page_title: Richard Hull
section_title: Postwar
hierarchical_section_title: Richard Hull / Postwar
caption_attribution_description: English: Coat of Arms of Field Marshal Sir Richard Hull, KG, GCB, DSO, DL
context_page_description: Field Marshal Sir Richard Amyatt Hull, KG, GCB, DSO, DL was a senior British Army officer. He was the last Chief of the Imperial General Staff and the first Chief of the General Staff, and, as such, the professional head of the British Army. He later became Chief of the Defence Staff, the professional head of the entire British Armed Forces. He served with distinction during the Second World War, fighting from 1942 to 1945 in North Africa, Italy and Western Europe, became the youngest divisional commander in the British Army, and later advised the British government on the response to the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation.
context_section_description: Promoted to colonel on 13 April 1946, he again succeeded Major General Philip Gregson-Ellis, this time as Commandant of the Staff College, Camberley in May 1946, an assignment appointed to only the most promising officers. Having been promoted again to major general on 13 June 1947, he became Director of Staff Duties at the War Office in September 1948 and Chief Army Instructor at the Imperial Defence College on 1 January 1951. He became chief of staff at headquarters Middle East Land Forces on 26 January 1953. He was appointed GOC British Troops in Egypt on 15 June 1954 and, having been promoted to lieutenant general on 29 September 1954 and advanced to a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in the New Year Honours 1956, he became Deputy Chief of the Imperial General Staff on 5 October 1956. He was appointed Commander-in-Chief Far East Land Forces on 25 June 1958 and, having been promoted to full general on 13 February 1959, and advanced to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in the Queen's Birthday Honours 1961.
  Hull became Chief of the Imperial General Staff on 1 November 1961 (restyled Chief of the General Staff in April 1964). In this capacity he advised the British government on the response to the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation. Having been promoted to field marshal on 8 February 1965, he was appointed Chief of the Defence Staff, the professional head of the British Armed Forces, on 16 July 1965. He finally retired from the British Army on 5 August 1967.
  He was also appointed Colonel of the 17th/21st Lancers from July 1947, Honorary Colonel of the Cambridge University Contingent from 30 May 1958 and Colonel Commandant of the Royal Armoured Corps from April 1968.
  In retirement he became a Non-Executive Director of Whitbread. He was appointed Constable of the Tower of London from 1 August 1970, Lord Lieutenant of Devon from 5 October 1978 and a Knight of the Order of the Garter on 23 April 1980.
  His interests included shooting, fly fishing and gardening; he knew every plant in his garden by their English, Latin and local name. He died of cancer at his home, Beacon Downe in Pinhoe on 17 September 1989.
caption: Coat of Arms of Field Marshal Sir Richard Hull, KG, as displayed on his Order of the Garter stall plate in St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.
exif: {}