Vice Chief of the General Staff (VCGS) was the title of the deputy to the Chief of the General Staff, the professional head of the British Army. From 1940 until 1985 the Vice Chief was the second-ranking member of the General Staff and was a member of the

Army Board The Army Board is the top single-service management committee of the British Army, and has always been staffed by senior politicians and soldiers. Until 1964 it was known as the Army Council. Membership of the Board The composition is as follo ...

List of post-holders

The Vice Chiefs were as follows:

Vice Chief of the Imperial General Staff

* Lieutenant-General Sir John Dill April 1940 – 27 May 1940 * Lieutenant-General Sir Robert Haining 27 May 1940 – 19 May 1941 * Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Pownall 19 May 1941 – 5 December 1941 * Lieutenant-General Sir

Archibald Nye Lieutenant-General Sir Archibald Edward Nye, (23 April 1895 – 13 November 1967) was a senior British Army officer who served in both world wars. In the latter he served as Vice-Chief of the Imperial General Staff (VCIGS). After the Second W ...

5 December 1941 – 1945 * Lieutenant-General Sir Frank Simpson 1946–1948 * Lieutenant-General Sir Gerald Templer 1948–1950 * Lieutenant-General Sir

Nevil Brownjohn General Sir Nevil Charles Dowell Brownjohn, (25 July 1897 – 21 April 1973) was a senior British Army officer who served as Quartermaster-General to the Forces from 1956 until his retirement in 1958. Military career Brownjohn was commissioned ...

1950–1952 * Lieutenant-General Sir Harold Redman 1952–1955 * Lieutenant-General Sir William Oliver 1955–1957 * Lieutenant-General Sir William Stratton 1957–1960 * Lieutenant-General Sir

William Pike William Pike (died 22 December 1591) was an English Roman Catholic martyr who was beatified in 1987. Several sources state that William was born in Dorset. In 'A History of Dorset' () A. Lindsay Clegg, former Town Clerk of Bournemouth, claims ...

1960–1963 * Lieutenant-General Sir Geoffrey Baker 1963–1966

Vice Chief of the General Staff

* Lieutenant-General Sir

Desmond Fitzpatrick General Sir Geoffrey Richard Desmond Fitzpatrick, (14 December 1912 – 12 October 2002) was a senior British Army officer who served as commander of the British Army of the Rhine and Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe. After his retiremen ...

1966–1968 * Lieutenant-General Sir

Victor FitzGeorge-Balfour General Sir Robert George Victor FitzGeorge-Balfour, (15 September 1913 – 28 December 1994) was a senior officer in the British Army. Early life Robert George Victor FitzGeorge-Balfour was born on 15 September 1913 at Knightsbridge, London. H ...

1968–1970 * Lieutenant-General Sir

Cecil Blacker General Sir Cecil Hugh Blacker (4 June 1916 – 18 October 2002) was a senior British Army officer and a former Adjutant-General to the Forces. Military career Educated at Wellington College and at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, Cecil ...

1970–1973 * Lieutenant-General Sir David Fraser 1973–1975 * Lieutenant-General Sir

William Scotter General Sir William Norman Roy Scotter, (9 February 1922 – 5 February 1981) was a senior British Army officer who served as commander-in-chief, British Army of the Rhine from September 1978 until October 1980. Early life and education William ...

1975–1978 * Lieutenant-General Sir John Stanier 1978–1980 * Lieutenant-General Sir Thomas Morony 1980–1983 * Lieutenant-General Sir James Glover 1983–1985

References

{{reflist Senior appointments of the British Army