Roger Wheeler (British Army officer)

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Sir Roger Wheeler
Born (1941-12-16) 16 December 1941 (age 82)
Commander of the Order of the British Empire
RelationsMajor General Norman Wheeler (father)
Air Chief Marshal Sir Neil Wheeler (uncle)
Simon Wheeler (son)
Hermione Norris (daughter-in-law)
Other workConstable of the Tower of London (2001–09)

CBE (born 16 December 1941) is a retired British Army officer who served as Chief of the General Staff from 1997 to 2000. During his career he was involved in the Cyprus Emergency, directed military operations in Northern Ireland and led the UK's forces deployed on NATO operations in Bosnia
. He is now a non-executive director of several businesses operating on an international basis.

Early life

Wheeler was born in Eton on 16 December 1941 and is the son of Major General Norman Wheeler.[1][2] He was educated at Allhallows College in Devon[3] and Hertford College, Oxford, which he joined in 1961.[4]

Army career

Wheeler was commissioned as a

Lord Carver's staff during the Rhodesia talks in 1977,[3] he was promoted to lieutenant colonel on 30 June 1978.[9] He became commanding officer of 2nd Royal Irish Rangers in 1979 and led his battalion in Belize, Gibraltar, Berlin and Canada.[3] He was then Chief of Staff in the Falkland Islands from June to December 1982 immediately following the Falklands War.[3]

Having been promoted to full

Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in the Queen's Birthday Honours List 1993,[16] he was made General Officer Commanding and Director of Military Operations in Northern Ireland on 25 January 1993[17] with his promotion to the rank of lieutenant general becoming substantive on 1 March 1993.[18] During his tour as Director of Military Operations the first cessation of terrorist operations took place and Wheeler initiated the reduction in the British military presence in Northern Ireland by three battalions over the course of the next two years.[19]

Thiepval Barracks from where Wheeler commanded British troops in Northern Ireland

Wheeler was appointed

Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in the New Year Honours List 1997,[22] made Chief of the General Staff (CGS) on 3 February 1997.[23] As CGS, he was responsible for implementing the Strategic Defence Review after the new Labour Government came to power[24] as well as providing strategic military advice to the British Government on the deployment of troops for the Kosovo War and in connection with the formation of the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor[25] before he retired from the British Army in 2000.[3]

Wheeler served as Deputy Colonel of the

London Regiment from 17 March 2000.[32]

Later career

Wheeler became

Combat Stress, the mental welfare society for ex-servicemen.[3] In October 2009 he was appointed advisor on military matters, to the British Government's inquiry into the Iraq war (headed by Sir John Chilcot).[34] He is also an Honorary Fellow of Hertford College, Oxford, a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society
, a Patron of the Police Foundation, and a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Painter-Stainers.[34]

Wheeler has also played cricket for the Stragglers of Asia CC, one of the oldest wandering cricket clubs in the UK.[35] His interests include fly fishing, cricket, shooting and ornithology.[3]

Family

In 1980 Wheeler married Felicity Hares; they have three sons, including Simon Wheeler, and one daughter by a former marriage.[3] His daughter-in-law is British actress Hermione Norris via her marriage to Wheeler's son Simon.[36]

Wheeler is the nephew of Air Chief Marshal Sir Neil Wheeler.[37]

References

  1. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/75594. Retrieved 8 July 2012. (Subscription or UK public library membership
    required.)
  2. ^ "Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
  3. ^
    ISBN 978-1-4081-1414-8
  4. ^ Oxford Gazette, archived from the original on 26 September 2006, retrieved 27 August 2007
  5. ^ "No. 43233". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 January 1964. p. 937.
  6. ^ "No. 43543". The London Gazette. 5 January 1965. p. 268.
  7. ^ "No. 44481". The London Gazette. 22 December 1967. p. 14159.
  8. ^ "No. 46174". The London Gazette (Supplement). 5 January 1965. p. 269.
  9. ^ "No. 47588". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 July 1978. p. 8325.
  10. ^ "No. 49055". The London Gazette (Supplement). 19 July 1982. p. 9458.
  11. ^ "No. 49375". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 June 1983. p. 5.
  12. ^ "No. 50013". The London Gazette. 21 January 1985. p. 871.
  13. ^ "No. 51833". The London Gazette (Supplement). 7 August 1989. p. 9171.
  14. ^ "No. 51948". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 November 1989. p. 13725.
  15. ^ "No. 52353". The London Gazette (Supplement). 3 December 1990. p. 18702.
  16. ^ "No. 53332". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 June 1993. p. 2.
  17. ^ "No. 53192". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 February 1993. p. 1866.
  18. ^ "No. 53248". The London Gazette (Supplement). 15 March 1993. p. 4744.
  19. ^ "Examination of witnesses (Questions 2420 – 2439)". Hanard. 28 July 1998. Retrieved 17 December 2011.
  20. ^ "No. 54342". The London Gazette. 11 March 1996. p. 3703.
  21. ^ "No. 54617". The London Gazette. 23 December 1996. p. 16937.
  22. ^ "No. 54625". The London Gazette. 30 December 1996. p. 2.
  23. ^ "No. 54668". The London Gazette (Supplement). 3 February 1997. p. 1419.
  24. ^ "UK Politics: Diary: 21 July 1998". BBC. 16 July 1998. Retrieved 17 December 2011.
  25. ^ "Biography of General Sir Roger Wheeler" (PDF). The Iraq Inquiry. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 November 2009.
  26. ^ "No. 51061". The London Gazette (Supplement). 14 September 1987. p. 11461.
  27. ^ "No. 52254". The London Gazette (Supplement). 24 August 1990. p. 13852.
  28. ^ "No. 52983". The London Gazette (Supplement). 6 July 1992. p. 11412.
  29. ^ "No. 54226". The London Gazette (Supplement). 27 November 1995. p. 16134.
  30. ^ "No. 55706". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 December 1999. p. 13724.
  31. ^ "No. 55789". The London Gazette (Supplement). 14 March 2000. p. 2860.
  32. ^ "No. 55795". The London Gazette (Supplement). 21 March 2000. p. 3161.
  33. ^ "No. 56294". The London Gazette. 6 August 2001. p. 9283.
  34. ^ a b "Military and international law advisers appointed". Iraq Inquiry. 13 October 2009. Retrieved 15 December 2011.
  35. ^ Stragglers of Asia Cricket Club, retrieved 11 April 2008
  36. ^ "Brave Spooks star Hermione Norris is a have-a-go heroine". The Telegraph. 17 October 2010. Retrieved 14 August 2016.
  37. ^ "Obituary: Sir Neil Wheeler". The Daily Telegraph. 13 January 2009. Retrieved 15 December 2011.
Military offices
Preceded by
General Officer Commanding 1st Armoured Division

1989–1990 		Succeeded by
Assistant Chief of the General Staff
1990–1992 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
General Officer Commanding the British Army in Northern Ireland

1993–1996 		Succeeded by
Sir Rupert Smith
Commander-in-Chief, Land Command
1996–1997 		Succeeded by
Sir Michael Walker
Preceded by Chief of the General Staff
1997–2000
Honorary titles
Preceded by Constable of the Tower of London
2001–2009 		Succeeded by
Sir Richard Dannatt
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