John Slim, 2nd Viscount Slim
Encyclopedia
Colonel
John Douglas Slim, 2nd Viscount Slim OBE
, DL
, FRGS
(born 20 July 1927) is a British
peer and soldier. He is one of the 92 hereditary peer
s in the House of Lords
, elected to remain after the passing of the House of Lords Act 1999
. In 1970, he succeeded to his father's title. He sits as a crossbencher.
The son of the 1st Viscount Slim
, he was educated at Prince of Wales Royal Indian Military College in Dehra Dun in India
. In 1944, Slim joined the British Indian Army 6th Gurkha Rifles
and was transferred to the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
in 1948. He entered the Special Air Service
in 1952. From 1961, he was instructor at the Staff College, Camberley
, and from 1964 at the Joint Services Staff College
. In 1972, he retired from the armed forces at the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel with a later honorary promotion to Colonel. He was appointed OBE
the following year.
Slim was chairman of Peek plc from 1976 to 1991, deputy chairman from 1991 to 1996, and eventually consultant from 1996 to 2003. He was further director of Trailfinders
travel company and Trustee of the Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League
(RCEL). Since 1971, he is president of Burma Star Association
and since 2000 president of SAS Association. He is also Patron of Prospect Burma, a London based charity that offers higher education scholarships to Burmese students. Having been chairman in the past, he is now vice-president of the Britain-Australia Society
. From 1977 to 1996, he was vice-chairman of the Arab-British Chamber of Commerce. In 1983, Slim was made a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society
. Between 1995 and 1996, he was also Master of the Worshipful Company of Clothworkers
. He serves as an honorary chairman of The OSS Society.
Since 1958, he has been married to Elisabeth Spinney
. They have two sons, including his heir apparent
Mark William Rawdon Slim, and one daughter.
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
John Douglas Slim, 2nd Viscount Slim OBE
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...
, DL
DL
DL, dL, or dl may stand for:Measurement of volume* the symbol of the decilitre , an SI unit of measurement of capacity or volume Science and tech* Data link, a computer connection for transmitting data...
, FRGS
Royal Geographical Society
The Royal Geographical Society is a British learned society founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical sciences...
(born 20 July 1927) is a British
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...
peer and soldier. He is one of the 92 hereditary peer
Hereditary peer
Hereditary peers form part of the Peerage in the United Kingdom. There are over seven hundred peers who hold titles that may be inherited. Formerly, most of them were entitled to sit in the House of Lords, but since the House of Lords Act 1999 only ninety-two are permitted to do so...
s in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
, elected to remain after the passing of the House of Lords Act 1999
House of Lords Act 1999
The House of Lords Act 1999 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that was given Royal Assent on 11 November 1999. The Act reformed the House of Lords, one of the chambers of Parliament. For centuries, the House of Lords had included several hundred members who inherited their seats;...
. In 1970, he succeeded to his father's title. He sits as a crossbencher.
The son of the 1st Viscount 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....
, he was educated at Prince of Wales Royal Indian Military College in Dehra Dun in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. In 1944, Slim joined the British Indian Army 6th Gurkha Rifles
6th Queen Elizabeth's Own Gurkha Rifles
The 6th Queen Elizabeth's Own Gurkha Rifles was a regiment of the British Indian Army, before being transferred to the British Army following India's independence. Originally raised in 1817 as part of the army of the British East India Company, the regiment has been known by a number of names...
and was transferred to the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland....
in 1948. He entered the Special Air Service
Special Air Service
Special Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...
in 1952. From 1961, he was instructor at the Staff College, Camberley
Staff College, Camberley
Staff College, Camberley, Surrey, was a staff college for the British Army from 1802 to 1997, with periods of closure during major wars. In 1997 it was merged into the new Joint Services Command and Staff College.-Origins:...
, and from 1964 at the Joint Services Staff College
Joint Services Staff College
Joint Services Staff College may refer to:* Joint Services Staff College , the former name of the "Joint Service Defence College"* Joint Services Staff College , the former name of the "Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies"...
. In 1972, he retired from the armed forces at the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel with a later honorary promotion to Colonel. He was appointed OBE
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...
the following year.
Slim was chairman of Peek plc from 1976 to 1991, deputy chairman from 1991 to 1996, and eventually consultant from 1996 to 2003. He was further director of Trailfinders
Trailfinders
Trailfinders is the UK's largest independent travel company with 28 travel centres in the United Kingdom and Ireland. There did used to be offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. The company specialises in tailormade travel worldwide....
travel company and Trustee of the Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League
Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League
The Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League was founded in 1921 in Cape Town, South Africa, as the British Empire Services League by Field Marshal Earl Haig and Field Marshal Jan Smuts in order to link together ex-service organizations from throughout the British Empire...
(RCEL). Since 1971, he is president of Burma Star Association
Burma Star Association
The Burma Star Association is a British veterans' association for ex-servicemen and women of all services who served in the Burma Campaign of World War II...
and since 2000 president of SAS Association. He is also Patron of Prospect Burma, a London based charity that offers higher education scholarships to Burmese students. Having been chairman in the past, he is now vice-president of the Britain-Australia Society
Britain-Australia Society
The Britain-Australia Society was established in 1971 as a friendship society to promote historic links between Britain and Australia. It has headquarters in Buckingham Gate in London and branches throughout the UK.- History :...
. From 1977 to 1996, he was vice-chairman of the Arab-British Chamber of Commerce. In 1983, Slim was made a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society
Royal Geographical Society
The Royal Geographical Society is a British learned society founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical sciences...
. Between 1995 and 1996, he was also Master of the Worshipful Company of Clothworkers
Worshipful Company of Clothworkers
The Worshipful Company of Clothworkers was incorporated by Royal Charter in 1528, formed by the amalgamation of its two predecessor Companies, the Fullers and the Shearmen...
. He serves as an honorary chairman of The OSS Society.
Since 1958, he has been married to Elisabeth Spinney
Spinneys
Spinneys is a high-end supermarket chain in the Middle East which begun as railway provision merchants, and expanded to a grocery firm importing British Empire goods to the Mandate Palestine...
. They have two sons, including his heir apparent
Heir apparent
An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....
Mark William Rawdon Slim, and one daughter.