{{Short description|British Army general}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2021}} {{Infobox military person |honorific_prefix = Lieutenant General |name= James Bashall |honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CB|CBE}} |image= Maj Gen James Bashall (cropped).jpg |image_size= |alt= |caption= Major General Bashall in 2012 |nickname= |birth_date= {{birth date and age|1962|04|03|df=y}} |birth_place= Marlborough, Wiltshire, England |death_date= |death_place= |burial_place= |allegiance= United Kingdom |branch= British Army |service_years= 1984–2018 |rank= Lieutenant General |service_number= |unit= |commands= Home Command<br/>1st (UK) Armoured Division<br/>1st Mechanized Brigade<br/>2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment |battles= War in Afghanistan<br/>Iraq War |awards= Companion of the Order of the Bath<br/>Commander of the Order of the British Empire<br/>Mentioned in Despatches |relations= |other_work= }} Lieutenant General '''James Ian Bashall''', {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100|sep=,|CB|CBE}} (born 3 April 1962) is a former British Army officer who served as Commander Home Command from 2015 to 2018. From 2019 to 2023 he was the National President of the Royal British Legion.
==Early life and education== Bashall was born on 3 April 1962 in Marlborough, Wiltshire, England.<ref name="birth">''England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916–2007''</ref> He was educated at Marlborough College, a private boarding school.<ref name=marl>{{cite web|url=http://www.marlboroughcollege.org/omc_Professional_Achievements.aspx|title=Welcome to Marlborough College – Marlborough College|date=4 January 2016|publisher=|accessdate=4 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091215094050/http://marlboroughcollege.org/omc_Professional_Achievements.aspx|archive-date=15 December 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Military career== Bashall was commissioned in to the Parachute Regiment in 1984.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=50179|supp=y|page=9048|date=1 July 1985}}</ref> By 2002 he had become Commanding Officer of the 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment<ref>[https://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/audio_video/programmes/panorama/transcripts/transcript_24_02_02.txt Into the Afghan Minefield] BBC News, 24 February 2002</ref> serving in Afghanistan.<ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/1381152/Day-the-white-tin-hats-met-the-Red-Berets.html Day the white tin hats met the Red Berets] Daily Telegraph, 11 January 2002</ref>
He commanded 1st Mechanized Brigade<ref>[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/the-proxy-war-uk-troops-are-sent-to-iranian-border-402083.html The 'proxy war': UK troops are sent to Iranian border] The Independent, 12 September 2007</ref> based in Basra in Southern Iraq during Operation Telic in 2007.<ref name=standard>[http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23927065-my-heart-goes-out-to-them-british-oil-workers-evacuated-from-libya-praise-rescuers.do Commander who led SAS rescue is hero of Iraq war] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110414080703/http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23927065-my-heart-goes-out-to-them-british-oil-workers-evacuated-from-libya-praise-rescuers.do |date=14 April 2011 }} Evening Standard, 28 February 2011</ref> He was appointed Director Army Division of the Defence Academy at Shrivenham in January 2009<ref name=marl/> and went on to be Chief of Joint Force Operations in December 2009:<ref name=bfbs>[http://www.bfbs.com/news/germany/handover-uk-armoured-division-takes-place-germany-46257.html Handover of UK Armoured division takes place in Germany] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314092556/http://www.bfbs.com/news/germany/handover-uk-armoured-division-takes-place-germany-46257.html |date=14 March 2012 }} British Forces News, 1 April 2011</ref> in this capacity he masterminded the covert Special Air Service rescue operations across war-torn Libya in early 2011.<ref name=standard/> He became General Officer Commanding 1st (UK) Armoured Division in April 2011,<ref name=bfbs/> Chief of Staff, Operations at the Permanent Joint Headquarters, Northwood in August 2012<ref>[http://www.defenceviewpoints.co.uk/defence-news/up-and-out-promotions-leavers-new-jobs-may-2012 Defence Viewpoints; Promotions, leavers, new jobs; May 2012]</ref> and Commander Personnel and Support Command in June 2015 (his role was re-designated Commander Home Command in May 2016).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/a-new-painting-marks-armys-relationship-with-scotland-over-last-100-years|title=A new painting marks Army's relationship with Scotland over last 100 years|date=7 October 2005|publisher=Ministry of Defence|accessdate=15 November 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gurkhabde.com/over-200-new-gurkhas-join-the-ranks-of-the-brigade/|title=Over 200 new Gurkhas join the ranks of the Brigade|work=Welcome to the Gurkha Brigade Association|accessdate=4 January 2016|date=5 October 2015}}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=61301|supp=y|page=13380|date=20 July 2015}}</ref> Bashall retired from the British Army on 27 October 2018.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue= 62451|supp=y|page=19634|date=30 October 2018}}</ref>
==Later life== thumb|right|Bashall at the 75th anniversary of D-Day service in 2019 Bashall was appointed as the National President of the Royal British Legion in May 2019.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.britishlegion.org.uk/about-us/governance |title = Governance| date=28 February 2019 |publisher=Royal British Legion|accessdate=10 January 2020}}</ref> When appointed, Bashall said "It is an honour to be appointed as the National President of The Royal British Legion, a charity with an esteemed history, and one that plays a vital role in today’s Armed Forces community."<ref name=chairman>{{Cite web | url=https://www.britishlegion.org.uk/about-us/governance/new-national-president-and-national-chairman |title = Our new National President and National Chairman| date=12 July 2019 |publisher=Royal British Legion|accessdate=10 January 2020}}</ref> He served in his position until May 2023.<ref name=chairman/>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-mil}} {{s-bef|before=Adrian Bradshaw}} {{s-ttl|title=General Officer Commanding 1st (UK) Armoured Division|years=2011–2012}} {{s-aft|after=James Chiswell}} |- {{s-bef|before=Gerald Berragan}} {{s-ttl|title=Commander Personnel and Support Command<br><small>(re-designated Commander Home Command in 2016)</small>|years=2015–2018}} {{s-aft|after=Tyrone Urch}} {{s-end}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bashall, James}} Category:British Army lieutenant generals Category:People educated at Marlborough College Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Category:British Parachute Regiment officers Category:Living people Category:British Army personnel of the Iraq War Category:British Army personnel of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) Category:Companions of the Order of the Bath Category:Military personnel from Wiltshire Category:1962 births Category:People from Marlborough, Wiltshire