Patrick Cordingley

Major General Patrick Anthony John Cordingley, DSO, OBE, FRGS (born 6 October 1944) is a retired British Army officer who commanded the 2nd Division from 1995 to 1996.

Patrick Cordingley
Born (1944-10-06) 6 October 1944
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branchBritish Army
Years of service1965–2000
RankMajor General
Commands held2nd Division
Eastern District
7th Armoured Brigade
Battles/warsGulf War
AwardsDistinguished Service Order
Officer of the Order of the British Empire

Military career

Cordingley was educated at Sherborne School and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (Intake 35), where he was Senior Under-Officer of Waterloo Company. He was commissioned into 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards in June 1965.[1] He was given command of the 7th Armoured Brigade (Desert Rats) in 1988 and, in 1991, led the brigade during the Gulf War.[2] He became General Officer Commanding Eastern District in 1992, General Officer Commanding 2nd Division in 1995 and Senior British Loan Services Officer to Oman in 1996, before he retired in 2000.[3]

Later life

In 1996 Cordingley published a book detailing his leading the troops into Iraq titled In The Eye of the Storm: Commanding 7th Armoured Brigade in the Gulf War, which rose to the top of the non-fictional best seller lists.[4] He was opposed to the Iraq War and has frequently spoken out against it citing his concern that many thousands of civilians would die unnecessarily.[5] Cordingley has also spoken out against Britain renewing its Trident nuclear deterrent.[6]

Cordingley was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 2017 Birthday Honours for services to the National Memorial Arboretum.[7]

References
  1. "No. 43768". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 September 1965. p. 8891.
  2. Cordingley hopes Baghdad battle can be avoided
  3. Army Commands Archived 5 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine
  4. St Andrews gets lecture on morals in war
  5. Desert Rat speaks out against war
  6. Cordingley speaks against Trident Replacement Archived 6 April 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  7. "No. 61962". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 June 2017. p. B11.
Military offices
Preceded by
Michael Walker		 General Officer Commanding Eastern District
1992–1995		 Command disbanded
New office
Division Reformed
(Post last held by Michael Walker)
 General Officer Commanding the 2nd Division
1995–1996		 Succeeded by
Dair Farrar-Hockley
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