garrison sergeant major
{{Short description|Appointment in the British Army}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox military rank
| name = Garrison sergeant major
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| image = New GSM Rank Badge on WO1 Mott's Arm.jpg
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| caption = Garrison Sergeant Major London District's badge of rank
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| country = {{flag|United Kingdom}}
| service branch = {{army|United Kingdom}}
| abbreviation = GSM
| rank group = Warrant officer
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| NATO rank = OR-9
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| formation = 1940
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A garrison sergeant major (GSM){{efn|Note that in the British Army, the plural is "garrison sergeant majors" and not "garrison sergeants major".{{London Gazette |issue=48587 |date=16 April 1981 |page=5671 |supp=y }} {{London Gazette |issue=25044 |date=2 December 1881 |page=6467 }} The earliest usage of "sergeant majors" in The Times is in 1822. The last of the (very occasional) usages of "sergeants major", except when referring to American NCOs, is in 1938.}} in the British Army is the senior warrant officer of a garrison and holds the rank of warrant officer class 1. The GSM London District, always a guardsman, holds one of the four most senior WO1 appointments in the British Army, and has military ceremonial responsibility for important state occasions such as Trooping the Colour.
London District
The post of GSM London District was established in the early 1940s with specific responsibilities as State Ceremonial Sergeant Major. The first tasks of the new GSM were to organise the military ceremonial at the funeral of King George VI in 1952 and the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.{{cite web |title=Royal Wedding's Sergeant Major receives historic insignia |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/royal-weddings-sergeant-major-receives-historic-insignia |website=gov.uk |publisher=Ministry of Defence |access-date=18 June 2021 |date=28 April 2011}} The GSM also organised the military ceremonial at the state funeral of the Queen on 19 September 2022.
File:State Opening of Parliament 2015 (18168558105).jpg
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan=2| {{Abbr|No.|Number}} ! rowspan=2| Name ! colspan=3| Term of office ! rowspan=2| Service ! rowspan=2| {{Abbr|Ref.|Refences}} |
| Took office
! Left office ! Time in office |
|---|
| 1
| Thomas Courtney | 1940 | 1950 | {{age in years|1940|1950}} years | |
| 2
| George Howe | 1950 | 1951 | {{age in years|1950|1951}} years | |
| 3
| Frederick Thomas Aylen | 1951 | 1952 | {{age in years|1951|1952}} years | |
| 4
| George Stone {{post-nominals|country=UK|size=75%|sep=,|MVO|MBE}} | 1952 | 1965 | {{age in years|1952|1965}} years | |
| 5
| Tom Taylor {{post-nominals|country=UK|size=75%|sep=,|MVO|MBE}} | 1965 | 1977 | {{age in years|1965|1977}} years | |
| 6
| Alex Dumon {{post-nominals|country=UK|size=75%|sep=,|MVO|MBE}} | 1977 | 1987 | {{age in years|1977|1987}} years | |
| 7
| Alan G 'Perry' Mason {{post-nominals|country=UK|size=75%|sep=,|MVO|MBE}} | 1987 | 2002 | {{age in years|1987|2002}} years | |
| 8
| Bill Mott {{post-nominals|country=UK|size=75%|sep=,|OBE|MVO}} | 2002 | 2015 | {{age in years|2002|2015}} years |
| 9
| Andrew 'Vern' Stokes {{post-nominals|country=UK|size=75%|sep=,|OBE|MVO|DL}} | 2015 | Incumbent | {{age in years|2015}} years | |
The GSM London District traditionally wore the same badge of rank as a regimental sergeant major of Foot Guards, the large Royal Coat of Arms on the right upper sleeve. However, on 28 April 2011, the day before the wedding of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Ministry of Defence announced that, in recognition of the work done by garrison sergeant majors on behalf of the Royal Household, Queen Elizabeth II approved the revival of the original insignia worn by sergeant majors appointed to the court of King William IV in the early 19th century. It incorporates the large Royal Coat of Arms worn by selected warrant officers class 1 of the Household Division, placed over four chevrons sewn in gold thread, the traditional badge of the sergeant major, originally worn on both arms of their tunics.
Gallery
File:Foot Guards OR-9b (Full Dress).svg|Full dress insignia
File:Foot Guards OR-9b (Service Dress).svg|Service dress insignia
Notes
{{notelist}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.trooping-the-colour.co.uk/gsm/index.htm Garrison Sergeant Majors] Containing more detailed biographies and some video of recent holders of this post.
Category:Military appointments of the British Army
Category:Guards Division (United Kingdom)
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