{{Short description|British Army general (born 1964)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox military person | honorific_prefix = Lieutenant General | name = Sir Christopher Tickell | honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|KBE}} | image = Tickell.jpg | image_size = | alt = | caption = Tickell in 2023 | nickname = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|17 March 1964}} | birth_place = Epsom, England | death_date = | death_place = | burial_place = | allegiance = United Kingdom | branch = British Army | service_years = 1983–2022 | rank = Lieutenant General | service_number = 517325 | unit = Royal Engineers | commands = Army Recruiting and Training Division<br />8 Force Engineer Brigade<br />23 Engineer Regiment (Air Assault) | battles = The Troubles<br />Bosnian War<br />Kosovo War<br />Iraq War<br />War in Afghanistan | awards = Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire | relations = | other_work = }} Lieutenant General '''Sir Christopher Linley Tickell''', {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100|KBE}} (born 17 March 1964) is a senior British Army officer who served as the Deputy Chief of the General Staff from August 2019 to August 2022.

==Early life and education== Tickell was born on 17 March 1964 in Epsom, Surrey, England. He was educated at Wellington College, Berkshire, a private school, and at Cranfield University.<ref name="WW 2020">{{cite web |title=Tickell, Lt Gen. Christopher Linley |url=https://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/10.1093/ww/9780199540884.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-258693 |website=Who's Who 2020 |publisher=Oxford University Press |access-date=29 June 2020 |language=en |doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U258693 |date=1 December 2019|isbn=978-0-19-954088-4 }}</ref>

==Military career== Tickell was commissioned into the Royal Engineers in December 1983.<ref name=bio>{{cite web|url=https://www.landforces.com.au/ICSILP/bios/Maj_Gen_Tickel.PDF|title=Major General C L Tickell CBE|publisher=Land Forces Australia|access-date=1 March 2019}}</ref> After deployments as a squadron commander in Bosnia and Kosovo, he became commanding officer of 23 Engineer Regiment (Air Assault) in 2003 and in that role took part in the invasion of Iraq.<ref name=bio/> He went on to be a staff officer in the Directorate of Training in May 2005 and commander of 8 Force Engineer Brigade in November 2007 and in that role was deployed to Afghanistan.<ref name=bio/>

He became Director of the Army Division at the Joint Services Command and Staff College in December 2009, General Officer Commanding of the Army Recruiting and Training Division in August 2013,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gulabin.com/armynavy/pdf/Army%20Commands%201900-2011.pdf |title=Gulabin – Army Commands, 1900–2014 |date=2014-12-27 |access-date=2015-01-04 |website=Colin Mackie's website |last=Mackie |first=Colin |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150705211343/http://www.gulabin.com/armynavy/pdf/Army%20Commands%201900-2011.pdf |archive-date=5 July 2015 }}</ref> and Director Capability in November 2016.<ref name=bio/> Tickell was promoted to lieutenant general on 12 August 2019 and assumed the duties of Deputy Chief of the General Staff that same date.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/79e339e3#/79e339e3/56|title=Appointments|publisher=Soldier Magazine|date=1 April 2019|page=56|access-date=6 April 2019}}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette|issue= 62738|supp=y|page=14447|date=13 August 2019}}</ref> He stepped down from this position in August 2022, and retired from the Army on 27 December 2022.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue= 63925|supp=y|page=25178|date=3 January 2022}}</ref> He was appointed Chief Royal Engineer on 1 January 2024.<ref>{{London Gazette|supp=y|page=3872|issue=64327|date=27 February 2024}}</ref>

==Honours== Tickell was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2001 New Year Honours,<ref>{{London Gazette|supp=y|page=6|issue=56070|date=30 December 2000}}</ref> an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) on 31 October 2003,<ref>{{London Gazette|supp=y|page=3|issue=57100|date=31 October 2003}}</ref> a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2011 New Year Honours<ref>{{London Gazette|supp=y|page=5|issue=59647|date=31 December 2010}}</ref> and a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in the 2021 Birthday Honours.<ref>{{London Gazette|supp=y|page=B6|issue=63377|date=12 June 2021}}</ref>

He was Honorary Colonel of the Exeter University Officers Training Corps until 1 August 2021.<ref>''The London Gazette'', Supplement 63432, 3 August 2021, [https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/63432/supplement/13649 p. 13649]</ref>

In the 2024 New Year Honours he was promoted to Commander of the Order of the British Empire (Military Division).<ref>''London Gazette'', [https://www.thegazette.co.uk/notice/4519963 "Order of the British Empire: Colonel Lucy Margaret GILES"], 29 December 2023, accessed 25 March 2026</ref>

==References== {{reflist|30em}}

{{s-start}} {{s-mil}} {{s-bef | before = Dickie Davis }} {{s-ttl | title = General Officer Commanding, Army Recruiting and Training Division | years = 2013–2016 }} {{s-aft | after = Tim Hyams }} |- {{s-bef | before = Sir Nick Pope }} {{s-ttl | title = Deputy Chief of the General Staff | years = 2019–2022 }} {{s-aft | after = Sharon Nesmith }} |- {{s-hon}} {{s-bef | before = Sir Tyrone Urch }} {{s-ttl | title = Chief Royal Engineer | years = 2024–present }} {{s-inc}} {{S-end}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Tickell, Christopher}} Category:British Army lieutenant generals Category:British Army personnel of the Iraq War Category:British Army personnel of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire Category:Living people Category:Royal Engineers officers Category:1964 births Category:People educated at Wellington College, Berkshire Category:Alumni of Cranfield University Category:Military personnel from Surrey Category:20th-century British Army personnel