William Rous (British Army officer)
Lieutenant General The Hon. Sir William Edward Rous KCB, OBE (23 February 1939 – 25 May 1999) was a British Army officer who served as Quartermaster-General to the Forces.
Sir William Rous | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | William Edward Rous |
| Born | 23 February 1939 North Walsham, Norfolk, England |
| Died | 25 May 1999 (aged 60) Chichester, West Sussex, England |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/ |  British Army |
| Years of service | 1959–1996 |
| Rank | Lieutenant General |
| Commands held | 4th Armoured Division Staff College, Camberley |
| Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Officer of the Order of the British Empire |
Early life and education
Rous was the second son of Hon. Keith Rous and Pamela Catherine Mabell Kay-Shuttleworth,[1] only daughter of Capt. Hon. Edward James Kay-Shuttleworth (1890–1917). His mother was the granddaughter of Ughtred Kay-Shuttleworth, 1st Baron Shuttleworth and sister of the 4th Baron.[2]
His parents divorced in 1940 after five years of marriage. His father remarried, in 1943, to April Mary Asquith, daughter of Brig-Gen. Hon. Arthur Asquith, and had one more son and four daughters. He was educated at Harrow School and Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.[1]
In 1983, his father succeeded his elder brother, John Rous, 4th Earl of Stradbroke, as the 5th Earl of Stradbroke but lived only four days as earl (14 July 1983 – 18 July 1983) before his own death.[1]
Military career
Rous was commissioned into the Coldstream Guards in 1959.[3]
He was appointed General Officer Commanding 4th Armoured Division in 1987[4] and then selected to be Commandant of the Staff College, Camberley in 1989.[5]
In 1991, he was appointed Military Secretary[6] and in 1994 he went on to be Quartermaster-General to the Forces.[7] He retired in 1996.[8]
He was also Colonel of the Coldstream Guards.[9]
Personal life
In 1970, Rous married Rosemary Persse, only child of Maj. Jocelyn Arthur Persse, and Joan Shirley (later Lady Carew Pole). They had two sons: James Anthony Edward (born 1972) and Richard William Jocelyn (born 1975).[1]
In retirement, he was Chairman of Kingston Hospital. He died of cancer in May 1999 and the cancer unit at the hospital is named after him.[10]
References
- Mosley, Charles, ed. (2003). Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knighthood (107 ed.). Burke's Peerage & Gentry. p. 3766. ISBN 0-9711966-2-1.
- Mosley 2003, p. 3616
- "No. 41826". The London Gazette (Supplement). 25 September 1959. p. 6045.
- "No. 51136". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 December 1987. p. 14774.
- "No. 51969". The London Gazette (Supplement). 19 December 1989. p. 14616.
- "No. 52691". The London Gazette (Supplement). 22 October 1991. p. 16043.
- "No. 53652". The London Gazette (Supplement). 26 April 1994. p. 6156.
- "No. 54453". The London Gazette. 1 July 1996. p. 8911.
- "No. 53587". The London Gazette (Supplement). 15 February 1994. p. 2316.
- Kingston Cancer Unit
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Michael Hobbs |
General Officer Commanding the 4th Armoured Division 1987–1989 |
Succeeded by Jeremy Mackenzie |
| Preceded by Jeremy Mackenzie |
Commandant of the Staff College, Camberley 1989–1991 |
Succeeded by Michael Rose |
| Preceded by Sir John Learmont |
Military Secretary 1991–1994 |
Succeeded by Sir Robert Hayman-Joyce |
| Preceded by Sir George Burns |
Colonel of the Coldstream Guards 1994–1999 |
Succeeded by Sir Michael Rose |
| Preceded by Sir John Learmont |
Quartermaster-General to the Forces 1994–1996 |
Succeeded by Sir Samuel Cowan |