Adrian Bradshaw (British Army officer)

{{Infobox military person

|name = Sir Adrian Bradshaw

|image = ABF Chelsea Pensioners carols (Adrian Bradshaw cropped).jpg

|caption = General Sir Adrian Bradshaw in 2019

|nickname =

|birth_date = {{birth year and age|1958}}

|birth_place =

|death_date =

|death_place =

|placeofburial =

|allegiance = United Kingdom

|branch = British Army

|serviceyears = 1980–2017

|rank = General

|unit =

|commands = Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe
Commander Land Forces
1st (UK) Armoured Division
Special Forces
7th Armoured Brigade
King's Royal Hussars

|battles = Bosnian War
Iraq War

|awards = Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
Officer of the Order of the British Empire
Officer of the Legion of Merit (United States)
Commander of the Order of the Crown (Belgium)

|relations =

|laterwork =

}}

General Sir Adrian John Bradshaw, {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|sep=,|KCB|OBE|DL}} (born 1958) is a former British Army officer who served as Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe. He also served as Director Special Forces from 2006 to 2009 and Commander Land Forces in 2013.

Early life

Bradshaw was educated at Bloxham School, received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Reading in 1979, and obtained a Master of Science degree in Defence Studies in 1991 as well a Master of Arts degree in International Relations in 2005, both from King's College London.{{cite web|url=http://www.isaf.nato.int/about-isaf/leadership/lieutenant-general-adrian-j-bradshaw-cb-obe-gbr.html|title=ISAF|accessdate=6 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141229082052/http://www.isaf.nato.int/about-isaf/leadership/lieutenant-general-adrian-j-bradshaw-cb-obe-gbr.html|archive-date=29 December 2014|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}

Military career

Bradshaw was commissioned into the 14th/20th King's Hussars in 1980.{{London Gazette|issue=48386|supp=y|page=16705|date=2 December 1980}} In 1994 he became commanding officer of the King's Royal Hussars, commanding the KRH Battlegroup in Bosnia. For his services in the former Yugoslavia, Bradshaw was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1998.{{London Gazette|issue=55120|supp=y|page=5194|date=8 May 1998}} On promotion to brigadier, he became senior advisor to the Combined Forces Air Component Command preparing for the invasion of Iraq.[https://books.google.com/books?id=7x8U4t-oJvcC&dq=General+%22Adrian+Bradshaw%22&pg=PA43 On point: the United States Army in Operation Iraqi Freedom By Gregory Fontenot, Page 43] Government Printing Office, 2007, {{ISBN|978-0-16-078196-4}} He was Deputy Commander of Task Force West during the invasion of Iraq in March 2003 and took charge of the 7th Armoured Brigade during the initial stabilisation operations in April 2003, for which he was appointed an Officer of the Legion of Merit by the United States.{{London Gazette|issue=57100|supp=y|page=12|date=31 October 2003}} By 2006 he was Director Special Forces.{{cite web|url=http://mayorofllantwitmajor.blogspot.com/2006/05/new-special-forces-support-group.html|title=Mayor of Llantwit Major: New Special Forces Support Group: Inaugural Parade|accessdate=6 June 2017}}

Bradshaw was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in the 2009 New Year Honours and,{{London Gazette|issue=58929|supp=y|page=2|date=31 December 2008}} that March, was appointed General Officer Commanding 1st (UK) Armoured Division which undertook a major training exercise in the Czech Republic in May 2009.[http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/British-Troops-Stage-Their-Biggest-Ever-Training-Exercise-Abroad-In-The-Czech-Republic/Article/200905215281500 British troops stage their biggest ever training exercise abroad in the Czech Republic] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090517092440/http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/British-Troops-Stage-Their-Biggest-Ever-Training-Exercise-Abroad-In-The-Czech-Republic/Article/200905215281500 |date=17 May 2009 }} Sky News, 14 May 2009 He became Deputy Commander International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan and United Kingdom National Contingent Commander in Afghanistan in the rank of lieutenant general in November 2011.[https://web.archive.org/web/20121006010150/http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/life/courtsocial/article3053824.ece Service Appointments] The Times, 8 June 2011 He is Vice-Chairman of the Combined Services Polo Association.{{cite web|url=http://www.cspa.org.uk/|title=Combined Services Polo Association|accessdate=6 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170502051107/http://cspa.org.uk/|archive-date=2 May 2017|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}

Bradshaw assumed the role of Commander Land Forces in succession to General Sir Nick Parker in January 2013.{{cite web|url=http://www.defenceviewpoints.co.uk/defence-news/up-and-out-promotions-leavers-new-jobs-may-2012|title=Up and out : Promotions, leavers, new jobs May 2012 – Defence Viewpoints from UK Defence Forum|first=Robin|last=Ashby|publisher=defenceviewpoints.co.uk|accessdate=6 June 2017}} He was advanced to Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in the 2013 Birthday Honours,{{London Gazette|issue=60534|supp=y|page=2|date=15 June 2013}} and was succeeded by Lieutenant General Nick Carter as Commander Land Forces in November 2013.{{cite web|url=http://www.defenceviewpoints.co.uk/defence-news/ups-and-outs-july-2013|title=Ups and outs July 2013|publisher=Defence Viewpoints|accessdate=14 July 2013}}

Bradshaw was promoted to general and appointed Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe on 28 March 2014.{{London Gazette|issue=60824 |supp=y |page=6580 |date=1 April 2014}}{{cite web|url=http://www.aco.nato.int/general-sir-adrian-bradshaw-becomes-the-28th-dsaceur.aspx|title=General Sir Adrian Bradshaw becomes the 28th DSACEUR|accessdate=30 March 2014}} As of 2015, Bradshaw was paid a salary of between £170,000 and £174,999 by the department, making him one of the 328 most highly paid people in the British public sector at that time.{{Cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/492289/150K_senior_salaries.csv/preview|title=Senior officials 'high earners' salaries as at 30 September 2015 – Government of the United Kingdom|date=17 December 2015|publisher=Government of the United Kingdom|access-date=13 March 2016}} He retired on 12 August 2017.{{London Gazette|issue=62024|supp=y|page=15407|date=2 December 1980}}

Bradshaw held the honorary position of Regimental Colonel of the King's Royal Hussars from 2017 to 2022.{{London Gazette|issue=63914|page=24832|supp=y|date=28 December 2022}} In 2022 Bradshaw was granted permission to wear the insignia of a Commander of the Order of the Crown, which had been conferred on him by the King of Belgium.{{London Gazette|issue=63886|page=22602|supp=y|date=25 November 2022}}

Later career

On 7 June 2018, during the annual Founder's Day Parade at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, it was announced that Bradshaw would become the new Governor of the Hospital in September 2018, succeeding General Sir Redmond Watt.{{Cite web|url=http://www.chelsea-pensioners.co.uk/news/royal-hospital-chelsea-celebrates-its-annual-founder's-day-parade|title=Sir Adrian Bradshaw, KCB OBE announced as the new Governor of the Royal Hospital.|accessdate=9 June 2018}}{{Dead link|date=September 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

Bradshaw joined the Blesma Board of Trustees and was elected Chairman in 2017.{{cite web|url=https://blesma.org/about-us/meet-our-trustees/general-sir-adrian-bradshaw-kcb-obe/ |title=General Sir Adrian Bradshaw KCB OBE|publisher=Blesma|access-date=20 June 2022}}