| Nicholas Cottam | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1951 (age 60–61) |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/branch | British Army |
| Years of service | 1973-2008 |
| Rank | Major-General |
| Commands held | 5th Infantry Division |
| Battles/wars | Operation Banner |
| Awards | Companion of the Order of the Bath Officer of the Order of the British Empire |
Major-General Nicholas Jeremy Cottam CB OBE (born 1951) was a senior British Army officer who went on to be Military Secretary.
Cottam was commissioned into the Royal Green Jackets in 1973.[1] He became Commanding Officer of his Regiment and was deployed in Northern Ireland in the early 1990s being appointed to the OBE[2] and mentioned in despatches for his service there.[3] In 1994 he went to South Africa as part of a Commonwealth Peace Keeping Force.[4]
He became Director of Personnel Services in 2001 for the Army[5] and went on to be General Officer Commanding 5th Infantry Division in 2003[6] and Military Secretary in 2005.[6] In that role he increased the retirement age for officers in the Territorial Army to 60[7] and carried out a review of the Reserves recommending that they be used for augmentation as much as for maximum effort.[8]
In retirement he became Registrar of St Paul's Cathedral.[9]
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Arthur Denaro |
General Officer Commanding the 5th Division 2003–2005 |
Succeeded by Andrew Farquhar |
| Preceded by Freddie Viggers |
Military Secretary 2005–2008 |
Succeeded by Mark Mans |