Field Marshal Sir Roland Christopher Gibbs, GCB, CBE, DSO, MC, KStJ, DL (22 June 1921 – 31 October 2004) was Chief of the General Staff, the professional head of the British Army, from 1976 to 1979, and Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire from 1989 to 1996.

[2] Gibbs was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the King's Royal Rifle Corps (KRRC) on 31 December 1939, almost four months after the British entry into the Second World War.

[3] He was not immediately involved in action, however, as he was deemed to be too young, and remained in the United Kingdom until he was posted to the 2nd Battalion, KRRC, then commanded by Lieutenant Colonel George Erskine and in the process of reforming after sustaining severe casualties during the siege of Calais.

[6] After participating in the Second Battle of El Alamein, he took command of 'C Company' of his battalion in March 1943 and remained in that role for the rest of the war.

[7] With the end of World War II in Europe, Gibbs was posted to the South-East Asian theatre where he served, briefly, as a General Staff Officer Grade 2 (GSO2) at the HQ of Allied Land Forces South-East Asia (ALFSEA).

[5] He was promoted to the substantive rank of brigadier on 6 December 1966[12] and appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the New Year Honours 1968.

[5] Appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in the New Year Honours 1972,[15] he became Commander of 1st (British) Corps with the rank of lieutenant general on 14 January 1972[16] and Commander-in-Chief, UK Land Forces with the rank of full general on 1 April 1974.