Garrison sergeant major

A garrison sergeant major (GSM)[lower-alpha 1] 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.

Garrison sergeant major
Garrison Sergeant Major London District's badge of rank
Country United Kingdom
Service branch British Army
AbbreviationGSM
Rank groupWarrant officer
NATO rank codeOR-9
Formation1940

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.[2] The GSM also organised the military ceremonial at the state funeral of the Queen on 19 September 2022.

The Garrison Sergeant Major, Billy Mott (left), alongside his successor-to-be Vern Stokes at the State Opening of Parliament 2015.
No. Name
(birth–death)		 Term of office Service Ref.
Took office Left office Time in office
1 Thomas Courtney 1940 1950 9–10 years Coldstream Guards
2 George Howe 1950 1951 0–1 years Irish Guards
3 Frederick Thomas Aylen 1951 1952 0–1 years Coldstream Guards
4 George Stone MVO, MBE 1952 1965 12–13 years Irish Guards
5 Tom Taylor MVO, MBE 1965 1977 11–12 years Grenadier Guards
6 Alex Dumon MVO, MBE 1977 1987 9–10 years Coldstream Guards
7 Alan G 'Perry' Mason MVO, MBE 1987 2002 14–15 years Coldstream Guards
8 Bill Mott OBE, MVO 2002 2015 12–13 years Welsh Guards [3]
9 Andrew 'Vern' Stokes OBE, MVO
(born 1972)		 2015 Incumbent 7–8 years Coldstream Guards

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.[2]

  • Full dress insignia
    Full dress insignia
  • Service dress insignia
    Service dress insignia

Notes
  1. Note that in the British Army, the plural is "garrison sergeant majors" and not "garrison sergeants major".[1] 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.

References
  1. "No. 48587". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 April 1981. p. 5671. "No. 25044". The London Gazette. 2 December 1881. p. 6467.
  2. "Royal Wedding's Sergeant Major receives historic insignia". gov.uk. Ministry of Defence. 28 April 2011. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  3. 'Senior Army NCO gives action figures authentic voice' (Ministry of Defence, 10 June 2011) (Accessed 10 March 2015)


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