16 Facts About Roland Gibbs

Roland Gibbs saw active service in the Second World War and acted as chief of staff to the commander of the operation to evacuate all British troops and civilians from Aden during the Aden Emergency.

Roland Gibbs was educated at Eton College, an all-boys independent boarding school in Berkshire, and trained at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.

Roland Gibbs was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the King's Royal Rifle Corps on 31 December 1939, almost four months after the British entry into the Second World War.

Roland Gibbs was not immediately involved in action as he was deemed to be too young, and remained in the United Kingdom until he was posted to the 2nd Battalion, KRRC, then commanded by Lieutenant Colonel George Erskine and in the process of reforming after sustaining severe casualties during the siege of Calais.

Roland Gibbs, promoted to lieutenant on 1 July 1941, was to serve with the battalion for the rest of the war and was deployed to North Africa with his battalion in late 1941, he was awarded the Military Cross on 15 October 1942.

Roland Gibbs was awarded the Distinguished Service Order on 2 August 1945.

Roland Gibbs was promoted to captain on 1 July 1946 and deployed to Palestine during the Palestine Emergency, serving with the 7th Parachute Battalion, part of the 6th Airborne Division.

Roland Gibbs then became an instructor at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in December 1948.

Roland Gibbs was promoted to the substantive rank of brigadier on 6 December 1966 and appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the New Year Honours 1968.

Roland Gibbs was appointed Commander of British Land Forces in the Persian Gulf on 30 April 1969 in which role he re-organised the Trucial Oman Scouts and laid the foundations for what is the Sultan of Oman's Land Forces.

Roland Gibbs was promoted to field marshal on 13 July 1979 on his retirement from the British Army.

Roland Gibbs was colonel commandant of the 2nd Battalion the Royal Green Jackets from 1971 and colonel commandant of the Parachute Regiment from 1972.

Roland Gibbs retired to a former rectory in Wiltshire, where his pastimes were shooting, hunting with the Beaufort, and painting.

Roland Gibbs was the Constable of the Tower of London from 1985 to 1990 and served as Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire from 1989 to 1996.

Roland Gibbs's interests included shooting and hunting: he used to follow the Beaufort Hunt until a medical operation on his knee halted further participation.

In 1955, Roland Gibbs married Davina Merry, the artist; they had two sons, and a daughter.