John Stanier (British Army officer)

Template:Short description Template:Use British English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox military person Field Marshal Sir John Wilfred Stanier, Template:Postnominals (6 October 1925 – 10 November 2007) was a senior British Army officer who served as Chief of the General Staff from 1982 to 1985. He was the first person after the Second World War to become the professional head of the British Army without having seen active service in that war or any subsequent campaign.

Early life and education

Stanier was born in Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire, the son of Harold Allan Stanier and Penelope Rose Stanier (née Price).<ref name=tele>Template:Cite news</ref> His father was badly wounded in the First World War, but was employed by John Spedan Lewis to manage his farms.<ref name=inde>Template:Cite news</ref> He was educated at Marlborough College<ref name=pg269>Heathcote, Anthony pg 269</ref> and took a short wartime course at Merton College, Oxford.<ref name=tele/><ref name="MCreg">Template:Cite book</ref>

Military career

File:Marlborough College Court.jpg

Marlborough College where Stanier was educated

Stanier volunteered for the Army in 1943, and having trained at Sandhurst and Bovington,<ref name=tele/> was commissioned into the 7th Queen's Own Hussars on 19 April 1946.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> Promoted to lieutenant on 16 October 1948,<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> he served with the intelligence branch in Italy in 1949 before being posted to the British Army of the Rhine in 1950.<ref name=tele/> He was promoted to captain on 6 October 1952<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> and became an instructor at the Mons Officer Cadet School in Aldershot in April 1954, before attending the Staff College, Camberley in 1957.<ref name=pg269/> Following the merger of his regiment with the 3rd The King's Own Hussars, he became an officer in the Queen's Own Hussars in 1958<ref name=pg269/> and was posted to the Directorate of Military Operations at the War Office, before being appointed military assistant to Sir William Stratton, Vice-Chief of the Imperial General Staff in July 1959.<ref name=tele/> Promoted to major on 6 October 1959,<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> he was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the New Year Honours 1961.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> He attended the Joint Services Staff College and, from 1962, commanded the tanks in "C" Squadron of his regiment in Germany,<ref name=tele/> before returning to Camberley as Director of Studies in 1963.<ref name=tele/>

File:Staff College, Camberley.jpg

Stanier served as Commandant of the Staff College, Camberley

Stanier was not selected to command the Queen's Own Hussars.<ref name=tele/> Disappointed, he considered leaving the Army,<ref name=tele/> but was pleasantly surprised, having transferred to the Royal Scots Greys on 1 January 1966,<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> to be promoted to lieutenant-colonel on 2 May 1966<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> and made commanding officer of the Royal Scots Greys.<ref name=pg269/> He joined the staff of the Imperial Defence College in December 1968,<ref name=pg269/> and was then promoted two ranks to brigadier on 31 December 1969<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> and took command of 20th Armoured Brigade in the British Army of the Rhine in January 1970.<ref>20th Armoured Brigade list of commanders</ref> After serving as the Army's director of public relations in London from 1971, he was appointed General Officer Commanding 1st Division on 3 November 1973<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> with the substantive rank of major-general from 21 January 1974.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> He became Commandant at the Staff College, Camberley on 22 December 1975.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref>

He was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in the Queen's Birthday Honours 1978,<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> and became Vice Chief of the General Staff<ref name="page270">Heathcote, Anthony pg 270</ref> with the rank of lieutenant general on 1 June 1978.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> The Challenger tank was brought into service during his period in this post.<ref name=tele/> Promoted to full general on 1 January 1981, he was made Commander-in-Chief, UK Land Forces in April 1981.<ref name="page270"/> He became ADC General to the Queen from 7 April 1981,<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> was advanced to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in the Queen's Birthday Honours 1982<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> and became Chief of the General Staff on 1 August 1982.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> He was the first person after the Second World War to become the professional head of the British Army without having seen active service in that war or any subsequent campaign.<ref name=tele/> He was promoted to field marshal on 10 July 1985<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> on retirement from the British Army.<ref name="page270"/>

He was also Colonel of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards from 18 January 1979<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> to 6 May 1984,<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> and Colonel Commandant of the Royal Armoured Corps from 1 April 1982<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> to 1 August 1985.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref>

In retirement he served as chairman of the Royal United Service Institution from 1986 to 1989.<ref name=tele/> He was Constable of the Tower of London from 1990 to 1996.<ref name=tele/> His book War and the Media, co-authored with Miles Hudson, was published in 1997.<ref name=tele/> He was a Deputy Lieutenant of Hampshire from 1987, and lived near Hartley Wintney.<ref name=tele/>

His interests included fly fishing, sailing and horse riding and he was also President of the Hampshire branch of the British Red Cross Society from 1986 to 1994.<ref name=tele/> He was also a Member of the Council of Marlborough College.<ref name=tele/> He died on 10 November 2007.<ref name=tele/>

Family

In 1955 he married Cicely Constance Lambert; they had four daughters.<ref name=tele/>

Further reading

• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite book

External links

• Obituary, The Times, 13 November 2007

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