Michael Riddell-Webster

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Michael Riddell-Webster
Handover of the Governor of Edinburgh Castle, 2019 (Michael Riddell-Webster cropped).jpg
Major General Riddell-Webster in 2019.
BornDecember 1960 (age 62)
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branch British Army
Years of service1983–2014
Rank Major General
Commands held 39th Infantry Brigade
1st Battalion Black Watch
Battles/wars The Troubles
Iraq War
Awards Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Distinguished Service Order
Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service (2)

Major General Michael Lawrence Riddell-Webster, CBE , DSO (born December 1960) is a retired British Army officer. He served as Governor of Edinburgh Castle from 2015 to 2019.

Contents

Early life and education

Riddell-Webster was born in December 1960. [1] He was educated at Harrow School, an all-boys private boarding school in London. He studied for a Master of Science (MSc) degree in energy at Heriot-Watt University. [2]

Military career

Riddell-Webster was commissioned into the Black Watch in 1983. [2] After serving in the Former Republic of Yugoslavia, for which he was awarded the Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in 2001, [3] he became commanding officer of 1st Battalion the Black Watch in December 2000 and commanded it during the Iraq War in 2003, [4] for which he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order. [5]

Riddell-Webster went on to be Deputy Director Equipment Capability (Ground Manoeuvre) at the Ministry of Defence in October 2003 and commander of the 39th Infantry Brigade in Northern Ireland in December 2005, [6] for which he was also awarded the Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in 2007. [7] After that he became Director of the Army Division at the Joint Services Command and Staff College in September 2007, [8] Head of Capability (Ground Manoeuvre) at the Ministry of Defence in December 2008, and Director of the Defence College of Management and Technology in January 2012. [9]

After retiring from the Regular Army in September 2014, he joined the Army Reserve. He became Governor of Edinburgh Castle in October 2015. [2] He handed the Castle over to its next governor, Major General Alastair Bruce of Crionaich, on 24 June 2019. [10]

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References

  1. ↑ "Michael Lawrence RIDDELL-WEBSTER". beta.companieshouse.gov.uk. Companies House. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 "The highest ranking Army Reservist has been installed as Governor of Edinburgh Castle". Ministry of Defence. 20 October 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  3. ↑ "No. 56541". The London Gazette (Supplement). 19 April 2002. p. 4811.
  4. ↑ "Colonel dons a tam-o'-shanter and leads his troops on a friendly foray into town". The Telegraph. London. 2 April 2003. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  5. ↑ "No. 57100". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 October 2003. p. 4.
  6. ↑ "Army Commands" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  7. ↑ "No. 58633". The London Gazette (Supplement). 7 March 2008. p. 3612.
  8. ↑ "Senior Ministry of Defence Posts" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  9. ↑ "Strathclyde joins the Defence Technical Undergraduate Scheme". University of Strathclyde. May 2014. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  10. ↑ "Handover of the Governor of Edinburgh Castle". army.mod.uk. 25 June 2019. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
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