Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff | |
---|---|
Ministry of Defence | |
Abbreviation | VCDS |
Member of | Defence Council Chiefs of Staff Committee |
Reports to | Chief of the Defence Staff |
Nominator | Secretary of State for Defence |
Appointer | Prime Minister Subject to formal approval by the King-in-Council |
Precursor | Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff |
Formation | February 1964 |
First holder | Air Chief Marshal Sir Alfred Earle |
Website | Official website |
The Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff (VCDS) is the deputy to the Chief of the Defence Staff, the professional head of the British Armed Forces. [1] The position was titled Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff before 1964. [2] From 1966 to 1978 the post was occupied by a 3 star officer. From 1978 onwards the post has been held by a 4 star officer.
The Vice Chief of the Defence Staff deputises for the Chief of the Defence Staff and has responsibility for running the armed forces aspects of defence business, principally through the central staff. VCDS is responsible for:
These are: [2]
No. | Picture | Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff | Took office | Left office | Defence branch |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Air Chief Marshal Sir Alfred Earle GBE , CB (1907–1990) | February 1964 | May 1966 | Royal Air Force | |
2 | Lieutenant General Sir George Cole KCB , CBE (1911–1973) | May 1966 | November 1967 | British Army | |
3 | Vice Admiral Sir Ian Hogg KCB , DSC & Bar (1911–2003) | November 1967 | March 1970 | Royal Navy | |
4 | Air Marshal Sir John Barraclough KCB , CBE , DFC , AFC (1918–2008) | March 1970 | February 1972 | Royal Air Force | |
5 | Sir John Gibbon GCB , OBE (1917–1997) | Lieutenant GeneralFebruary 1972 | January 1974 | British Army | |
6 | Sir Peter Le Cheminant KCB , DFC & Bar (1920–2018) | Air MarshalJanuary 1974 | January 1976 | Royal Air Force | |
7 | Sir Henry Leach KCB (1923–2011) | Vice AdmiralJanuary 1976 | March 1977 | Royal Navy | |
8 | Sir Anthony Morton KCB (1923–2006) | Vice AdmiralMarch 1977 | April 1978 | Royal Navy | |
9 | General Sir Edwin Bramall KCB , OBE , MC (1923–2019) | April 1978 | May 1979 | British Army | |
10 | Sir Patrick Howard-Dobson GCB (1921–2009) | GeneralMay 1979 | June 1981 | British Army | |
11 | Sir David Evans GCB , CBE (1924–2020) | Air Chief MarshalJune 1981 | June 1983 | Royal Air Force | |
12 | Admiral Sir Peter Herbert KCB , OBE (1929–2019) | June 1983 | January 1985 | Royal Navy | |
13 | Sir Peter Harding KCB (1933–2021) | Air Chief MarshalJanuary 1985 | August 1985 | Royal Air Force | |
14 | Sir Patrick Hine KCB (born 1932) | Air Chief MarshalAugust 1985 | October 1987 | Royal Air Force | |
15 | Sir Richard Vincent KCB , DSO (1931–2018) | GeneralOctober 1987 | March 1991 | British Army | |
16 | Sir Benjamin Bathurst GCB (born 1936) | AdmiralMarch 1991 | January 1993 | Royal Navy | |
17 | Sir John Slater GCB , LVO (born 1938) | AdmiralJanuary 1993 | April 1995 | Royal Navy | |
18 | Sir John Willis GBE , KCB (1937–2008) | Air Chief MarshalApril 1995 | October 1997 | Royal Air Force | |
19 | Sir Peter Abbott GBE , KCB (1942–2015) | AdmiralOctober 1997 | May 2001 | Royal Navy | |
20 | Sir Anthony Bagnall GBE , KCB (born 1945) | Air Chief MarshalMay 2001 | July 2005 | Royal Air Force | |
21 | Sir Timothy Granville-Chapman GBE , KCB (born 1947) | GeneralJuly 2005 | May 2009 | British Army | |
22 | Sir Nicholas Houghton GCB , CBE (born 1954) | GeneralMay 2009 | May 2013 | British Army | |
23 | Sir Stuart Peach GBE , KCB (born 1956) | Air Chief MarshalMay 2013 | May 2016 | Royal Air Force | |
24 | Sir Gordon Messenger KCB , DSO & Bar , OBE (born 1962) | GeneralMay 2016 | May 2019 | Royal Marines | |
25 | Sir Timothy Fraser KCB | AdmiralMay 2019 | September 2022 | Royal Navy | |
26 | Gwyn Jenkins CB , OBE | GeneralAugust 2022 [4] | Royal Marines |
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