Garrison sergeant major

A garrison sergeant major (GSM)Template:Efn in the British Army is the senior warrant officer of a garrison and holds the rank of warrant officer class 1. The GSM London District, always a guardsman, holds one of the four most senior WO1 appointments in the British Army, and has military ceremonial responsibility for important state occasions such as Trooping the Colour.

London District

The post of GSM London District was established in the early 1940s with specific responsibilities as State Ceremonial Sergeant Major. The first tasks of the new GSM were to organise the military ceremonial at the funeral of King George VI in 1952 and the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. The GSM also organised the military ceremonial at the state funeral of the Queen on 19 September 2022.

File:State Opening of Parliament 2015 (18168558105).jpg

The Garrison Sergeant Major, Billy Mott (left), alongside his successor-to-be Vern Stokes at the State Opening of Parliament 2015.

No.	Name (birth–death)	Term of office			Service	Ref.
		Took office	Left office	Time in office
1	Thomas Courtney	1940	1950	Template:Age in years years	Coldstream Guards
2	George Howe	1950	1951	Template:Age in years years	Irish Guards
3	Frederick Thomas Aylen	1951	1952	Template:Age in years years	Coldstream Guards
4	George Stone Template:Post-nominals	1952	1965	Template:Age in years years	Irish Guards
5	Tom Taylor Template:Post-nominals	1965	1977	Template:Age in years years	Grenadier Guards
6	Alex Dumon Template:Post-nominals	1977	1987	Template:Age in years years	Coldstream Guards
7	Alan G 'Perry' Mason Template:Post-nominals	1987	2002	Template:Age in years years	Coldstream Guards
8	Bill Mott Template:Post-nominals	2002	2015	Template:Age in years years	Welsh Guards
9	Andrew 'Vern' Stokes Template:Post-nominals (born 1972)	2015	Incumbent	Template:Age in years years	Coldstream Guards

The GSM London District traditionally wore the same badge of rank as a regimental sergeant major of Foot Guards, the large Royal Coat of Arms on the right upper sleeve. However, on 28 April 2011, the day before the wedding of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Ministry of Defence announced that, in recognition of the work done by garrison sergeant majors on behalf of the Royal Household, Queen Elizabeth II approved the revival of the original insignia worn by sergeant majors appointed to the court of King William IV in the early 19th century. It incorporates the large Royal Coat of Arms worn by selected warrant officers class 1 of the Household Division, placed over four chevrons sewn in gold thread, the traditional badge of the sergeant major, originally worn on both arms of their tunics.

Gallery

• Full dress insignia
  Full dress insignia
• Service dress insignia
  Service dress insignia

External links

• Garrison Sergeant Majors Containing more detailed biographies and some video of recent holders of this post.

Template:Asbox