Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank

The Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank
Guthrie at a NATO defence ministers' meeting
Born	(1938-11-17) 17 November 1938 (age 78) Chelsea, London, England
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1959–2001
Rank	Field Marshal
Service number	461440
Unit	Welsh Guards
Commands held	Chief of the Defence Staff Chief of the General Staff British Army of the Rhine 1st British Corps 2nd Infantry Division 4th Armoured Brigade 1st Battalion, Welsh Guards
Battles/wars	Operation Banner Bosnian War Kosovo War
Awards	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order Officer of the Order of the British Empire Officer of the Legion of Merit (United States)

Field Marshal Charles Ronald Llewelyn Guthrie, Baron Guthrie of Craigiebank, GCB, LVO, OBE, DL (born 17 November 1938) was Chief of the General Staff, the professional head of the British Army, from 1994 to 1997 and Chief of the Defence Staff from 1997 until his retirement in 2001.

Guthrie's military career saw service with the Welsh Guards and the Special Air Service; he was closely involved in military operations in Northern Ireland and provided advice to the British Government during the Bosnian War and the Kosovo War.

Born in Chelsea, London into a Scottish landed family, Guthrie was the elder son of Ronald Guthrie and Nina Guthrie (née Llewelyn). He was educated at Harrow School and the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst,

Guthrie was commissioned into the Welsh Guards on 25 July 1959. He was promoted to lieutenant on 1 June 1961 and captain on 25 July 1965. In 1966 he became a troop commander with 22 Special Air Service Regiment serving in Aden, the Persian Gulf, Malaysia and East Africa and then in 1968 he became a squadron commander with 22 Special Air Service Regiment serving in the Persian Gulf and the United Kingdom. He returned to the Welsh Guards in Münster in 1970 and, following his promotion to major on 31 December 1970, he was given command of a mechanised infantry company in the 1st Battalion. He became Military Assistant to the Chief of the General Staff in 1973 and, following a year as Second in Command of 1st Battalion Welsh Guards in London and Cyprus and having been promoted to lieutenant colonel on 31 December 1975, he became Brigade Major for the Household Division in 1976. In the Jubilee Honours of 1977 he was appointed a Member (fourth class) of the Royal Victorian Order (MVO); on 31 December 1984 this rank was reclassified as Lieutenant (LVO).