Colonel Hamish Stephen de Bretton-Gordon OBE (born September 1963) is a chemical weapons expert. He was formerly a British Army officer for 23 years and commanding officer of the UK's Joint Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Regiment and NATO's Rapid Reaction CBRN Battalion. [1] He is a visiting lecturer in disaster management at Bournemouth University. [2] He attended Tonbridge School and has a degree in agriculture from the University of Reading (1987).[ citation needed] He has commented on chemical and biological weapons for the BBC, [3] ABC [4] and The Guardian [5] and on tank warfare for the Daily Telegraph. [6]
On 4 January 1988, while being sponsored through university by the British Army as a university candidate, de Bretton-Gordon was commissioned as a second lieutenant (on probation) in the Royal Tank Regiment. [7] In September 1988, his commission was confirmed: he was given seniority in the rank of second lieutenant from 10 August 1985, and promoted to lieutenant backdated to 4 January 1988 with seniority from 10 August 1987. [8] He transferred from a short service commission to a regular commission on 29 January 1991, [9] and was promoted to captain on 10 August 1991. [10] In 1991, he saw active service in Iraq with the 14th/20th King's Hussars as part of the First Gulf War. [11]
After attending the Australian Command and Staff College, he was promoted to major on 30 September 1995. [12] [13] He was promoted to lieutenant colonel on 30 June 2003. [14] In 2004, rather than receiving the command of a tank regiment as he'd expected, he was appointed commanding officer of the UK's Joint Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Regiment. [15] In preparation for the command, he studied for a diploma in chemical biology at the Royal Military College of Science. [16] In the 2005 New Year Honours, he was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). [17] He additionally commanded NATO's Rapid Reaction CBRN Battalion between 2005 and 2007. [18] He was promoted to colonel on 30 June 2007. [19] From 2007 to 2010, he was based at HQ Land Command as assistant director intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. [13] He retired from the British Army on 12 September 2011. [20]
Colonel Hamish Stephen de Bretton-Gordon OBE (born September 1963) is a chemical weapons expert. He was formerly a British Army officer for 23 years and commanding officer of the UK's Joint Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Regiment and NATO's Rapid Reaction CBRN Battalion. [1] He is a visiting lecturer in disaster management at Bournemouth University. [2] He attended Tonbridge School and has a degree in agriculture from the University of Reading (1987).[ citation needed] He has commented on chemical and biological weapons for the BBC, [3] ABC [4] and The Guardian [5] and on tank warfare for the Daily Telegraph. [6]
On 4 January 1988, while being sponsored through university by the British Army as a university candidate, de Bretton-Gordon was commissioned as a second lieutenant (on probation) in the Royal Tank Regiment. [7] In September 1988, his commission was confirmed: he was given seniority in the rank of second lieutenant from 10 August 1985, and promoted to lieutenant backdated to 4 January 1988 with seniority from 10 August 1987. [8] He transferred from a short service commission to a regular commission on 29 January 1991, [9] and was promoted to captain on 10 August 1991. [10] In 1991, he saw active service in Iraq with the 14th/20th King's Hussars as part of the First Gulf War. [11]
After attending the Australian Command and Staff College, he was promoted to major on 30 September 1995. [12] [13] He was promoted to lieutenant colonel on 30 June 2003. [14] In 2004, rather than receiving the command of a tank regiment as he'd expected, he was appointed commanding officer of the UK's Joint Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Regiment. [15] In preparation for the command, he studied for a diploma in chemical biology at the Royal Military College of Science. [16] In the 2005 New Year Honours, he was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). [17] He additionally commanded NATO's Rapid Reaction CBRN Battalion between 2005 and 2007. [18] He was promoted to colonel on 30 June 2007. [19] From 2007 to 2010, he was based at HQ Land Command as assistant director intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. [13] He retired from the British Army on 12 September 2011. [20]