John Wilfred Stanier

Field Marshal Sir John Wilfred Stanier, (6 October 1925 – 10 November 2007) was a senior British Army officer who served as Chief of the General Staff from 1982 to 1985. He was the first person after the Second World War to become the professional head of the British Army without having seen active service in that war or any subsequent campaign.

Early life and education Stanier was born in Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire, the son of Harold Allan Stanier and Penelope Rose Stanier (née Price). His father was badly wounded in the First World War, but was employed by John Spedan Lewis to manage his farms. He was educated at Marlborough College and took a short wartime course at Merton College, Oxford.

Military career

Stanier volunteered for the Army in 1943, and having trained at Sandhurst and Bovington, Promoted to lieutenant on 16 October 1948, he served with the intelligence branch in Italy in 1949 before being posted to the British Army of the Rhine in 1950. and became an instructor at the Mons Officer Cadet School in Aldershot in April 1954, before attending the Staff College, Camberley in 1957. he was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the New Year Honours 1961. He attended the Joint Services Staff College and, from 1962, commanded the tanks in "C" Squadron of his regiment in Germany, to be promoted to lieutenant-colonel on 2 May 1966 and made commanding officer of the Royal Scots Greys. and took command of 20th Armoured Brigade in the British Army of the Rhine in January 1970. After serving as the Army's director of public relations in London from 1971, he was appointed General Officer Commanding 1st Division on 3 November 1973 with the substantive rank of major-general from 21 January 1974. He became Commandant at the Staff College, Camberley on 22 December 1975.

He was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in the Queen's Birthday Honours 1978, and became Vice Chief of the General Staff with the rank of lieutenant general on 1 June 1978. The Challenger tank was brought into service during his period in this post. was advanced to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in the Queen's Birthday Honours 1982 and became Chief of the General Staff on 1 August 1982. He was the first person after the Second World War to become the professional head of the British Army without having seen active service in that war or any subsequent campaign. on retirement from the British Army. to 6 May 1984, and Colonel Commandant of the Royal Armoured Corps from 1 April 1982 to 1 August 1985.

In retirement he served as chairman of the Royal United Service Institution from 1986 to 1989. He was Constable of the Tower of London from 1990 to 1996. His book War and the Media, co-authored with Miles Hudson, was published in 1997. He was a Deputy Lieutenant of Hampshire from 1987, and lived near Hartley Wintney.

His interests included fly fishing, sailing and horse riding and he was also President of the Hampshire branch of the British Red Cross Society from 1986 to 1994. He was also a Member of the Council of Marlborough College. He died on 10 November 2007.

Family In 1955 he married Cicely Constance Lambert; they had four daughters.