Jump to content

William Rous (British Army officer)

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Dormskirk (talk | contribs) at 16:42, 18 August 2019 (unsourced - please read WP:CITE on how to source your edits. Thanks.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Sir William Rous
Birth nameWilliam Edward Rous
Born23 February 1939
North Walsham, Norfolk, England
Died25 May 1999(1999-05-25) (aged 60)
Chichester, West Sussex, England
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service / branch British Army
Years of service1959–1996
RankLieutenant General
Commands4th Armoured Division
Staff College, Camberley
AwardsKnight Commander of the Order of the Bath
Officer of the Order of the British Empire

Lieutenant General The Hon. Sir William Edward Rous KCB, OBE (23 February 1939 – 25 May 1999) was a British Army officer who served as Quartermaster-General to the Forces.

Early life and education

Rous was the second son of Hon. Keith Rous and Pamela Catherine Mabell Kay-Shuttleworth,[1] only daughter of Capt. Hon. Edward James Kay-Shuttleworth (1890–1917). His mother was the granddaughter of Ughtred Kay-Shuttleworth, 1st Baron Shuttleworth and sister of the 4th Baron.[2]

His parents divorced in 1940 after five years of marriage. His father remarried, in 1943, to April Mary Asquith, daughter of Brig-Gen. Hon. Arthur Asquith, and had one more son and four daughters. He was educated at Harrow School and Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.[1]

In 1983, his father succeeded his elder brother, John Rous, 4th Earl of Stradbroke, as the 5th Earl of Stradbroke but lived only four days as earl (14 July 1983 – 18 July 1983) before his own death.[1]

Military career

Rous was commissioned into the Coldstream Guards in 1959.[3]

He was appointed General Officer Commanding 4th Armoured Division in 1987[4] and then selected to be Commandant of the Staff College, Camberley in 1989.[5]

In 1991, he was appointed Military Secretary[6] and in 1994 he went on to be Quartermaster-General to the Forces.[7] He retired in 1996.[8]

He was also Colonel of the Coldstream Guards.[9]

Personal life

In 1970, Rous married Rosemary Persse, only child of Maj. Jocelyn Arthur Persse, and Joan Shirley (later Lady Carew Pole). They had two sons: James Anthony Edward (born 1972) and Richard William Jocelyn (born 1975).[1]

In retirement, he was Chairman of Kingston Hospital. He died of cancer in May 1999 and the cancer unit at the hospital is named after him.[10]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Mosley, Charles, ed. (2003). Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knighthood (107 ed.). Burke's Peerage & Gentry. p. 3766. ISBN 0-9711966-2-1. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |editorlink= ignored (|editor-link= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ Burke 2003, p. 3616
  3. ^ "No. 41826". The London Gazette (Supplement). 25 September 1959. p. 6045.
  4. ^ "No. 51136". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 December 1987. p. 14774.
  5. ^ "No. 51969". The London Gazette (Supplement). 19 December 1989. p. 14616.
  6. ^ "No. 52691". The London Gazette (Supplement). 22 October 1991. p. 16043.
  7. ^ "No. 53652". The London Gazette (Supplement). 26 April 1994. p. 6156.
  8. ^ "No. 54453". The London Gazette. 1 July 1996. p. 8911.
  9. ^ "No. 53587". The London Gazette (Supplement). 15 February 1994. p. 2316.
  10. ^ Kingston Cancer Unit
Military offices
Preceded by General Officer Commanding the 4th Armoured Division
1987–1989 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Commandant of the Staff College, Camberley
1989–1991 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Military Secretary
1991–1994 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Colonel of the Coldstream Guards
1994–1999 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Quartermaster-General to the Forces
1994–1996 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=William_Rous_(British_Army_officer)&oldid=911403149"