David Wilson (Royal Marines officer)

David Wilson

Major General Wilson in 2015

Born| 1949 (age 74-75)
Allegiance| United Kingdom
Service / branch| Royal Marines
Years of service| 1969–2004
Rank| Major general
Commands| Commandant General Royal Marines
3 Commando Brigade
45 Commando
Special Boat Service
Battles / wars| Operation Banner
Kosovo War
Iraq War
Awards| Companion of the Order of the Bath
Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Mentioned in dispatches

Major General David Wilson, CB, CBE (born 1949) is a retired senior Royal Marines officer who briefly served as Commandant General Royal Marines from February to August 2004.

## Military career

[edit]

Wilson joined the Royal Marines in 1969 and went on to serve in Northern Ireland in 1987.[1] He was mentioned in despatches later that year "in recognition of distinguished service" during the deployment.[1] He commanded the Special Boat Service,[2] as well as being Commanding Officer of 45 Commando from 1993 and commander of 3 Commando Brigade from 1998.[3] From December 1999 he was Chief of Staff at NATO Joint Headquarters North.[4] He was later deployed to Kosovo, where he became co-chairman of the Kosovo Security Committee.[2] He was the Senior British Representative to United States Central Command in Tampa, Florida, from October 2002 to October 2003[5] (in which role he was involved in planning for the Iraq War)[6] and became Commandant General Royal Marines in February 2004,[3] before retiring later that year.[7]

## Later life

[edit]

In retirement, Wilson became Director of a United Nations programme engaged in disarming warlords and disbanding illegal armed groups in Afghanistan.[2]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "No. 51087". The London Gazette (Supplement). 12 October 1987. p. 12661.
2. ^ a b c Berwick Consultants Archived 26 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine
3. ^ a b Royal Navy Senior Appointments Archived 15 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine
4. ^ Whitaker's Almanack 2000
5. ^ Defence questions Hansard, 4 June 2007
6. ^ "Iraq Inquiry" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 May 2012. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
7. ^ Whitaker's Almanack 2005

Military offices

Preceded by

Anthony Milton

|  Commandant General Royal Marines
February – August 2004  | Succeeded by

James Dutton

* v
* t
* e

Commandants General of the Royal Marines

* Sir Thomas Hunton
* Sir Dallas Brooks
* Sir Leslie Hollis
* Sir John Westall
* Sir Campbell Hardy
* Sir Ian Riches
* Sir Malcolm Cartwright-Taylor
* Sir Norman Tailyour
* Sir Peter Hellings
* Sir Ian Gourlay
* Sir Peter Whiteley
* Sir John Richards
* Sir Steuart Pringle
* Sir Michael Wilkins
* Sir Martin Garrod
* Sir Henry Beverley
* Sir Robin Ross
* David Pennefather
* Robert Fulton
* Robert Fry
* Tony Milton
* David Wilson
* James Dutton
* Garry Robison
* Andy Salmon
* Buster Howes
* Ed Davis
* Martin Smith
* Robert Magowan
* Charles Stickland
* Matthew Holmes
* Robert Magowan
* Gwyn Jenkins

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