Richard Vincent, Baron Vincent of Coleshill

For the British playwright and director, see Richard Vincent (playwright)

Field Marshal Richard Frederick Vincent, Baron Vincent of Coleshill, GBE, KCB, DSO (born 23 August 1931), was Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) of the United Kingdom and thus the professional head of the British Armed Forces. After stepping down in 1992, he became Chair of the Military Committee of NATO from 1993 to 1996.

He was one of the select band of CDSs not to have been the professional head of their service, having instead been Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff from 1987 to 1991, when he was appointed to the top job in the British Military.

Military career

Educated at Aldenham School in Hertfordshire Richard Vincent joined the Royal Artillery in 1951, initially as a National Service Officer.^[1] He served with the British Army of the Rhine from 1951 to 1955.^[1] He was seconded to the Radar Research Establishment in Malvern from 1960 to 1961.^[1]

He attended the Army Staff College in Camberley in 1965, following which he served with the Commonwealth Brigade in Malaysia until 1968.^[1] Following a General Staff Officer appointment at the Ministry of Defence from 1968 to 1970,^[1] he commanded the 12th Light Air Defence Regiment in Germany and Northern Ireland until 1972,^[1] following which he returned to Camberley where he was an Instructor at the Staff College until 1973.^[1]

He obviously found his niche in the academic area of military life, as he became Military Director of Studies at the Royal Military College of Science in Shrivenham from 1974 to 1975.^[1] After commanding 19th Airportable Brigade between 1975 and 1977,^[1] he then attended the Royal College of Defence Studies in Belgrave Square, London,^[1] following which he undertook the senior staff level appointment as Deputy Military Secretary from 1979 to 1980.^[1] He then returned to Shrivenham as Commandant of the Royal Military College of Science from 1980 to 1983,^[1] following which he was appointed as Master-General of the Ordnance at the Ministry of Defence,^[1] a post in which he served until appointed as Vice Chief of the Defence Staff in 1987.^[2] In 1991 he became Chief of the Defence Staff.^[2]

Later career

In addition to his full-time roles, he was Colonel Commandant of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) from 1981 until 1987,^[2] and Honorary Colonel of 100 (Yeomanry) Field Regiment RA(V) from 1982 until 1991.^[2] Following his retirement and ennoblement as life peer with the title Baron Vincent of Coleshill, of Shrivenham in the County of Oxfordshire, he was appointed to the ceremonial role of Master Gunner, St. James's Park,^[2] a post he held until 2000.

Lord Vincent was Chancellor of Cranfield University from 1998 to 2010.^[3]

Family

In 1955 he married Jean Patterson: they went on to have two sons (one of whom died young) and a daughter.^[1]

References

• Heathcote, T.A. (1999). The British Field Marshals 1736-1997. Pen & Sword Books Ltd. ISBN 0-85052-696-5

Omar Bradley · 
Etienne Baele · 
Charles Foulkes · 
E.J.C. Quistgaard · 
Augustin Guillaume · 
Stylianos Pallis · 
Giuseppe Mancinelli · 
B.R.P.F. Hasselman · 
Bjarne Øen · 
J.A. Beleza Ferras · 
Rustu Erdelhun · 
Louis Mountbatten · 
Lyman Lemnitzer · 
C.P. de Cumont · 
Adolf Heusinger · 
C.P. de Cumont · 
Nigel Henderson · 
Johannes Steinhoff · 
Peter Hill-Norton · 
Herman Fredrik Zeiner-Gundersen · 
Robert Hilborn Falls · 
Cornelis De Jager · 
Wolfgang Altenburg · 
Vigleik Eide · 
Richard Vincent · 
Klaus Naumann · 
Guido Venturoni · 
Harald Kujat · 
Ray Henault ·