{{Short description|British Army general (1938–2025)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2025}} {{Infobox military person | honorific_prefix = Major-General | name = Brian Pennicott | honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CVO}} | image = | caption = | birth_date = {{birth date|1938|2|15|df=y}} | birth_place = Portsmouth, England | death_date = {{death date and age|2025|6|18|1938|2|15|df=y}} | death_place = | allegiance = {{flag|United Kingdom}} | branch = {{army|United Kingdom}} | service_years = 1957–1994 | rank = Major-General | unit = | commands = 29 Commando Regiment RA<br>Royal Artillery | battles = Falklands War | awards = Commander of the Royal Victorian Order }}
Major-General '''Brian Thomas Pennicott''', CVO (15 February 1938 – 18 June 2025) was a British Army officer who served as Defence Services Secretary from 1991 to 1994.
==Military career== Pennicott was born in Portsmouth, England on 15 February 1938.<ref name="Times">{{cite news |title=Major General Brian Pennicott obituary: Royal Artillery officer |url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/obituaries/article/major-general-brian-pennicott-obituary-royal-artillery-officer-kzjsh93kg |access-date=27 August 2025 |publisher=The Times |date=27 August 2025}}</ref> Educated at Portsmouth Northern Grammar School and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Pennicott was commissioned into the Royal Artillery in 1957.<ref name=WW>''Who's Who 2010'', A & C Black, 2010, {{ISBN|978-1-408-11414-8}}</ref> He became Commanding Officer of 29 Commando Regiment RA in 1977 and then joined the staff of the military secretary at the Ministry of Defence in 1980.<ref name=WW/> He was Commander, Royal Artillery forces during the Falklands War<ref>{{cite book |title=Big wars and small wars: the British army and the lessons of war in the twentieth century |last=Strachan |first=Hew |year=2006 |publisher=Psychology Press |page=154 |isbn=9780203012307 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OCONQS0SHGAC&pg=PA154}}</ref> and, as a witness, signed the Argentine surrender document.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Falklands military machine |last=Oakley |first=Derek |year=1998 |publisher=Spellmount |page=173 |isbn=9780946771240 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=U2jjAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Brian+Pennicott%22}}</ref> He went on to be Assistant Military Attaché in Washington D. C. in 1982, Commander, Royal Artillery for 1st Armoured Division in 1983 and deputy military secretary in 1987 before being appointed director, Royal Artillery in 1989.<ref name=WW/> He was Defence Services Secretary from 1991 to 1994<ref>{{cite book |title=The Army quarterly and defence journal, Volume 124 |year=1994 |publisher=West of England Press |page=26 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_ZIrAAAAYAAJ&q=%22Brian+Pennicott%22}}</ref> as well as Assistant Chief of Defence Staff (Personnel and Reserves) from 1992 to 1994.<ref name=WW/>
In retirement, he became group human resources director at Sun Alliance.<ref name=WW/> He was also appointed a Gentleman Usher and was present at the funeral of the Queen Mother. Pennicott retired from this position at the end of 2007, though he was then moved to a position of being the Extra Gentleman Usher.<ref>{{cite news |title=Court Circular |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/court_and_social/article3084337.ece |newspaper=The Times |date=22 December 2007}}{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>
==Personal life and death== In 1962, he married Patricia Anne Chilcott; they had two sons and three daughters.<ref name=WW/>
Pennicott died from cancer on 18 June 2025, at the age of 87.<ref>[https://announcements.telegraph.co.uk/marketplace/advert/pennicott-notices_62964 Pennicott] The Telegraph</ref><ref name="Times"/>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-mil}} {{s-bef|before=Sir David Allen}} {{s-ttl|title=Defence Services Secretary|years=1991–1994}} {{s-aft|after=Peter Harding}} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pennicott, Brian}} Category:1938 births Category:2025 deaths Category:British Army major generals Category:Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order Category:British Army personnel of the Falklands War Category:Royal Artillery officers