{{Short description|Deputy Commander of the British Army fighting forces}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} The '''Deputy Commander Field Army''' is a senior British Army officer who serves as deputy to the Commander Field Army. It currently is held by an Army Reserve officer.

==History== The '''UK Field Army''' was first established in 1982 when the Deputy Commander-in-Chief at UK Land Forces was designated Commander of that formation. In 1995 the designation changed to Deputy Commander-in-Chief, Land Command. The '''Field Army''' was re-established in 2003, under the LANDmark reorganisation.<ref>Lt Col Richard Quinlan, R Signals, HQ Theatre Troops, in News From Formations, The Wire, April 2003, p.127</ref> The Commander of the Field Army had two deployable Divisions (1st Armoured Division and 3rd Mechanised Division), HQ 6th Division, Theatre Troops, Joint Helicopter Command, and Training Support under him. The post of Commander Field Army ceased to exist from 1 November 2011 following a major army command reorganisation.<ref>[http://www.dmilt.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2506:uk-army-command-reorganization&catid=1:europe&Itemid=57 Army Command reorganization] Defence Marketing Intelligence, 10 November 2011 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111112055548/http://www.dmilt.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2506:uk-army-command-reorganization&catid=1:europe&Itemid=57 |date=November 12, 2011 }}</ref> The post of Deputy Commander Land Forces was recreated again in January 2012.<ref name=commands>[http://www.gulabin.com/armynavy/pdf/Army%20Commands%201900-2011.pdf Army Commands] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150705211343/http://www.gulabin.com/armynavy/pdf/Army%20Commands%201900-2011.pdf |date=July 5, 2015 }}</ref>

==Recent Deputy Commanders== Recent Commanders have been:<ref name=commands/><br /> '''Deputy Commander-in-Chief UK Land Forces''' *1972-1973 Lieutenant-General Sir Frank King *1973-1976 Lieutenant-General Sir Allan Taylor *1976-1977 Lieutenant-General Sir Hugh Beach *1977-1980 Lieutenant-General Sir Peter Hudson *1980-1982 Lieutenant-General Sir Frank Kitson

'''Commander UK Field Army''' *1982-1984 Lieutenant-General Sir Edward Burgess *1984-1987 Lieutenant-General Sir John Akehurst *1987-1990 Lieutenant-General Sir David Ramsbotham *1990-1993 Lieutenant-General Sir Michael Wilkes *1993-1994 Lieutenant-General Sir Michael Rose *1994-1995 Lieutenant-General Sir Richard Swinburn

'''Deputy Commander-in-Chief Land Command''' *1995-1997 Lieutenant-General Sir Hew Pike *1997-2001 Lieutenant-General Sir Jack Deverell

==Recent Deputy Commanders (Reserves)== {{see also|Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (Reserves and Cadets)}} [[File:First UK female reservist general.jpg|thumb|right|Major General William O'Leary (left) and Major General Celia Harvey]] In 2011 a two-star appointment was created for the officer commanding the Territorial Army; this officer has inherited the above designation. This now has separated.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gulabin.com/armynavy/pdf/Ministry%20of%20Defence%20Senior%20Posts.pdf |title=MINISTRY OF DEFENCE AND TRI-SERVICE SENIOR APPOINTMENTS |last=Mackie |first=Colin |date=19 February 2020 |website=gulabin.com |publisher=Colin Mackie |access-date=15 March 2020 |quote=}}</ref> Recent Commanders for the Territorial Army/Army Reserves have been:

Deputy Commander Land Forces (Reserves) *2011–2012 Major-General Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster<ref>[http://www.army.mod.uk/documents/general/20120109_First_Ever_Two_Star_TA_Post_Created.pdf First ever two star post created] Ministry of Defence {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120810163505/http://www.army.mod.uk/documents/general/20120109_First_Ever_Two_Star_TA_Post_Created.pdf |date=2012-08-10 }}</ref>

Deputy Commander Land Forces *2012–2015 Major-General Ranald Munro<ref>[http://www.dmws.org.uk/about-us/patrons Defence Medical Welfare Service: Patrons]</ref>

Deputy Commander Field Army (Reserves) {| class="wikitable" ! colspan="6" |Deputy Commander, Field Army (Reserves)<ref name=":02">{{Cite web|last=Mackie|first=Colin|date=October 2021|title=Army Senior Appointments: 1860–present|url=https://www.gulabin.com/armynavy/pdf/Army%20Commands%201860-.pdf|access-date=6 December 2021|website=Gulabin}}</ref> |- !Image !Rank !Name !Term began !Term ended !Ref |- |border|127x127px |Major General |Simon Brooks-Ward |October 2015 |January 2018 | |- |border|100x100px |Major General |William O'Leary |January 2018 |March 2020 |<ref>{{London Gazette | issue = 62166 | date = 9 January 2018 | page = 298 | supp = y }}</ref> |- |border|105x105px |Major General |Celia Harvey |March 2020 |March 2022 |<ref>{{London Gazette | issue = 62947 | date = 17 March 2020 | page = 5503 | supp = y }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|date=11 March 2020|title=First UK female Army Reservist to become a General Officer appointed|work=British Army|location=Andover|url=https://www.army.mod.uk/news-and-events/news/2020/03/first-uk-female-army-reservist-to-become-a-general-officer-appointed/|access-date=15 March 2020}}</ref> |- | |Major General |Aidan Smyth |April 2022 | |<ref>{{London Gazette | issue = 63685 | date = 3 May 2022 | page = 8327 | supp = y }}</ref> |}

==References== {{reflist}}

Category:Senior appointments of the British Army