Geoffrey Baker

Field Marshal Sir Geoffrey Baker GCB, CMG, CBE, MC
Field Marshal Sir Geoffrey Baker
Born	(1912-06-20)20 June 1912 Murree, India
Died	8 May 1980(1980-05-08) (aged 67) Wellington College, Berkshire
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1932 - 1971
Rank	Field Marshal
Unit	Royal Artillery
Commands held	3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery Southern Command Chief of the General Staff
Battles/wars	World War II Cyprus Emergency Operation Banner
Awards	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George Commander of the Order of the British Empire Military Cross Mention in Despatches

Field Marshal Sir Geoffrey Harding Baker GCB, CMG, CBE, MC (20 June 1912 – 8 May 1980) was Chief of the General Staff, the professional head of the British Army. He served in World War II and became Director of Operations and Chief of Staff for the campaign against EOKA in Cyprus during the Cyprus Emergency and later in his career provided advice to the British Government on the deployment of troops to Northern Ireland at the start of the Troubles.

Army career

Born the son of Colonel Cecil Norris Baker and Ella Mary Baker (née Hutchinson)^[1] and educated at Wellington College and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich,^[2] Baker was commissioned into the Royal Artillery on 28 January 1932.^[3] He was promoted to lieutenant on 28 January 1935 and was posted later that year to Meerut in India.^[2]

He served in World War II and, having been promoted to captain on 28 January 1940 and posted as a staff officer to Headquarters Middle East in May 1940,^[2] he took part in the campaign in East Africa during which he fought at the Battle of Keren^[2] for which he was awarded the MC on 8 July 1941;^[4] he was wounded three times and was mentioned in dispatches on 30 December 1941^[5] and on 15 December 1942.^[6] He was appointed Commanding Officer of 127 Field Regiment RA in July 1943 and, having been appointed OBE for his services in the Middle East on 14 October 1943,^[7] he led his regiment during the Allied invasion of Sicily.^[8] In March 1944 he joined to staff at 21st Army Group and took part in the Normandy landings and the campaign in North West Europe^[8] being mentioned in despatches on 10 May 1945,^[9] appointed CBE on 24 January 1946^[10] and awarded the Legion of Merit in the Degree of Commander by the President of the United States on 17 September 1948.^[11]

After the War he co-ordinated administrative services in the Allied Control Commission in Germany.^[8] Promoted to the substantive rank of major on 1 July 1946,^[12] he was appointed Deputy Director of Staff Duties at the War Office in January 1947.^[8] After promotion to lieutenant colonel on 31 December 1951,^[13] he took command of 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery at Munsterlager and, following promotion to colonel on 20 June 1953^[14] and having been appointed CB in the New Year Honours 1955,^[15] he became Director of Operations and Chief of Staff for the campaign against EOKA in Cyprus in November 1955 during the Cyprus Emergency for which he was appointed CMG in the New Year Honours 1958.^[16] He became Assistant Chief of Staff at Headquarters Northern Army Group in February 1959 and, on promotion to major-general on 3 February 1960,^[17] he was appointed Chief-of-Staff at Southern Command.^[8] He went on to be Chief of Staff at SHAPE in November 1961 in which capacity he was responsible for contingency planning for Berlin at the time of the construction of the Berlin Wall.^[8]

Following his appointment as Vice Chief of the Imperial General Staff^[18] with the rank of lieutenant general on 2 September 1963,^[19] and having been advanced to KCB in the New Year Honours 1964,^[20] he became General Officer Commanding Southern Command on 31 October 1966.^[21] Having been promoted to full general on 7 May 1967^[22] and advanced to GCB in the New Year Honours 1968,^[23] he was appointed Chief of the General Staff on 1 March 1968.^[24] In this role he provided advice to the British Government on the deployment of troops to Northern Ireland at the start of the Troubles: his assessment was that Special Branch had inadequate intelligence on the IRA.^[25] He was promoted to field marshal on 31 March 1971^[26] on his retirement from the British Army.^[27]

In retirement he became Colonel Commandant of the Royal Artillery from July 1964, Colonel Commandant of the Royal Military Police from March 1968, Colonel Commandant of the Royal Horse Artillery from November 1970 and Master Gunner, St. James's Park from 1970.^[27] He was also Constable of the Tower of London from 1 August 1975.^[28] He was a governor of both Wellington College and Radley College.^[1]

He died at Wellington College on 8 May 1980.^[1]

Family

In 1946 he married Valerie Lockhart; they had one daughter (the military artist Alix Baker)^[29] and two sons.^[8]

References

Further reading

• Heathcote, Tony (1999). The British Field Marshals 1736–1997. Barnsley (UK): Pen & Sword. ISBN 0-85052-696-5. 

Military offices
Preceded by Sir William Pike	Vice Chief of the Imperial General Staff 1963–1966	Succeeded by Sir Desmond Fitzpatrick
Preceded by Sir Kenneth Darling	GOC-in-C Southern Command 1966–1968	Succeeded by Sir John Mogg
Preceded by Sir James Cassels	Chief of the General Staff 1968–1971	Succeeded by Sir Michael Carver
Honorary titles
Preceded by Sir Robert Mansergh	Master Gunner, St. James's Park 1970–1976	Succeeded by Sir Harry Tuzo
Preceded by Sir Richard Hull	Constable of the Tower of London 1975 – 1980	Succeeded by Sir Peter Hunt

v t e Commanders-in-Chief of the Forces and Chiefs of the General Staff of the British Army Commanders-in-Chief of the Forces Duke of Albemarle Duke of Monmouth Earl of Marlborough Duke of Leinster Duke of Marlborough Duke of Ormonde Earl of Stair George Wade Duke of Cumberland Viscount Ligionier Marquess of Granby Lord Amherst Henry Conway Lord Amherst Duke of York Sir David Dundas Duke of York Duke of Wellington Viscount Hill Duke of Wellington Viscount Hardinge Duke of Cambridge Viscount Wolseley Earl Roberts Chief of the General Staff Sir Neville Lyttelton 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 The Earl of Cavan Sir George Milne Sir Archibald Montgomery-Massingberd Sir Cyril Deverell The Viscount Gort Sir Edmund Ironside Sir John Dill Sir Alan Brooke The Viscount Montgomery of Alamein 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 Sir David Richards Sir Peter Wall

Authority control VIAF: 94469765 ISNI: 0000 0001 1689 0798

Persondata
Name	Baker, Geoffrey
Alternative names
Short description	Army officer
Date of birth	1912-06-20
Place of birth	British India
Date of death	1980-05-08
Place of death	Wellington College, Berkshire