John Akehurst (British Army officer)

Sir John Akehurst
Sir John Akehurst
Born	12 February 1930; Chatham, Kent, England
Died	20 February 2007 (aged 77)
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service / branch	British Army
Years of service	1947–1990
Rank	General
Service number	407732
Commands	Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe; UK Field Army; Staff College, Camberley; 4th Armoured Division; Dhofar Brigade; 2nd Battalion Royal Anglian Regiment
Battles / wars	Malayan Emergency; Dhofar Rebellion
Awards	Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath; Commander of the Order of the British Empire; Mentioned in Despatches

General Sir John Bryan Akehurst, KCB, CBE (12 February 1930 – 20 February 2007) was a British Army officer who rose to be Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe.

Military career

Educated at Cranbrook School and the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, John Akehurst was commissioned into the Northamptonshire Regiment in 1949.^[1] He was seconded to the Malay Regiment in 1952 during the Malayan Emergency.^[2] He was appointed Commanding Officer of 2nd Battalion Royal Anglian Regiment in 1968.^[2]

In 1974 he commanded the Dhofar Brigade of the Sultan of Oman's Armed Forces against a communist-inspired armed insurrection during the Dhofar Rebellion.^[1] It reached a peak in the autumn of 1975 when he successfully launched an attack from the mountain garrison of Sarfait on the border, although at Christmas 1975 his helicopter was attacked by guerrillas.^[3]

He spent two years as Deputy Military Secretary from 1976 to 1978 and then became General Officer Commanding 4th Armoured Division in 1979.^[1] In 1982 he was appointed Commandant of the Staff College, Camberley and in 1984 he became Commander of the UK Field Army.^[1] His final appointment was as Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe in 1987; he retired in 1990.^[1]

Family

In 1955 he married Shirley Anne Webb.^[2] Their two children died in childhood from cystic fibrosis.^[2] Lady Akehurst died on 31 December 2020 at the age of 85.^[4]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Obituary: Sir John Akehurst^{[dead link‍]} The Times, 27 February 2007
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Obituary: Sir John Akehurst The Daily Telegraph, 6 March 2007
^ Goldman, Lawrence (7 March 2013). Oxford Dictionary of National Biography 2005–2008. Oxford University Press. p. 11. ISBN 978-0-19-967154-0.
^ "AKEHURST - Deaths Announcements - Telegraph Announcements". announcements.telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 28 April 2023.

Bibliography

We Won a War: The Campaign in Oman 1965–1975 by John Akehurst, Russell Publishing, 1982, ISBN 978-0-85955-091-8
Generally Speaking: Then Hurrah for the life of a Soldier by John Akehurst. Published by Michael Russell Publishing Ltd, 1999, ISBN 978-0859552530

Military offices
Preceded by Richard Vickers	GOC 4th Armoured Division 1979–1981	Succeeded by Jeremy Reilly
Preceded by David Alexander-Sinclair	Commandant of the Staff College, Camberley 1982–1984	Succeeded by Patrick Palmer
Honorary titles
Preceded by Sir Timothy Creasey	Colonel of the Royal Anglian Regiment 1986−1991	Succeeded by Patrick Stone
Military offices
Preceded by Sir Edward Burgess	Commander UK Field Army 1984–1987	Succeeded by Sir David Ramsbotham