John Richards (Royal Marines officer)

Sir John Richards
Richards (right) as Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps with Ambassador Leif Leifland in 1982.
Born(1927-02-21)21 February 1927
Died5 October 2004(2004-10-05) (aged 77)
Aix-en-Provence, France
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service / branchRoyal Marines
Years of service1945–1981
RankLieutenant General
CommandsCommandant General Royal Marines (1977–81)
3 Commando Brigade (1976–76)
42 Commando (1970–72)
45 Commando (1968–69)
Battles / warsMalayan Emergency
Aden Emergency
AwardsKnight Commander of the Order of the Bath
Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order

Lieutenant General Sir John Charles Chisholm Richards, KCB, KCVO (21 February 1927 – 5 October 2004) was a Royal Marines officer who served as Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps in the Royal Household from 1982 to 1991.

Military career

Educated at Worksop College, Richards joined the Royal Marines in 1945.[1] He was appointed commanding officer of 45 Commando in 1968, commander of 42 Commando in 1972,[2] and commander of 3 Commando Brigade in 1975 before becoming Commandant General Royal Marines in 1977 and retiring in 1981.[1]

In retirement Richards became Her Majesty's Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps in the Royal Household from 1982 to 1991.[3][1] As such, he accompanied Pengiran Mustapha bin Pengiran Metassan (Brunei high commissioner to the United Kingdom) when he delivered his letters of credence to Queen Elizabeth II on 20 November 1990 at Buckingham Palace. He also attended a banquet in London in February 1992 to commemorate Brunei's eighth national day. Richards died at Aix-en-Provence on 5 October 2004.[4]

Family

In 1953 Richards married Audrey Hidson; they had two sons and one daughter.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Debrett's People of Today 1994
  2. ^ Combat Zone
  3. ^ Catto, Henry E. (1998). Ambassadors at sea: the high and low adventures of a diplomat. University of Texas Press. p. 242. ISBN 978-0-292-71212-6.
  4. ^ "Negara Brunei Darussalam: obituaries 2004. - Free Online Library". www.thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
Military offices
Preceded by Commandant General Royal Marines
1977–1981
Succeeded by