Sir Michael Rose | |
|---|---|
 Lieutenant General Sir Mike Rose (left) with GeneralJohn Shalikashvili in 1994 | |
| Born | (1940-01-05)5 January 1940 (age 85) |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Branch | British Army |
| Years of service | 1959–1997 |
| Rank | General |
| Service number | 460818 |
| Commands | United Nations Protection Force (1994–1995) UK Field Army (1993–1994) Staff College, Camberley (1991–1993) 2nd Infantry Division (1989–1991) Director Special Forces (1988–1989) Special Air Service (1979–1982) |
| Battles / wars | The Troubles Falklands War Bosnian War |
| Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Commander of the Order of the British Empire Distinguished Service Order Queen's Gallantry Medal Mentioned in Despatches (2) |
GeneralSir Hugh Michael Rose,KCB, CBE, DSO, QGM, DL (born 5 January 1940), often known asSir Mike Rose, is a retiredBritish Army general. As well asSpecial Air Service Regiment commanding officer, he was CommanderUnited Nations Protection Force inBosnia in 1994 during theYugoslav Wars.
The stepson of British authorJohn Masters, Rose was educated atCheltenham College,St. Edmund Hall,Oxford, and theSorbonne.[1]
Rose enlisted in theTerritorial and Army Volunteer Reserve (TAVR) as a private soldier and was commissioned into theGloucestershire Regiment TAVR on 17 March 1959,[2] transferring to theRifle Brigade as asecond lieutenant on 1 June.[3] Rose was confirmed in this rank and promoted tolieutenant on 18 December 1960.[4] and attached to theInns of Court (TAVR).[5]
Rose transferred to theRoyal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (RAFVR) (General Duties Branch) as actingpilot officer, with the service number 207004, on a three-year commission on 2 November 1961,[6] but relinquished the commission on 11 October 1963.[7]
On graduation from university, having gained aBachelor of Arts degree, Rose joined the Regular ArmyColdstream Guards as a second lieutenant on 22 October 1964.[8] and was promoted lieutenant on the same day.[9] Rose was promotedmajor on 31 December 1972,[10] and after attending theStaff College, Camberley, became theBrigade Major of the 16th Parachute Brigade from 1973 until 1975, serving in Northern Ireland attached to theDevon and Dorset Regiment and being awarded aMention in Despatches.[11] He was promotedlieutenant colonel on 30 June 1978,[12] and was commanding officer of22 SAS from 1979 to 1982, as part of which he was in control of the operation to free the hostages of theIranian Embassy Siege in 1980; he was portrayed byRobert Portal in the 2017 film about the siege,6 Days.[13] Rose was appointed anOfficer of the Order of the British Empire on 7 January 1980.[14] Serving in Northern Ireland in 1981, Rose was awarded theQueen's Gallantry Medal, which was not gazetted until 1994.[15]
Rose commanded Special Service operations in-theatre during theFalklands War, following which he was promoted tocolonel on 30 June 1982,[16] and Mentioned in Despatches.[17] He conducted negotiations with the Argentine forces to arrange their surrender deploying some of the skills that he had learnt from the Iranian Embassy siege.[18]
After being promotedbrigadier on 31 December 1983,[19] Rose served as the commander of the 39th Infantry Brigade from 1983 to 1985.[20] He was appointed aCommander of the Order of the British Empire in April 1986.[21] From 1987 until 1988, Rose wasCommandant of theSchool of Infantry,[20] and from 1988 until 1989, the firstDirector Special Forces.[20] He attended theRoyal College of Defence Studies.[22]
Rose was General Officer CommandingNorth East District and Commander2nd Infantry Division based inYork from 30 October 1989 to 30 September 1991,[20][23][24] During this period he was promotedmajor general.[25] Between 1991 and 8 April 1993 he served asCommandant of theStaff College, Camberley,[20][26] following which he was promotedlieutenant general on 17 May 1993,[27] and knighted as aKnight Commander of the Order of the Bath.[28] From 26 April 1993 to 1994, Rose served asCommander UK Field Army and Inspector-General of theTerritorial Army.[20][29]
Rose was Commander,United Nations Protection Force inBosnia-Herzegovina from 24 January 1994 to 23 January 1995.[30][31] His service in this period was recognised on 5 May 1995 when he was awarded theDistinguished Service Order.[32] On 14 March 1995 Rose resumed his appointment as Commander UK Field Army,[33] and on 10 May 1995 became Honorary Colonel of theOxford UniversityOfficer Training Corps.[34] Rose becameAdjutant-General on 7 July 1995,[35] andAide-de-Camp General toThe Queen on 9 September 1995,[36] in which role he served until 31 August 1997.[37]
Rose was appointed Colonel of the Regiment of theColdstream Guards on 23 August 1999.[38] On 10 March 2000 his tenure as Honorary Colonel of the Oxford University Officer Training Corps came to a conclusion, and he was succeeded by GeneralSir Roger Wheeler.[39]
Rose was called as a witness by Serbia and Montenegro in a case held at theInternational Court of Justice.[40]
Rose was appointedDeputy Lieutenant for the County ofSomerset on 5 August 2003.[41]
Rose has been a board member of Skarbek Associates since 2012 where he is also involved in the development and delivery of the leadership and teamwork components of Skarbek's capability building programme.[42]
In 2006 Rose came once again to public attention when he criticised the UK Prime MinisterTony Blair, and called for hisimpeachment for leading the country to war in Iraq under false pretences. This highlighted Rose's unease about the legality and practicality of the 2003 American-ledinvasion of Iraq.[43][44]
In 2007, he called for the admission of defeat and withdrawal ofCoalition forces from Iraq, describing the war as "hopeless" and comparing the situation to that faced by the British during theAmerican War of Independence.[45]
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Director Special Forces 1988–1989 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | General Officer CommandingNorth East District and Commander2nd Infantry Division 1989–1991 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Commanant of the Staff College, Camberley 1991–1993 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Commander UK Field Army 1993–1994 | Succeeded by |
| Adjutant General 1995–1997 | Succeeded by | |
| Honorary titles | ||
| Preceded by Sir William Rous | Colonel of the Coldstream Guards 1999–2009 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
