Sir John Wilsey | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Gregory Peck[1] |
| Born | (1939-02-18)18 February 1939 |
| Died | 25 September 2019(2019-09-25) (aged 80) |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service | British Army |
| Years of service | 1959–1996 |
| Rank | General |
| Service number | 461522 |
| Unit | Devonshire and Dorset Regiment |
| Commands | Land Command UK Land Forces Northern Ireland 1st Infantry Brigade 1st Battalion,Devonshire and Dorset Regiment |
| Battles / wars | Operation Banner |
| Awards | Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Commander of the Order of the British Empire Mentioned in Despatches |
| Relations | John Harold Owen Wilsey (father) |
| Other work | Author |
GeneralSir John Finlay Willasey Wilsey,GCB, CBE, DL (18 February 1939 – 25 September 2019) was aBritish Army officer who served asCommander-in-Chief, Land Forces.
Educated atSherborne School, John Wilsey was commissioned into theDevonshire and Dorset Regiment in 1959.[2] He served inNorthern Ireland between 1976 and 1977, where he wasmentioned in despatches.[2] In 1978 he attended theStaff College, Camberley. He wascommanding officer of the 1st BattalionDevonshire and Dorset Regiment from 1979 to 1982.[2] He commanded the1st Infantry Brigade from 1984 to 1986,[2] waschief of staffUK Land Forces from 1988 to 1989,[2] and made Colonel Commandant of theArmy Catering Corps in 1990.[3] He was also given the colonelcy of theDevonshire and Dorset Regiment in 1990, holding the position until 1998.[4]
Wilsey went on to becomeGeneral Officer CommandingNorthern Ireland from 1990 to 1993.[2] It was in this capacity that he oversaw the merger between theUlster Defence Regiment and theRoyal Irish Rangers to form theRoyal Irish Regiment. In 1993 he was appointed Joint Commander of Operations in theFormer Republic of Yugoslavia,[2] and relinquished his post over the Army Catering Corps in favour of the position of Colonel Commandant of theRoyal Logistic Corps.[5] In 1994 he was appointedAide de Camp General to the Queen.[6]
Wilsey served as the lastCommander in Chief, UK Land Forces from 1993 to 1995, with the acting rank of general, and was then the firstCommander-in-Chief, Land Command from 1995 to 1996.[2] He was appointed aKnight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in the1996 New Year Honours.[7]
Wilsey was the author ofH. Jones VC: The Life and Death of an Unusual Hero, a book about his friend Lieutenant ColonelH. Jones who was killed in theFalklands War. He also becameChairman of Western Provident Association andVice-Chairman of theCommonwealth War Graves Commission.[8][9]
Having settled in southernWiltshire, in July 1996 he was appointed aDeputy Lieutenant of the county.[10]
He died on 25 September 2019 at the age of 80.[11][12]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | General Officer Commanding the British Army in Northern Ireland 1990–1993 | Succeeded by |
| Commander in Chief, UK Land Forces 1993–1995 | Post discontinued | |
| New command | Commander-in-Chief, Land Command 1995–1996 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
