General Sir Alex Harley KBE, CB | |
---|---|
Born | 3 May 1941 |
Allegiance | United Kingdom |
Service/ | British Army |
Years of service | 1962–2000 |
Rank | General |
Commands held | British Forces Cyprus 33rd Armoured Brigade 19th Regiment Royal Artillery |
Battles/wars | The Troubles |
Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire Companion of the Order of the Bath Mentioned in Despatches |
General Sir Alexander George Hamilton Harley, KBE , CB (born 3 May 1941) is a retired British Army officer and former Adjutant-General to the Forces.
Educated at Caterham School, Alexander Harley was commissioned into the Royal Artillery in 1962. [1] He was mentioned in despatches for services in Northern Ireland in 1978. [2] He was appointed Commanding Officer of 19th Regiment Royal Artillery in 1979, Commander of 33rd Armoured Brigade in 1985 and Assistant Chief of Staff Operations for the Northern Army Group in 1988. [3] He went on to be Assistant Chief of Defence Staff in 1990 and Commander of British Forces Cyprus and Administrator of the Sovereign Base Areas in 1993. [3]
Harley became Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Commitments) in 1995 [4] and Adjutant-General to the Forces in 1997 [5] before he retired in August 2000. [6] He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 1981 Queen's Birthday Honours [7] and a Companion of the Order of the Bath in the 1991 Queen's Birthday Honours. [8]
In 2001 he became Master Gunner, St. James's Park, a post he gave up in 2008. [9] In retirement he also became an advisor to Thales Air Systems and a vice-president of Raleigh International. [10]
In 1967 he married Christina Valentine Butler-Cole and they went on to have two sons. [3]
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