Simon Cooper (British Army officer)

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Sir Simon Cooper
File:Simon Cooper DA-SC-90-07040.jpg
Cooper in the driver's compartment of an M1 Abrams tank in 1985
Born 1936 (age 87–88)
Allegiance  United Kingdom
Service/branch  British Army
Years of service 1956–1991
Rank Major General
Commands held Life Guards
Household Cavalry
RMA Sandhurst
London District
Battles/wars Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation
Malayan Emergency
Operation Banner
Awards Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order

Major General Sir Simon Christie Cooper GCVO (born 1936) was Major-General commanding the Household Division and General Officer Commanding London District and later Master of the Household to the Sovereign.[1]

Military career

Born the son of Major General Kenneth Cooper and educated at Winchester School and at the Royal Military College Sandhurst, Cooper was commissioned into the Life Guards in 1956.[2]

He served in Aden, London, and in the British Army of the Rhine from 1957 to 1963 when he became Adjutant of the Household Cavalry Regiment. He then became Aide-de-Camp to the Chief of the General Staff in 1965. In 1966 and 1967 he served in Borneo during the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation and Malaya during the Malayan Emergency.

Cooper attended the Staff College, Camberley in 1968, and qualified as a staff officer. From 1969 to 1975 he was in the British Army of the Rhine, and was commanding officer of the Life Guards 1974 to 1976. He then served as a General Staff Officer at the Staff College from 1976 to 1978 when he became officer commanding the Household Cavalry and Silver Stick to Her Majesty The Queen. In 1981 and 1982 he was officer commanding the Royal Armoured Corps Centre.

In 1983 Cooper attended the Royal College of Defence Studies. He was promoted to major-general on 20 October 1983, and was Director of the Royal Armoured Corps from 1984 to 1987 when he was appointed Commandant of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.[3] From 1989 to 1991 he was Major-General commanding the Household Division and General Officer Commanding London District.[3] He retired on 26 August 1991.

He was Master of the Household to the Sovereign from 1992[4] to 2000. He was also made an Extra Equerry in 1992.[5]

He was also made Honorary Colonel of the Royal Yeomanry (Westminster Dragoons) in 1987.[6]

Cooper was appointed a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in 1991[7] on completion of his term commanding the Household Division, and was advanced to Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order on his retirement as Master of the Household in 2000.[8]

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 40802. p. 3433. 8 June 1956. Retrieved 2010-06-05.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Royal Armouries
  4. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 53037. p. 14897. 4 September 1992. Retrieved 2010-06-05.
  5. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 53072. p. 16931. 9 October 1992. Retrieved 2010-06-05.
  6. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 51136. p. 14769. 30 November 1987. Retrieved 2010-06-05.
  7. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 52592. p. 10097. 2 July 1991. Retrieved 2010-06-05.
  8. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 55939. p. 8923. 11 August 2000. Retrieved 2010-06-05.
Military offices
Preceded by Commandant of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
1987–1989		 Succeeded by
Peter Graham
Preceded by GOC London District
1989–1991		 Succeeded by
Sir Robert Corbett
Court offices
Preceded by Master of the Household
1992–2000		 Succeeded by
Sir Anthony Blackburn
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