Chief of the General Staff (United Kingdom)

Chief of the General Staff
Flag of the Chief of the General Staff
Incumbent
General Sir Patrick Sanders
since 13 June 2022
Ministry of Defence
British Army
AbbreviationCGS
Member ofDefence Council
Army Board
Chiefs of Staff Committee
Reports toChief of the Defence Staff
NominatorSecretary of State for Defence
AppointerThe Monarch
On the advice of the Prime Minister, subject to formal approval by the King-in-Council
Term lengthNo fixed length
PrecursorCommander-in-Chief of the Forces
Formation1904, 1964
First holderSir Neville Lyttelton
DeputyDeputy Chief of the General Staff

The Chief of the General Staff (CGS) has been the title of the professional head of the British Army since 1964. The CGS is a member of both the Chiefs of Staff Committee and the Army Board; he is also the Chair of the Executive Committee of the Army Board. Prior to 1964, the title was Chief of the Imperial General Staff (CIGS). Since 1959, the post has been immediately subordinate to the Chief of the Defence Staff, the post held by the professional head of the British Armed Forces.

The current Chief of the General Staff is General Sir Patrick Sanders, who succeeded his predecessor, General Sir Mark Carleton-Smith, in June 2022. In 2024, he will be replaced by Lieutenant General Sir Roland Walker, who is currently serving as the Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff.

Responsibilities

The Chief of the General Staff (CGS) is the professional head of the Army, with responsibility for developing and generating military capability from an integrated Army (Regular and Reserve) and for maintaining the fighting effectiveness, efficiency and morale of the Service. The CGS reports to the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) and, as a Service COS, has a right of direct access to the Secretary of State and the Prime Minister. The CGS is a member of the Defence Council and the Army Board, the Armed Forces Committee, the Chiefs of Staff Committee and the Senior Appointments Committee. Responsibile for:

  • Maintains the institutional health of the Army by exercising Full Command responsibility for all Army personnel
  • Ensures the efficient and effective governance of the service
  • Chairs the Executive Committee of the Army Board and the Army Command Group
  • Contributes to the conduct of defence higher level business, with a particular responsibility for providing specialist advice on Army matters
  • Develops future Army capability within the context of Defence strategic direction and resource allocation
  • Leads the senior management team of the British Army

Background

The title was also used for five years between the demise of the Commander-in-Chief of the Forces in 1904 and the introduction of Chief of the Imperial General Staff in 1909. The post was then held by General Sir Neville Lyttelton and, briefly, by Field Marshal Sir William Nicholson.

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

Professional heads of the English/British Armed Forces
Royal Navy British Army Royal Air Force Combined
1645 N/A Commander-in-Chief of the Forces (1645/60–1904, intermittently) N/A - No Air Force until 1918 N/A - Inter-service co-ordination carried out from 1904 by the Committee of Imperial Defence under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister
1689 Senior Naval Lord (1689–1771)
1771 First Naval Lord (1771–1904)
1904 First Sea Lord (1904–1917) Chief of the General Staff (1904–1909)
1909 Chief of the Imperial General Staff (1909–1964)
1917 First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff (1917–present)
1918 Chief of the Air Staff (1918–present)
1923 Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee (1923–1959, held by one of the service heads until 1956)
1959 Chief of the Defence Staff (1959–present)
1964 Chief of the General Staff (1964–present)

Roles

The Chief was responsible for commanding the entire British Army. During the Second World War, General Brooke focused on grand strategy, and his relationships, through the Combined Chiefs of Staff with his American counterparts. He was also responsible for the appointment and evaluation of senior commanders, allocation of manpower and equipment, and the organisation of tactical air forces in support of land operations of field commanders; he also had primary responsibility for supervising the military operations of the Free French, Polish, Dutch, Belgian, and Czech units reporting to their governments in exile in London. Brooke vigorously allocated responsibilities to his deputies, and despite the traditional historical distrust that had existed between the military and the political side of the War Office, he got along quite well with his counterpart, the Secretary of State for War, first David Margesson and later, Sir James Grigg.

Appointees

The following table lists all those who have held the post of Chief of the General Staff or its preceding positions. Ranks and honours are as at the completion of their tenure:

No. Portrait Name Took office Left office Time in office Ref.
Chiefs of the General Staff
1
Sir Neville Lyttelton
Lyttelton, NevilleGeneral
Sir Neville Lyttelton
(1845–1931)
12 February 19042 April 19084 years, 50 days
2
Sir William Nicholson
Nicholson, WilliamField Marshal
Sir William Nicholson
(1845–1918)
2 April 190822 November 19091 year, 234 days
Chiefs of the Imperial General Staff
2
Sir William Nicholson
Nicholson, WilliamField Marshal
Sir William Nicholson
(1845–1918)
22 November 190915 March 19122 years, 114 days
3
Sir John French
French, JohnField Marshal
Sir John French
(1852–1925)
15 March 19126 April 19142 years, 22 days
4
Sir Charles Douglas
French, JohnGeneral
Sir Charles Douglas
(1850–1914)
6 April 191425 October 1914 †202 days
5
Sir James Wolfe Murray
Murray, JamesLieutenant-General
Sir James Wolfe Murray
(1853–1919)
25 October 191426 September 19151 year, 154 days
6
Sir Archibald Murray
Murray, ArchibaldLieutenant-General
Sir Archibald Murray
(1860–1945)
26 September 191523 December 191588 days
7
Sir William Robertson
Robertson, WilliamGeneral
Sir William Robertson
(1860–1933)
23 December 191519 February 19182 years, 58 days
8
Sir Henry Wilson
Wilson, HenryField Marshal
Sir Henry Wilson
(1864–1922)
19 February 191819 February 19224 years
9
Rudolph Lambart, 10th Earl of Cavan
Lambart, RudolphField Marshal
Rudolph Lambart, 10th Earl of Cavan
(1865–1946)
19 February 192219 February 19264 years
10
Sir George Milne
Milne, GeorgeField Marshal
Sir George Milne
(1866–1948)
19 February 192619 February 19337 years
11
Sir Archibald Montgomery-Massingberd
Montgomery, ArchibaldField Marshal
Sir Archibald Montgomery-Massingberd
(1871–1947)
19 February 193315 May 19363 years, 86 days
12
Sir Cyril Deverell
Deverell, CyrilField Marshal
Sir Cyril Deverell
(1874–1947)
15 May 19366 December 19371 year, 205 days
13
John Vereker, 6th Viscount Gort
Vereker, JohnGeneral
John Vereker, 6th Viscount Gort
(1886–1946)
6 December 19373 September 19391 year, 271 days
14
Sir Edmund Ironside
Ironside, EdmundGeneral
Sir Edmund Ironside
(1880–1959)
4 September 193926 May 1940266 days
15
Sir John Dill
Dill, JohnField Marshal
Sir John Dill
(1881–1944)
26 May 194025 December 19411 year, 213 days
16
Alan Brooke, 1st Viscount Alanbrooke
Brooke, AlanField Marshal
Alan Brooke, 1st Viscount Alanbrooke
(1883–1963)
25 December 194125 June 19464 years, 182 days
17
Bernard Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein
Montgomery, BernardField Marshal
Bernard Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein
(1887–1976)
26 June 19461 November 19482 years, 129 days
18
Sir William Slim
Slim, WilliamField Marshal
Sir William Slim
(1891–1970)
1 November 19481 November 19524 years
19
Sir John Harding
Harding, JohnField Marshal
Sir John Harding
(1896–1989)
1 November 195229 September 19552 years, 332 days
20
Sir Gerald Templer
Templer, GeraldField Marshal
Sir Gerald Templer
(1898–1979)
29 September 195529 September 19583 years
21
Sir Francis Festing
Festing, FrancisField Marshal
Sir Francis Festing
(1902–1976)
29 September 19581 November 19613 years, 33 days
22
Sir Richard Hull
Hull, RichardGeneral
Sir Richard Hull
(1902–1989)
1 November 1961April 19642 years, 5 months
Chiefs of the General Staff
22
Sir Richard Hull
Hull, RichardField Marshal
Sir Richard Hull
(1902–1989)
April 19648 February 196510 months-
23
Sir James Cassels
Cassels, JamesGeneral
Sir James Cassels
(1907–1996)
8 February 19651 March 19683 years, 22 days
24
Sir Geoffrey Baker
Baker, GeoffreyGeneral
Sir Geoffrey Baker
(1912–1980)
1 March 19681 April 19713 years, 31 days
25
Sir Michael Carver
Carver, MichaelField Marshal
Sir Michael Carver
(1915–2001)
1 April 197119 July 19732 years, 109 days
26
Sir Peter Hunt
Hunt, PeterGeneral
Sir Peter Hunt
(1916–1988)
19 July 197315 July 19762 years, 362 days
27
Sir Roland Gibbs
Gibbs, RolandGeneral
Sir Roland Gibbs
(1921–2004)
15 July 197614 July 19792 years, 364 days
28
Sir Edwin Bramall
Bramall, EdwinField Marshal
Sir Edwin Bramall
(1923–2019)
14 July 19791 August 19823 years, 18 days
29
Sir John Stanier
Stanier, JohnGeneral
Sir John Stanier
(1925–2007)
1 August 198228 July 19852 years, 361 days
30
Sir Nigel Bagnall
Bagnall, NigelGeneral
Sir Nigel Bagnall
(1927–2002)
28 July 198510 September 19883 years, 44 days
31
Sir John Chapple
Chapple, JohnGeneral
Sir John Chapple
(1931–2022)
10 September 198814 February 19923 years, 157 days
32
Sir Peter Inge
Inge, PeterGeneral
Sir Peter Inge
(1935–2022)
14 February 199215 March 19942 years, 29 days
33
Sir Charles Guthrie
Guthrie, CharlesGeneral
Sir Charles Guthrie
(born 1938)
15 March 19943 February 19972 years, 325 days
34
Sir Roger Wheeler
Wheeler, RogerGeneral
Sir Roger Wheeler
(born 1941)
3 February 199717 April 20003 years, 74 days
35
Sir Michael Walker
Walker, MichaelGeneral
Sir Michael Walker
(born 1944)
17 April 20001 February 20032 years, 290 days
36
Sir Mike Jackson
Jackson, MikeGeneral
Sir Mike Jackson
(born 1944)
1 February 200329 August 20063 years, 209 days
37
Sir Richard Dannatt
Dannatt, RichardGeneral
Sir Richard Dannatt
(born 1950)
29 August 200628 August 20092 years, 364 days
38
Sir David Richards
Richards, DavidGeneral
Sir David Richards
(born 1952)
28 August 200915 September 20101 year, 18 days
39
Sir Peter Wall
Wall, PeterGeneral
Sir Peter Wall
(born 1955)
15 September 20105 September 20143 years, 355 days
40
Sir Nick Carter
Carter, NickGeneral
Sir Nick Carter
(born 1959)
5 September 201411 June 20183 years, 279 days
41
Sir Mark Carleton-Smith
Carleton, MarkGeneral
Sir Mark Carleton-Smith
(born 1964)
11 June 201813 June 20224 years, 2 days
42
Sir Patrick Sanders
Sanders, PatrickGeneral
Sir Patrick Sanders
(born 1966)
13 June 2022Incumbent1 year, 284 days

See also


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