Charles Guthrie, Baron Guthrie of Craigiebank

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The Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank
17 November 1938 -
General The Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank (Photo: Crown copyright)
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1959 - 2001
Rank	General
Commands held	1 Bn Welsh Guards 4th Armoured Brigade 2 Division 1st British Corps British Army of the Rhine Chief of the General Staff
Awards	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order Officer of the Order of the British Empire

General Charles Ronald Llewelyn Guthrie, Baron Guthrie of Craigiebank, GCB, LVO, OBE, DL (born 17 November 1938) was Chief of the Defence Staff between 1997 and 2001 and Chief of the General Staff, the professional head of the British Army, between 1994 and 1997. He notably clashed with Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown over military funding.

Contents 1 Army career 2 Later career 3 Criticism 4 Notes

[edit] Army career

Educated at Harrow School and the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst he was commissioned into the Welsh Guards in 1959.^[1]

In 1966 he became a troop commander and then in 1968 a squadron commander with 22 Special Air Service Regiment.^[1]

In 1977 he was appointed Commanding Officer of 1 Battalion Welsh Guards. In 1981 he became Brigade Commander of 4th Armoured Brigade and in 1985 General Officer Commanding 2 Division.^[1]

In 1987 he became Assistant Chief of the General Staff and in 1989 General Officer Commanding 1st British Corps.^[1] In 1992 he took command of the British Army of the Rhine and in 1997 became Chief of the General Staff.

[edit] Later career

He is a cross bench member of the House of Lords. He was created a life peer as Baron Guthrie of Craigiebank, of Craigiebank in the City of Dundee, after retiring as Chief of the Defence Staff. He was one of the several retired Chiefs of Defence Staff who spoke out in the House of Lords about the risk to servicemen facing liability for their actions - for which politicians are ultimately responsible - before the International Criminal Court, particularly in respect to the invasion of Iraq.^[2]

He is a director (non-executive) of N M Rothschild & Sons, Ashley Gardens Block 2 Ltd and Colt Defense LLC, and Chairman (non-executive) of Siboney Ltd.^[3]

He is the president of several charities, including Action Medical Research, Army Benevolent Fund, Federation of London Youth Clubs and the Progressive Supranuclear Palsy Association.^[3]

[edit] Criticism

Guthrie was criticised in 2008 by George Monbiot for an apparent lack of understanding of international law.^[4] Monbiot based his argument on Guthrie's September 2002 advocacy of an invasion of Iraq and subsequent comments, in which he appeared to support launching "surprise wars", something forbidden by the United Nations charter.

[edit] Notes

Military offices
Preceded by Sir Peter Inge	Commander-in-Chief of the British Army of the Rhine 1993–1994	Succeeded by None
Preceded by Sir Peter Inge	Chief of the General Staff 1994–1997	Succeeded by Sir Roger Wheeler
Preceded by Sir Peter Inge	Chief of the Defence Staff 1997–2001	Succeeded by Sir Michael Boyce

v • d • e Chiefs of the General Staff of the British Army Chiefs of the Imperial General Staff Sir William Nicholson • Sir John French • Sir Charles Douglas • Sir James Murray • Sir Archibald Murray • Sir William Robertson • Sir Henry Wilson • Lord Cavan • Sir George Milne • Sir Archibald Montgomery-Massingberd • Sir Cyril Deverell • Viscount Gort • Sir Edmund Ironside • Sir John Dill • Sir Alan Brooke • Viscount Montgomery • Sir William Slim • Sir John Harding • Sir Gerald Templer • Sir Francis Festing • Sir Richard Hull Chiefs of the General Staff Sir Richard Hull • Sir James Cassels • Sir Geoffrey Baker • Sir Michael Carver • Sir Peter Hunt • Sir Roland Gibbs • Sir Edwin Bramall • Sir John Stanier • Sir Nigel Bagnall • Sir John Chapple • Sir Peter Inge • Sir Charles Guthrie • Sir Roger Wheeler • Sir Michael Walker • Sir Mike Jackson • Sir Richard Dannatt