated at Winchester College, Michael Carver was...		1 April 1971	CDS, 1973–1976
General	Sir Peter Hunt		19 July 1973	Constable of the Tower of London, 1980–1985
Field Marshal	Sir Roland Gibbs Roland Gibbs Field Marshal Sir Roland Christopher Gibbs GCB, CBE, DSO, MC, KStJ 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....		15 July 1976	Constable of the Tower of London, 1985–1990
Field Marshal	Sir Edwin Bramall Edwin Bramall, Baron Bramall Field Marshal Edwin Noel Westby Bramall, Baron Bramall KG, GCB, OBE, MC, DL, JP is a British Army officer who served as Chief of the General Staff, the professional head of the British Army, between 1979 and 1982, and as Chief of the Defence Staff, professional head of the British Armed Forces,...		14 July 1979	Lord Lieutenant of Greater London Lord Lieutenant of Greater London The Lord Lieutenant of Greater London is Her Majesty's representative in Greater London, including the 32 London boroughs.This is a complete list of Lord Lieutenants of Greater London in the United Kingdom.... , 1986–1998; CDS, 1982–1985
Field Marshal	Sir John Stanier		1 August 1982	First CGS after 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...  not to have served in that war; Constable of the Tower of London, 1990–1996
Field Marshal	Sir Nigel Bagnall Nigel Bagnall Field Marshal Sir Nigel Thomas Bagnall GCB, CVO, MC was Chief of the General Staff, the professional head of the British Army.-Army career:...		28 July 1985
Field Marshal	Sir John Chapple John Chapple Field Marshal Sir John Lyon Chapple, GCB, CBE was a career British Army officer in the second half of the 20th century. He served as Chief of the General Staff, the professional head of the British Army, from 1989 to 1992.-Army career:...		10 September 1988
Field Marshal	Sir Peter Inge Peter Inge, Baron Inge Field Marshal Peter Anthony Inge, Baron Inge was the Chief of the General Staff, the professional head of the British Army, between 1992 and 1994. He then served as Chief of the Defence Staff before retiring in 1997.-Army career:...		14 February 1992	CDS, 1994–1997; Last CGS to hold the rank of field marshal; Constable of the Tower of London, 1996–2001
General	Sir Charles Guthrie Charles Guthrie, Baron Guthrie of Craigiebank General Charles Ronald Llewelyn Guthrie, Baron Guthrie of Craigiebank, was Chief of the Defence Staff between 1997 and 2001 and Chief of the General Staff, the professional head of the British Army, between 1994 and 1997.-Army career:...		15 March 1994	CDS, 1997–2004
General	Sir Roger Wheeler		3 February 1997	Constable of the Tower of London, 2001–2009
General	Sir Michael Walker		17 April 2000	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), 2003–2006
General	Sir Mike Jackson Mike Jackson General Sir Michael David "Mike" Jackson, is a retired British Army officer and one of its most high-profile generals since the Second World War. Originally commissioned into the Intelligence Corps in 1963, he transferred to the Parachute Regiment, with whom he served two of his three tours of...		1 February 2003
General	Sir Richard Dannatt		29 August 2006	Currently Constable of the Tower 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...
General	Sir David Richards		28 August 2009	Currently 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... .
General	Sir Peter Wall Peter Wall (British Army officer) General Sir Peter Anthony Wall, KCB, CBE, ADC Gen. is a senior British Army officer, currently the Chief of the General Staff, the professional head of the British Army....		15 September 2010	Incumbent.

See also

• 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...
  
  
• First Sea Lord / Chief of the Naval Staff
  First Sea Lord
  The First Sea Lord is the professional head of the Royal Navy and the whole Naval Service; it was formerly known as First Naval Lord. He also holds the title of Chief of Naval Staff, and is known by the abbreviations 1SL/CNS...
  
  
• Chief of the Air Staff

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