Sir Frederick Richard Viggers, (born 29 June 1951) is a former senior
British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
officer who served as
Adjutant-General to the Forces
The Adjutant-General to the Forces, commonly just referred to as the Adjutant-General (AG), was for just over 250 years one of the most senior officers in the British Army. The AG was latterly responsible for developing the Army's personnel polic ...
immediately prior to his retirement in 2008. He was
Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod
Black Rod (officially known as the Lady Usher of the Black Rod or, if male, the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod) is an official in the parliaments of several Commonwealth countries. The position originates in the House of Lords of the Parliam ...
from 30 April 2009 to 28 October 2010. He also served in Bosnia in the aftermath of the breakup of Yugoslavia, and in the Iraq War.
Early life
Viggers was born on 29 June 1951 and educated at
Wellington School, Somerset
Wellington School is a co-educational independent day and boarding school in the English public school tradition for pupils aged 3–18 located in Wellington, Somerset, England. Wellington School was founded in 1837.
Wellington School is a r ...
.
Military career
Having attended the
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS or RMA Sandhurst), commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is one of several military academies of the United Kingdom and is the British Army's initial officer training centre. It is located in the town of ...
, Viggers was commissioned into the
Royal Regiment of Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...
as a
second lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank.
Australia
The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...
on 14 April 1972. He was promoted
lieutenant
A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations.
The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...
on 14 October 1973, and
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
on 14 April 1978. In 1983 he attended the
Staff College, Camberley
Staff College, Camberley, Surrey, was a staff college for the British Army and the presidency armies of British India (later merged to form the Indian Army). It had its origins in the Royal Military College, High Wycombe, founded in 1799, which i ...
, was promoted
major
Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...
on 30 September, and assumed command of a
battery
Battery most often refers to:
* Electric battery, a device that provides electrical power
* Battery (crime), a crime involving unlawful physical contact
Battery may also refer to:
Energy source
*Automotive battery, a device to provide power t ...
Chief of Staff
The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supporti ...
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
's "UK Mobile Force", which would have seen it reinforcing Denmark, or the
Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein (; da, Slesvig-Holsten; nds, Sleswig-Holsteen; frr, Slaswik-Holstiinj) is the northernmost of the 16 states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Sch ...
area of Germany. As a result of his performance in this post, especially for his organisation of British participation in the NATO multi-national Operation Bold Guard, he was appointed a
Member of the Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
in the
1988 New Year Honours
The New Year Honours 1988 were appointments by most of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries, and honorary ones to citizens of other countries ...
. The citation for this honour remarked: "1st Infantry Brigade is closer in size to a normal division itsstrength rising to over 15,000 when formed into the United Kingdom Mobile Force (UKMF) ... Viggers enjoys a responsibility and workload far greater than that normally given to a Grade 2 officer ... is contributionhas been quite outstanding, and far beyond the call of duty expected of an officer of his age and service." He was promoted
lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...
on 30 June 1988, and was initially posted to the directing staff at Camberley before taking command of 3RHA in 1989. The regiment transferred from Germany to
Colchester Garrison
Colchester Garrison is a major garrison located in Colchester in the county of Essex, Eastern England. It has been an important military base since the Roman era. The first permanent military garrison in Colchester was established by Legio XX ...
colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...
on 30 June 1992, and served at the
Ministry of Defence
{{unsourced, date=February 2021
A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...
in the Central Staff Directorate of Defence Policy, transferring to the Defence Costs Study Secretariat in 1993. Promoted
brigadier
Brigadier is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several thousand soldiers. In ...
on 30 December 1994 (with seniority from 30 June), he became
Commander, Royal Artillery {{Redirect, BGRA, colour format, RGBA color model
Commander, Royal Artillery (CRA) was a military appointment in Commonwealth infantry and armoured divisions in the 20th century. The CRA was the senior artillery officer in the division and commanded ...
Higher Command and Staff Course
The Higher Command and Staff Course is a staff course for senior military officers of the United Kingdom armed forces and allies. It is taught at the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom in Shrivenham, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom.
The course is p ...
before deploying to Bosnia with the division as part of the NATO Implementation Force (IFOR). He was then posted as Director of Manning (Army) in 1997, and was appointed Honorary Colonel of the 100th (Yeomanry) Regiment Royal Artillery (Volunteers) on 31 December 1997, holding that appointment until 17 February 2001.
On 24 March 1999, Viggers returned to Bosnia as Commander Multi-National Division (South-West) in
SFOR
The Stabilisation Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina (SFOR) was a NATO-led multinational peacekeeping force deployed to Bosnia and Herzegovina after the Bosnian war. Although SFOR was led by NATO, several non-NATO countries contributed troops. It ...
and was granted acting promotion to
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 ...
, substantive promotion followed on 1 September 1999 (with seniority from the date of his acting rank). For his service there, he was awarded the
Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service
The King's Commendation for Valuable Service is a British military award for meritorious service in an operational theatre. It was established in 1994, when the award of the Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct and the Queen's Commendation for ...
on 3 November 2000. On 9 February 2000 he became Chief of Staff at
Land Command
Land Command (or 'HQ Land') was a military command and part of the structure of the British Army from 1995 to 2008. Its headquarters was at Erskine Barracks, at Fugglestone St Peter, some four kilometres northwest of Salisbury in Wiltshire.
It ass ...
and remained there until May 2003. He received a further honorary appointment on 11 May 2000 when he became Deputy Colonel Commandant of the
Adjutant General's Corps
The Adjutant General's Corps is a corps in the British Army responsible for many of its general administrative services, named for the Adjutant-General to the Forces (now the Commander Home Command). As of 2002, the AGC had a staff of 7,000 peopl ...
Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, George III, King George III.
...
on 23 April 2004. His next post was as Military Secretary and Chief Executive Army Personnel Centre, which he took up on 20 October 2003.
Adjutant General
On 4 April 2005, Viggers became
Adjutant General
An adjutant general is a military chief administrative officer.
France
In Revolutionary France, the was a senior staff officer, effectively an assistant to a general officer. It was a special position for lieutenant-colonels and colonels in staf ...
and was promoted
lieutenant general
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...
. He became Colonel Commandant Royal Regiment of Artillery on 1 July 2005, and Colonel Commandant Adjutant General's Corps on 3 November 2003, holding that appointment until 28 July 2008. He was appointed a
Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I of Great Britain, George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate medieval ceremony for appointing a knight, which involved Bathing#Medieval ...
in the
2007 New Year Honours
The New Year Honours 2007 were appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms to Orders and decorations of the Commonwealth realms, various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The New Year Hono ...
, and made a Deputy Lieutenant of Hampshire in June 2008.
Viggers's period as Adjutant General coincided with heavy commitments for the British Army, which led to increased media discussion of the pay and conditions in the British Armed forces. He spoke out against the conditions in some barracks, and of the need for improved funding to bring accommodation stock up-to-date. On 7 May 2007, ''
The Mail on Sunday
''The Mail on Sunday'' is a British conservative newspaper, published in a tabloid format. It is the biggest-selling Sunday newspaper in the UK and was launched in 1982 by Lord Rothermere. Its sister paper, the '' Daily Mail'', was first pu ...
'' published an article claiming that his house had been renovated at the taxpayers' expense, and he was also named in a 26 May article on the amount spent on accommodation and servants for high-ranking army officers. However, Viggers complained to the
Press Complaints Commission
The Press Complaints Commission (PCC) was a voluntary regulatory body for British printed newspapers and magazines, consisting of representatives of the major publishers. The PCC closed on Monday 8 September 2014, and was replaced by the Indep ...
and ''The Mail on Sunday'' subsequently printed an apology, accepting that the accommodation renovated was in fact an MOD property, and he had not been to blame for the state of military housing. He also issued an apology and authorised the payment of £3 million in compensation to the families of
Baha Mousa Baha Mousa was an Iraqi man who died while in British Army custody in Basra, Iraq, in September 2003. The inquiry into his death found that Mousa's death was caused by "factors including lack of food and water, heat, exhaustion, fear, previous inju ...
and nine other Iraqis tortured by British troops.
Viggers retired on 29 October 2008, after 36 years of service in the British Army.
Later life
In December 2008 it was announced that Viggers had been appointed to the House of Lords' position of
Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod
Black Rod (officially known as the Lady Usher of the Black Rod or, if male, the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod) is an official in the parliaments of several Commonwealth countries. The position originates in the House of Lords of the Parliam ...
. He replaced Sir Michael Willcocks on 30 April 2009 when Willcocks retired. On 18 May 2010, he was due to take part in the ceremonial opening of Parliament following the 2010 general election, but he suffered a serious stroke and was unable to attend. His place was taken by his deputy, the Yeoman Usher, Ted Lloyd-Jukes. He resigned as Black Rod because of ill health on 28 October 2010.
Viggers is married with two children, and has a keen interest in sport. He is a trustee of the Army Museums Ogilby Trust, which assists British Army regimental and corps museums; he is also an Honorary Fellow, and member of the advisory group, of the Institute of Continuing Professional Development; and has assisted in running events for the
Army Benevolent Fund
ABF The Soldiers' Charity, formerly the Army Benevolent Fund,Third Sector Magazine"Charity rebranding: a change of vision and strategy" ''Third Sector Magazine'', 06/04/10 is the national charity of the British Army. Since 1944, it has provided ...