[3] Shortly afterwards, however, on 13 February 1946 he transferred to the Parachute Regiment[4] and was deployed to Palestine where the British Mandate was about to end.

[7] Promoted to captain on 10 February 1954,[8] he returned to the Green Howards in summer 1954 and then took part in counter-insurgency operations against EOKA units in Cyprus in 1955.

[10] Promoted to lieutenant colonel on 31 December 1966,[11] he became the Commanding Officer of the 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards in 1967 and served in that capacity in Omagh in Northern Ireland and Sennelager in Germany.

[10] He was appointed General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 4th Division on 21 September 1975[14] with the substantive rank of major general from 1 November 1975[15] and Assistant Chief of Defence Staff (Policy) at the Ministry of Defence on 7 January 1978.

[20] After being advanced to a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in the Queen's Birthday Honours 1985[21] and also becoming ADC to the Queen on 30 July 1985,[22] he was appointed Chief of the General Staff in August 1985[23] in which capacity he was closely involved in the debate about the future role of Britain's nuclear weapons.