The Commandant of the Royal College of Defence Studies, formerly the Commandant of the Imperial Defence College, is the head of the

Royal College of Defence Studies The Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS) instructs the most promising senior officers of the British Armed Forces, His Majesty's Diplomatic Service and Civil Service in national defence and international security matters at the highest lev ...

, a British military staff college which instructs senior officers, diplomats, and civil servants. The Commandant was a senior serving military officer between 1972 and 2001: the post rotated through the three branches of the armed forces in turn. In 1971, the old Imperial Defence College became the Royal College of Defence Studies. In 1991, the post was downgraded to three-star, and then in 2001, it was opened up to competition through public advertisement. Subsequent incumbents were all senior retired military officers, until the appointment of a diplomat in 2014. In 2019, a civil service job advert stated the post would be at SCS2 pay grade, or

Two-star rank An officer of two-star rank is a senior commander in many of the armed services holding a rank described by the NATO code of OF-7. The term is also used by some armed forces which are not NATO members. Typically, two-star officers hold the rank ...

or NATO OF-7 rank.

List of Commandants

Commandants have included: Commandant of the Imperial Defence College * Vice-Admiral Sir

Herbert Richmond Admiral Sir Herbert William Richmond, (15 September 1871 – 15 December 1946) was a prominent Royal Navy officer, described as "perhaps the most brilliant naval officer of his generation." He was also a top naval historian, known as the "Briti ...

KCB (1926) *

Major-General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

William Bartholomew GCB CMG DSO (1929) * Air Marshal Sir

Robert Brooke-Popham Air Chief Marshal Sir Henry Robert Moore Brooke-Popham, (18 September 1878 – 20 October 1953) was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force. During the First World War he served in the Royal Flying Corps as a wing commander and senior staff o ...

GCVO KCB CMG DSO AFC (1931) *Vice-Admiral Sir Lionel Preston KCB (1933) *Major-General

Robert Haining General Sir Robert Hadden Haining, (28 July 1882 – 15 September 1959) was a senior British Army officer during the Second World War. Early life and education Haining was born in Chester, the eldest son of Dr. William Haining and Mary Ellen Ro ...

CB DSO (1935) *Air Marshal Sir

Arthur Longmore Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Murray Longmore, (8 October 1885 – 10 December 1970) was an early naval aviator, before reaching high rank in the Royal Air Force. He was Commander-in-Chief of the RAF's Middle East Command from 1940 to 1941. E ...

KCB DSO (1936) *Vice-Admiral

Hugh Binney Admiral Sir Thomas Hugh Binney, (9 December 1883 – 8 January 1953) was a senior officer in the Royal Navy and the 16th Governor of Tasmania from 1945 to 1951. Early life Binney was born in Douglas, Isle of Man on 9 December 1883, the son of ...

CB DSO (1939) :''Note: The post was vacant during World War II'' *General Sir

William Slim William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...

GBE KCB DSO, MC (1946) * Air Chief Marshal Sir

John Slessor Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir John Cotesworth Slessor, (3 June 1897 – 12 July 1979) was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force (RAF), serving as Chief of the Air Staff from 1950 to 1952. As a pilot in the Royal Flying Corps du ...

KCB DSO MC (1948) *Admiral Sir Charles Daniel KCB CBE DSO (1949) *General Sir Frank Simpson GBE KCB DSO (1952) *Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Sanders GCB KBE (1954) *Admiral The Hon Sir

Guy Russell Admiral Sir Guy Herbrand Edward Russell, (14 April 1898 – 25 September 1977) was a senior Royal Navy officer. He served as Commander-in-Chief, Far East Fleet from 1951 to 1953 during the Korean War, Second Sea Lord from 1953 to 1955, and Co ...

GBE KCB DSO (1956) *General Sir Geoffrey Bourne KCB KBE CMG (1958) *Sir Robert Scott GCMG CBE (1960) *Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Constantine KBE CB DSO (1961) *Admiral Sir

Deric Holland-Martin Admiral Sir Douglas Eric Holland-Martin, (10 April 1906 – 6 January 1977) was a Royal Navy officer who served as Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel from 1957 to 1959. Naval career Educated at West Downs School, Holland-Martin ente ...

GCB DSO DSC (1964) *General Sir John Anderson GBE KCB DSO (1966) *Air Chief Marshal Sir

Donald Evans Donald Louis Evans (born July 27, 1946) is an American businessman. He was the 34th U.S. Secretary of Commerce. He was appointed by his longtime friend George W. Bush and sworn into office on January 20, 2001. On November 9, 2004, the White Hou ...

KBE CB DFC (1968) *The Hon Alastair Buchan CBE (1970) Commandant of the Royal College of Defence Studies *General Sir Mervyn Butler KCB CBE DSO MC (1972) *General Sir

Antony Read General Sir John Antony Jervis Read, (10 September 1913 – 22 September 2000) was a senior British Army officer who served as Quartermaster-General to the Forces from 1969 to 1973. He was awarded the Military Cross (MC) for gallantry during the ...

GCB CBE DSO MC ADC (Gen) (1973) *Air Chief Marshal Sir

John Barraclough Lindley John Forbes Barraclough (3 September 1926 – 13 December 2005) was an Australian politician, representing the electoral district of Bligh in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly The New South Wales Legislative Assembly is the ...

KCB CBE DFC AFC (1974) *Admiral Sir Ian Easton KCB DSC (1976) *General Sir David Fraser KCB OBE ADC (Gen) (1978) *Air Chief Marshal Sir Robert Freer GBE KCB (1980) *Admiral Sir

William Pillar Admiral Sir William Thomas Pillar, (24 February 1924 – 18 March 1999) was a senior Royal Navy officer who served as Chief of Naval Support and a member of the Admiralty. Naval career Educated at Blundell's School and latterly at the Royal N ...

GBE KCB (1982) *General Sir

Michael Gow Michael Gow is an Australian playwright and director most famed for his 1986 work '' Away''. Early life As a student at Sydney University, Gow acted and directed with the Dramatic Society from 1973-1976. After graduation, Gow went on to act pr ...

GCB, ADC (Gen) (1984) *Admiral Sir

David Hallifax Admiral Sir David John Hallifax, (3 September 1927 – 23 August 1992) was a senior Royal Navy officer who served as Constable and Governor of Windsor Castle from 1988 until 1992. Naval career Hallifax was educated at Winchester College, joined ...

KCB KBE (1986) *Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael Armitage KCB CBE (1988) *General Sir

Antony Walker General Sir Antony Kenneth Frederick Walker, (born 16 May 1934) is a former British Army officer who served as Commandant of the Royal College of Defence Studies from 1990 to 1992. Military career Educated at Merchant Taylors' School, Walke ...

KCB (1990) *Vice Admiral Sir John Coward KCB DSO (1992) *Air Marshal Lord Garden KCB (1994) *Lieutenant General Sir

Scott Grant Lieutenant General Sir Scott Carnegie Grant, (born 28 September 1944) is a former British Army officer who served as Quartermaster-General to the Forces from 1998 to 2000. Military career Educated at The King's School, Pontefract, the Royal Mi ...

CB (1996) *Vice Admiral

John McAnally Vice Admiral John Henry Stuart McAnally, (born 9 April 1945) is a former Royal Navy officer who served as Commandant of the Royal College of Defence Studies from 1998 to 2001. He was educated at Willington School in Putney and then Westmins ...

CB LVO (1998) *Lieutenant General Sir Christopher Wallace KBE (2001) *Admiral Sir

Ian Garnett Admiral Sir Ian David Graham Garnett, (born 27 September 1944) is a retired Royal Navy officer. He served as the Commandant of the Royal College of Defence Studies from 2005 to 2008. Naval career Born in Surrey, Garnett joined the Royal Navy i ...

KCB (2005) *Vice Admiral Charles Style CBE (2008) *Lieutenant General Sir David Bill KCB (2012) *Sir Tom Phillips KCMG (2014) *Sir

Simon Gass Sir Simon Lawrance Gass (born 2 November 1956) is a British civil servant. Since 2019, he has chaired the Joint Intelligence Committee and he also currently serves as the British Prime Minister's representative on Afghanistan. Between 2018 an ...

KCMG CVO (2018) *Rear Admiral

John Kingwell Rear Admiral John Matthew Leonard Kingwell (born 26 August 1966) is a senior Royal Navy officer. He was Commandant of the Royal College of Defence Studies from 2019 to 2020. Naval career Kingwell joined the Royal Navy in 1984. He served as com ...

CBE (2019) *Lieutenant General Sir

George Norton Lieutenant-General Sir George Pemberton Ross Norton is a retired British Army officer. He was the UK Military Representative to NATO. He is now Commandant of the Royal College of Defence Studies. Military career After being educated at Radl ...

KCVO CBE (2020)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Commandant Royal College Of Defence Studies British military appointments