Field Marshal Sir Geoffrey Harding Baker, GCB, CMG, CBE, MC (20 June 1912 – 8 May 1980) was Chief of the General Staff, the professional head of the British Army, from 1968 to 1971.

[2] Baker served in the Second World War and, having been promoted to captain on 28 January 1940, and posted as a staff officer to Headquarters Middle East in May 1940.

[8] Promoted to the substantive rank of major on 1 July 1946,[12] he was appointed deputy director of Staff Duties at the War Office in January 1947.

[8] After promotion to lieutenant colonel on 31 December 1951,[13] he took command of 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery at Munsterlager and, following promotion to colonel on 20 June 1953[14] and having been appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in the New Year Honours 1955,[15] he became Director of Operations and Chief of Staff for the campaign against EOKA in Cyprus in November 1955 during the Cyprus Emergency, for which he was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in the New Year Honours 1958.

[24] In this role he provided advice to the British Government on the deployment of troops to Northern Ireland at the start of the Troubles: his assessment was that Special Branch had inadequate intelligence on the IRA.