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John Archer (British Army officer)
Encyclopedia
General
Sir (Arthur) John Archer KCB
OBE (12 February 1924 – 12 March 1999) is a former Commander in Chief, UK Land Forces.
in 1944. He transferred to the Devon and Dorset Regiment in 1946 and served with the Regiment during the Malayan Emergency
. He was Commanding Officer
of 1 Bn Devon and Dorset Regiment from 1965 to 1967. He then went on to command British Land Forces in The Gulf
from 1968 to 1969. He was General Officer Commanding
2nd Division from 1972 to 1974. He was then Director Army Staff Duties at the Ministry of Defence
from 1974 to 1976 and Commander of British Forces in Hong Kong
from 1976 to 1978.
He served as the Commander in Chief, UK Land Forces from 1978 to 1980 when he retired.
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Sir (Arthur) John Archer KCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
OBE (12 February 1924 – 12 March 1999) is a former Commander in Chief, UK Land Forces.
Army career
Educated at King's School, Peterborough and St. Catharine's College, Cambridge, John Archer was commissioned into the Royal Norfolk RegimentRoyal Norfolk Regiment
The Royal Norfolk Regiment, originally formed as the Norfolk Regiment, was an infantry regiment of the British Army. The Norfolk Regiment was created on 1 July 1881 as the county regiment of Norfolk...
in 1944. He transferred to the Devon and Dorset Regiment in 1946 and served with the Regiment during the Malayan Emergency
Malayan Emergency
The Malayan Emergency was a guerrilla war fought between Commonwealth armed forces and the Malayan National Liberation Army , the military arm of the Malayan Communist Party, from 1948 to 1960....
. He was 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 1 Bn Devon and Dorset Regiment from 1965 to 1967. He then went on to command British Land Forces in The Gulf
Arab states of the Persian Gulf
"Arab states of the Persian Gulf" or "Arab Persian Gulf states" or "Persian Gulf Arab states" or "Arabic Persian Gulf states" or "Arab States of The Gulf", are terms that refer to the six Arab states of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman, bordering the Persian Gulf....
from 1968 to 1969. He was 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...
2nd Division from 1972 to 1974. He was then Director Army Staff Duties at the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
from 1974 to 1976 and Commander of British Forces in Hong Kong
Commander British Forces in Hong Kong
The Commander British Forces in Hong Kong was a senior British Army officer who acted as Military Advisor to the Governor of Hong Kong.-Structure:...
from 1976 to 1978.
He served as the Commander in Chief, UK Land Forces from 1978 to 1980 when he retired.