Robert Ford (British Army officer)
General Sir Robert Ford GCB CBE | |
|---|---|
| Born | 29 December 1923 Yealmpton, Devon, England |
| Died | 24 November 2015 (aged 91) Dorset, England |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service |  British Army |
| Years of service | 1943–1981 |
| Rank | General |
| Service number | 284433 |
| Unit | 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards |
| Commands | 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards 7 Armoured Brigade Royal Military Academy Sandhurst |
| Battles / wars | World War II Palestine Emergency The Troubles |
| Awards | Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Commander of the Order of the British Empire Mentioned in despatches (2) |
General Sir Robert Cyril Ford GCB CBE (29 December 1923 – 24 November 2015) was a British Army general who was Adjutant-General to the Forces. The Bloody Sunday shootings occurred during his tenure as Commander Land Forces, Northern Ireland.
Early career
[edit]Born in Devon to John and Gladys Ford, Robert Ford was educated at Musgrave's College and received an emergency commission in the Royal Armoured Corps in 1943.[1] He served in North West Europe during World War II and was mentioned in despatches.[2] He was appointed to a permanent commission with the substantive rank of lieutenant on 29 June 1946.[3] He was appointed a lieutenant in the 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards on 1 February 1947 and was deployed to Palestine during the Palestine Emergency the same year, where as a temporary captain he was again mentioned in despatches in 1948.[2][3] He was promoted to captain on 29 December 1950 and to major on 29 December 1957.[4][5]
Ford was brevetted to lieutenant-colonel on 1 July 1962 and promoted to substantive lieutenant-colonel on 4 February 1966.[6][7] He became Commanding Officer of 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards the same year. Skipping one rank, he was promoted to brigadier on 31 December 1967 and appointed Commander of 7th Armoured Brigade in 1968.[2][8]
Northern Ireland and Bloody Sunday
[edit]On 29 July 1971, at the height of the Troubles, Brigadier Ford was appointed Commander Land Forces, Northern Ireland, with the acting rank of major-general, and was promoted to the substantive rank on 29 August.[9][10][11] He was criticised in the Saville Report into the Bloody Sunday massacre in Derry for deploying soldiers to arrest peaceful protestors: "In our view his decision to use 1 Para as the arrest force is open to criticism but he did not know his decision would result in soldiers firing unjustifiably."[12]
In the secret memo to his superior, dated 7 January 1972, Ford said he was "coming to the conclusion that the minimum force necessary to achieve a restoration of law and order is to shoot selected ringleaders amongst the DYH (Derry Young Hooligans), after clear warnings have been issued".[12] In the event, seven of the innocent victims of Bloody Sunday were indeed Derry teenagers. At the Bloody Sunday inquiry he claimed not to remember having written the memo.[12] Ford relinquished his command on 9 April 1973.[13]
Later career
[edit]In 1973, Ford became Commandant of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, and in 1976 he was appointed Military Secretary.[2] He was Adjutant General from 1978[14] to 1981 when he retired from the British Army.[2]
He was ADC General to the Queen from 1980[15] to 1981.[16]
He was awarded the CB in 1973,[17] the KCB in 1977[18] and the GCB in 1981.[19] He was also awarded the MBE in 1958[20] and the CBE in 1971.[21]
Retirement
[edit]In retirement he was Chairman of the Army Benevolent Fund from 1981 to 1987.[2] He was also Governor of the Royal Hospital Chelsea from 1981[22] to 1987.[23] He served as Vice-Chairman of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission from 1989 to 1993. He died on 24 November 2015.[24]
Family
[edit]In 1949, Ford married Jean Claudia Pendlebury (died 2002) and they had a son.[2] He married Caroline Margaret Peerless (née Leather) in 2003.[24]
References
[edit]- ^ "No. 36112". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 July 1943. p. 3430.
- ^ a b c d e f g Debrett's People of Today 1994
- ^ a b "No. 37809". The London Gazette (Supplement). 3 December 1946. p. 5953.
- ^ "No. 39102". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 December 1950. p. 6463.
- ^ "No. 41265". The London Gazette (Supplement). 27 December 1957. p. 7585.
- ^ "No. 42728". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 July 1962. p. 5555.
- ^ "No. 43950". The London Gazette (Supplement). 12 April 1966. p. 4389.
- ^ "No. 44493". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 December 1967. p. 74.
- ^ "No. 45438". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 August 1971. p. 8335.
- ^ "No. 45459". The London Gazette (Supplement). 27 August 1971. p. 9447.
- ^ Journalist recalls Bloody Sunday BBC News, 16 May 2001
- ^ a b c Bloody Sunday report published BBC News, 15 June 2010
- ^ "No. 45949". The London Gazette (Supplement). 9 April 1973. p. 4605.
- ^ "No. 47632". The London Gazette (Supplement). 4 September 1978. p. 10615.
- ^ "No. 48108". The London Gazette (Supplement). 26 February 1980. p. 3029.
- ^ "No. 48589". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 April 1981. p. 5767.
- ^ "No. 45984". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 June 1973. p. 6474.
- ^ "No. 47102". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 1976. p. 2.
- ^ "No. 48467". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 1980. p. 2.
- ^ "No. 41404". The London Gazette (Supplement). 12 June 1958. p. 3518.
- ^ "No. 45384". The London Gazette (Supplement). 12 June 1971. p. 5961.
- ^ "No. 48710". The London Gazette (Supplement). 18 August 1981. p. 10650.
- ^ "No. 51017". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 August 1987. p. 9877.
- ^ a b "General Sir Robert Ford obituary". The Telegraph. London. 26 November 2015. Retrieved 26 November 2015.