Jock Slater

Sir

Jock Slater
Sir; Jock Slater
Born	27 March 1938(age 86)
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Navy
Years of service	1958–1998
Rank	Admiral
Commands held	First Sea Lord; Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff; Commander-in-Chief Fleet; Flag Officer Scotland and Northern Ireland; HMSDryad; HMSIllustrious; HMSKent; HMSJupiter; HMSSoberton
Battles/wars	Falklands War
Awards	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath; Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order; Legion of Merit(United States)

AdmiralSir John Cunningham Kirkwood Slater,GCB,LVO,DL(born 27 March 1938), known asJock Slater,is a retiredRoyal Navyofficer. He commanded aminesweeper,afrigateand then adestroyerbefore taking over theaircraft carrier HMSIllustriousand then achieving higher command in the Navy. He served asFirst Sea Lordand Chief of the Naval Staff from 1995 to 1998: in that capacity he played a key role in the 1998Strategic Defence Reviewcarried out by theLabourGovernment that had come to power a year earlier.

Early life

Slater was the son ofJames Kirkwood Slaterand Margaret Claire Byrom Bramwell, daughter of DrEdwin Bramwell.^[1]

Slater was educated in his early years at theEdinburgh Academybefore attendingSedbergh Schooland theRoyal Naval College, Dartmouth.^[1]Slater is a great nephew ofAdmiral of the Fleet The Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhopewho served as First Sea Lord during theSecond World War.^[2]

Naval career

Slater joined theRoyal Navyas acadetin 1956 and was confirmed in the rank ofsub lieutenanton 1 January 1959.^[3]During his early career he served in thedestroyer HMSTroubridge,theminesweeper HMSYaxham,theRoyal Yacht HMYBritanniaand the destroyerHMSCassandra.^[1]In 1965 he was given command of the minesweeperHMSSoberton,which he commanded on fishery protection duties,^[4]before specialising innavigation.^[1]He was posted to the shore establishmentHMSDryadlater that year and then served in theaircraft carrier HMSVictoriousand then thefrigate HMSScarboroughover the next two years.^[1]

Slater became anEquerrytothe Queenon 12 October 1968^[5]and, having been promoted tolieutenant commanderon 22 October 1968,^[6]his services were recognised when he was made aLieutenant of the Royal Victorian Orderon 15 October 1971.^[7]Following promotion tocommanderon 31 December 1971,^[8]he was given command of the frigateHMSJupiterin 1972.^[1]He was posted to the Directorate of Naval Operations at theMinistry of Defencein 1973 and, following promotion tocaptainon 30 June 1976,^[9]he was given command of the destroyerHMSKentin August of that year.^[1]He attended theRoyal College of Defence Studiesin 1978 and then became assistant director of Naval Warfare at the Ministry of Defence in 1979.^[1]He went on to become the first commanding officer of the aircraft carrierHMSIllustriousin May 1981 and then became Captain at the School of Maritime Operations and Commander of HMSDryadin July 1983.^[1]

Slater was promoted torear admiralon 18 June 1985,^[10]on appointment asAssistant Chief of the Defence Staff(Policy and Nuclear), and then promoted tovice admiralon 20 October 1987,^[11]on appointment asFlag Officer Scotland and Northern Irelandas well asNATOCommander Northern Sub-Area Eastern Atlantic, NATO Commander Nore Sub-Area Channel and CommanderHM Naval Base Rosyth.^[1]Appointed aKnight Commander of the Order of the Bathin the 1988Birthday Honours,^[12]he went on to beChief of Fleet Supportin March 1989.^[1]He was promoted to fulladmiralon appointment asCommander-in-Chief Fleetas well asNATOCommander-in-Chief, Channel and Commander-in-Chief, Eastern Atlantic in January 1991.^[1]Advanced toKnight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bathin the 1992Birthday Honours,^[13]he becameVice-Chief of the Defence Staffin January 1993.^[1]

Slater was appointedFirst Sea Lordand Chief of the Naval Staff in July 1995.^[1]In that capacity he played a key role in theStrategic Defence Reviewcarried out by the incomingLabourGovernment.^[14]He retired in December 1998.^[15]

Later career

In retirement Slater has served as a Non-Executive Director ofVT Groupand ofLockheed Martin UK.^[1]He has also been Chairman of the executive committee of theRoyal National Lifeboat Institution,Chairman of the Royal Navy Club of 1765 & 1785, Chairman of the Trustees of theImperial War Museumand Chairman of the Council of Management of the White Ensign Association.^[1]He has been aDeputy LieutenantofHampshire,^[16]an Elder Brother ofTrinity House,aPrime Wardenof theShipwrights' Company,and aFreemanof theCity of London.^[1]His other interests mostly include outdoor activities.^[1]

Family

In 1972 Slater married Ann Frances, daughter of William Scott OBE DL, by whom he has two sons (Charles and Rory).^[1]

References

^^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^sWho's Who2010,A & C Black,2010,ISBN 978-1-408-11414-8
^"History and Development".Naval Records Society. Archived fromthe originalon 7 September 2012.Retrieved19 August2012.
^"No. 42159".The London Gazette.4 October 1960. p. 6703.
^"Sir Jock Slater".Bloomberg BusinessWeek.Retrieved19 August2012.^{[dead link]}
^"No. 44790".The London Gazette.14 February 1969. p. 1705.
^"No. 44699".The London Gazette(Supplement). 18 October 1968. p. 11321.
^"No. 45499".The London Gazette.19 October 1971. p. 11269.
^"No. 45575".The London Gazette(Supplement). 18 January 1972. p. 645.
^"No. 46953".The London Gazette(Supplement). 5 July 1976. p. 9281.
^"No. 50148".The London Gazette.10 June 1985. p. 8027.
^"No. 51086".The London Gazette(Supplement). 12 October 1987. p. 12655.
^"No. 51365".The London Gazette(Supplement). 10 June 1988. p. 2.
^"No. 52952".The London Gazette(Supplement). 12 June 1992. p. 2.
^"Former navy chief in government cuts warning".BBC News.6 July 2010.Retrieved19 August2012.
^"No. 55340".The London Gazette(Supplement). 14 December 1998. p. 13619.
^"The Vice Lord-Lieutenant and Deputy Lieutenants".Hampshire County Council. Archived fromthe originalon 8 September 2012.Retrieved19 August2012.

External links

Debrett's People of Today

Military offices
Preceded by Sir George Vallings	Flag Officer, Scotland and Northern Ireland 1987–1989	Succeeded by Sir Michael Livesay
Preceded by Sir Benjamin Bathurst	Chief of Fleet Support 1989–1991	Succeeded by Sir Neville Purvis
	Commander-in-Chief Fleet 1991–1992	Succeeded by Sir Hugo White
	Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff 1993–1995	Succeeded by Sir John Willis
	First Sea Lord 1995–1998	Succeeded by Sir Michael Boyce
Honorary titles
Preceded by Sir Joseph Gilbert	ChairmanBoard of Trustees, Imperial War Museum 2001–2006	Succeeded by Sir Peter Squire

[WW-1] ^^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^sWho's Who2010,A & C Black,2010,ISBN 978-1-408-11414-8

[2] "History and Development".Naval Records Society. Archived fromthe originalon 7 September 2012.Retrieved19 August2012.

[3] "No. 42159".The London Gazette.4 October 1960. p. 6703.

[4] "Sir Jock Slater".Bloomberg BusinessWeek.Retrieved19 August2012.^{[dead link]}

[5] "No. 44790".The London Gazette.14 February 1969. p. 1705.

[6] "No. 44699".The London Gazette(Supplement). 18 October 1968. p. 11321.

[7] "No. 45499".The London Gazette.19 October 1971. p. 11269.

[8] "No. 45575".The London Gazette(Supplement). 18 January 1972. p. 645.

[9] "No. 46953".The London Gazette(Supplement). 5 July 1976. p. 9281.

[10] "No. 50148".The London Gazette.10 June 1985. p. 8027.

[11] "No. 51086".The London Gazette(Supplement). 12 October 1987. p. 12655.

[12] "No. 51365".The London Gazette(Supplement). 10 June 1988. p. 2.

[13] "No. 52952".The London Gazette(Supplement). 12 June 1992. p. 2.

[14] "Former navy chief in government cuts warning".BBC News.6 July 2010.Retrieved19 August2012.

[15] "No. 55340".The London Gazette(Supplement). 14 December 1998. p. 13619.

[16] "The Vice Lord-Lieutenant and Deputy Lieutenants".Hampshire County Council. Archived fromthe originalon 8 September 2012.Retrieved19 August2012.

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