Cecil Blacker
Encyclopedia
General
Sir Cecil Hugh Blacker GCB OBE MC
(4 June 1916 - 18 October 2002) was a senior British Army
officer and a former Adjutant-General to the Forces
.
and at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst Cecil Blacker was commissioned into the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards
in 1936. He was adjutant
of the Regiment during the Dunkirk evacuation in 1940. He later transferred to the 23rd Hussars
which then formed part of 11th Armoured Division. He was awarded the MC
in 1944 following Operation Goodwood
and went on to become Commanding Officer
of the 23rd Hussars
in 1945.
Blacker commanded the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards
from 1955 to 1957. He was then Military Assistant to the Chief of the Imperial General Staff, Field Marshal Sir Gerald Templer
from 1958 to 1960. He was appointed Commander of 39th Infantry Brigade
in Northern Ireland
in 1962 and was then General Officer Commanding
3rd Division from 1964 to 1966.
He was appointed General Officer Commanding
-in-Chief Northern Command
in 1969 and then went on to become Vice Chief of the Imperial General Staff in 1970 before becoming Adjutant General
in 1973: he held this post until he retired in 1976. In 1974 his home was badly damaged by an IRA bomb
He was ADC General to the Queen from 1974 to 1976. He was also Colonel Commandant
of the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards
from 1972 to 1981.
He was awarded the CB in 1967, the KCB in 1969 and the GCB in 1975. He was also awarded the OBE in 1960.
He lived in Hook Norton
near Banbury
in Oxfordshire
.
r and International Showjumper. He rode in the 1948 Grand National
. He rode Pointsman to win the Grand Military Gold Cup at Cheltenham
in 1954. He represented Great Britain
in Showjumping from 1959 to 1961. He was President both of the British Showjumping Association from 1976 to 1980 and of the British Equestrian Federation from 1980 to 1984. He was a member of the Horse Race Betting Levy Board from 1980 to 1983.
and sculptor Philip Blacker.
General (United Kingdom)
General is currently the highest peace-time rank in the British Army and Royal Marines. It is subordinate to the Army rank of Field Marshal, has a NATO-code of OF-9, and is a four-star rank....
Sir Cecil Hugh Blacker GCB OBE MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
(4 June 1916 - 18 October 2002) was a senior British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
officer and a former Adjutant-General to the Forces
Adjutant-General to the Forces
The Adjutant-General to the Forces, commonly just referred to as the Adjutant-General , is one of the most senior officers in the British Army. He is in charge of administration, personnel and organisational matters. The Adjutant-General usually holds the rank of General or Lieutenant-General...
.
Military career
Educated at Wellington CollegeWellington College, Berkshire
-Former pupils:Notable former pupils include historian P. J. Marshall, architect Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, impressionist Rory Bremner, Adolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of Cambridge, author Sebastian Faulks, language school pioneer John Haycraft, political journalist Robin Oakley, actor Sir Christopher...
and at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst Cecil Blacker was commissioned into the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards
5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards
The 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards was a cavalry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1922 to 1992, when it was amalgmated into the Royal Dragoon Guards.-The beginning:...
in 1936. He was adjutant
Adjutant
Adjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies, including most English-speaking ones, it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies, especially Francophone ones, it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.An Adjutant...
of the Regiment during the Dunkirk evacuation in 1940. He later transferred to the 23rd Hussars
23rd Hussars
The 23rd Hussars was a cavalry regiment of the British Army from 1940 to 1946. It had no lineal connection with the earlier 23rd Regiment of Dragoons .-History:...
which then formed part of 11th Armoured Division. He was awarded the MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
in 1944 following Operation Goodwood
Operation Goodwood
Operation Goodwood was an attack launched on 18 July 1944, during the Second World War, by the British army to the east of the city of Caen...
and went on to become Commanding Officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
of the 23rd Hussars
23rd Hussars
The 23rd Hussars was a cavalry regiment of the British Army from 1940 to 1946. It had no lineal connection with the earlier 23rd Regiment of Dragoons .-History:...
in 1945.
Blacker commanded the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards
5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards
The 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards was a cavalry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1922 to 1992, when it was amalgmated into the Royal Dragoon Guards.-The beginning:...
from 1955 to 1957. He was then Military Assistant to the Chief of the Imperial General Staff, Field Marshal Sir Gerald Templer
Gerald Templer
Field Marshal Sir Gerald Walter Robert Templer KG, GCB, GCMG, KBE was a British military commander. He is best known for his defeat of the guerrilla rebels in Malaya between 1952 and 1954...
from 1958 to 1960. He was appointed Commander of 39th Infantry Brigade
39th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)
The British 39th Infantry Brigade was a military formation of the British Army that was first established during World War I and reformed in the 1950s.-World Wars:...
in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
in 1962 and was then General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...
3rd Division from 1964 to 1966.
He was appointed General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...
-in-Chief Northern Command
Northern Command (United Kingdom)
-Nineteenth century:The District Commands of the British Army in Great Britain and Ireland first appear in print in 1840, at which time Northern Command was held by Maj-Gen Charles James Napier, appointed in 1838. During his time the troops stationed within Northern Command were frequently deployed...
in 1969 and then went on to become Vice Chief of the Imperial General Staff in 1970 before becoming Adjutant General
Adjutant-General to the Forces
The Adjutant-General to the Forces, commonly just referred to as the Adjutant-General , is one of the most senior officers in the British Army. He is in charge of administration, personnel and organisational matters. The Adjutant-General usually holds the rank of General or Lieutenant-General...
in 1973: he held this post until he retired in 1976. In 1974 his home was badly damaged by an IRA bomb
He was ADC General to the Queen from 1974 to 1976. He was also Colonel Commandant
Colonel Commandant
Colonel Commandant is a military title used in the armed forces of some English-speaking countries. The title, not a substantive rank, could denote a senior colonel with authority over fellow colonels...
of the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards
5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards
The 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards was a cavalry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1922 to 1992, when it was amalgmated into the Royal Dragoon Guards.-The beginning:...
from 1972 to 1981.
He was awarded the CB in 1967, the KCB in 1969 and the GCB in 1975. He was also awarded the OBE in 1960.
He lived in Hook Norton
Hook Norton
Hook Norton is a village and civil parish in the Cotswold Hills in Oxfordshire, England. It is northeast of Chipping Norton.-Toponym and early history:...
near Banbury
Banbury
Banbury is a market town and civil parish on the River Cherwell in the Cherwell District of Oxfordshire. It is northwest of London, southeast of Birmingham, south of Coventry and north northwest of the county town of Oxford...
in Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
.
Showjumping
Blacker was an Amateur SteeplechaseSteeplechase
Steeplechase may refer to:* Steeplechase, an event in horse racing* SteepleChase, a Danish jazz label* Steeplechase , a 1975 arcade game released by Atari...
r and International Showjumper. He rode in the 1948 Grand National
Grand National
The Grand National is a world-famous National Hunt horse race which is held annually at Aintree Racecourse, near Liverpool, England. It is a handicap chase run over a distance of four miles and 856 yards , with horses jumping thirty fences over two circuits of Aintree's National Course...
. He rode Pointsman to win the Grand Military Gold Cup at Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
in 1954. He represented Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
in Showjumping from 1959 to 1961. He was President both of the British Showjumping Association from 1976 to 1980 and of the British Equestrian Federation from 1980 to 1984. He was a member of the Horse Race Betting Levy Board from 1980 to 1983.
Family
In 1947 he married Felicity Mary Rew and together they went on to have two sons, writer Terence BlackerTerence Blacker
Terence Blacker is an English author, columnist, journalist, and publisher. He is the son of General Sir Cecil Hugh Blacker, and the brother of sculptor Philip Blacker....
and sculptor Philip Blacker.