John Acland

Major-General Sir John Hugh Bevil Acland, KCB, CBE, DL (26 November 1928 – 17 November 2006) was a senior British Army officer.

Early life Acland was born on 26 November 1928, He was educated at Eton College. He was promoted to lieutenant on 22 December 1950. He fought in the Malayan Emergency. He was promoted to captain on 22 December 1954. With his regiment, he was involved in the Cyprus Emergency of 1957. He then took part in the combats of the Mau Mau Uprising in Kenya. His aide-de-camp during this period was Iain Duncan Smith, who would later go on to lead the Conservative Party and hold several cabinet roles. Acland retired from the Army in 1981.

Later life After retiring from the military, Acland spent his time as director of Allied Vintners, then as chairman of the South West Working Party on Alcohol. Having been previously Deputy Lieutenant from 1985, he was appointed Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Devon in 1995.

Personal life On 12 November 1953, he married the fashion model Myrtle Christian Euing Crawford, daughter of Brigadier Alistair Wardrop Euing Crawford. They had a son and daughter.

Honours and decorations In the 1978 Birthday Honours, he was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire. In the 1980 Birthday Honours, he was appointed Knight Commander of Order of the Bath.

He was made honorary colonel of the Royal Devon Yeomanry in 1983 and was granted the same rank also of the Exeter University Officer's Training Corps in 1986 and of the Royal Wessex Yeomanry in 1989.