Nick Welch | |
|---|---|
_(Welch_cropped).jpg) Brigadier Welch in 2011 | |
| Born | circa 1964 [1] |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/ | British Army |
| Years of service | 1984–2018 |
| Rank | Major General |
| Commands held |
7 Armoured Brigade 1st Battalion, Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment |
| Battles/wars |
Bosnian War War in Afghanistan |
| Awards | Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service |
Nicholas Welch (born c. 1964) is a retrospectively dismissed British Army major general who served as the Assistant Chief of the General Staff. In March 2021 he became the highest ranked British officer to be convicted at a court martial in over 200 years. [2]
Military career
Welch was commissioned into the Gloucestershire Regiment on 20 April 1984. [3] His deployments included Berlin, Northern Ireland and Belize. [4]
Welch became commanding officer of the 1st Battalion, the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment in 2002 and, [5] having been promoted to colonel on 30 June 2006, [6] he became commander of 7 Armoured Brigade based in Bergen-Hohne, Germany in March 2009. [7] He was deployed with 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade as the deputy commander of Regional Command (South West) in Afghanistan in September 2011, [8] and briefly served as Deputy Director of Strategic Studies in the Ministry of Defence before becoming Director Army Division at the Joint Services Command and Staff College in August 2012. [9] He went on to be Chief of Staff, Allied Rapid Reaction Corps in July 2014, [7] and Assistant Chief of the General Staff in December 2015. [10] [11]
Welch was awarded the Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service for service in the former Yugoslavia in March 2005. [12] He was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2001 New Year Honours [13] and promoted to Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2006 New Year Honours. [14] The award of the OBE was annulled and cancelled in August 2023. [15]
After leaving the army, Welch became Chief Operating Officer of Arts University Bournemouth. [16]
In 2020, Welch became the most senior officer to face a court martial since 1815 over accusations that he fraudulently claimed monetary expenses. [17] He was found guilty of fraud in March 2021, [18] sentenced to 21 months in a civilian prison [19] and retrospectively dismissed from the army. [20]
References
- ^ Morris, Steven (25 March 2021). "Senior army officer convicted of £48,000 Dorset boarding school fee fraud". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
- ^ Brown, Larisa. "Major general convicted of fraud over £48,000 claim for private school fees". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
- ^ "No. 49813". The London Gazette (Supplement). 23 July 1984. p. 10102.
- ^ "Shedhead Major General returns to Gloucestershire as chief of staff for ARRC – with one eye on Gloucester vs Bath". Gloucester Citizen. 12 November 2014. Archived from the original on 28 March 2015. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
- ^ "Why do regiments matter?". BBC. 6 December 2004. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
- ^ "No. 58034". The London Gazette (Supplement). 4 July 2006. p. 9061.
- ^ a b "Senior Army appointments" (PDF). Retrieved 28 February 2016.
- ^ "Brigadier General Nick Welch steps into top Afghanistan role". Bournemouth Daily Echo. 25 September 2011. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
- ^ "Ministry of Defence and Senior Tri-Service Appointments" (PDF). Retrieved 28 February 2016.
- ^ "Major General Nick Welch". Corenet. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
- ^ "Annual Newsletter" (PDF). Regimental Association of The Rifles and The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment. 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
- ^ "No. 57588". The London Gazette (Supplement). 18 March 2005. p. 3372.
- ^ "No. 56070". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 2000. p. 6.
- ^ "No. 57855". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2005. p. 5.
- ^ "No. 64152". The London Gazette. 23 August 2023. p. 16878.
- ^ "University pledges action after senior officer's fraud conviction". Times Higher Education. 25 March 2021. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
- ^ "Civilians may be called up to court martial of Major General Nick Welch". The Times. 11 December 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
- ^ Brown, Faye (25 March 2021). "Major General found guilty of swindling £48,000 to pay for kids' boarding school". Retrieved 25 March 2021.
- ^ "Major general jailed for Dorset school fees fraud". BBC News. 26 March 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
- ^ "No. 63351". The London Gazette (1st supplement). 18 May 2021. p. 8884.
- 1964 births
- Living people
- British Army major generals
- British Army personnel of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
- Gloucestershire Regiment officers
- NATO personnel in the Bosnian War
- People stripped of a British Commonwealth honour
- Recipients of the Commendation for Valuable Service
- People associated with Arts University Bournemouth
- British people convicted of fraud
- British prisoners and detainees
- Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment officers
- British Army personnel who were court-martialled
- Prisoners and detainees of the British military
- 20th-century British Army personnel
Nick Welch | |
|---|---|
|
Brigadier Welch in 2011 | |
| Born | circa 1964 [1] |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/ | British Army |
| Years of service | 1984–2018 |
| Rank | Major General |
| Commands held |
7 Armoured Brigade 1st Battalion, Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment |
| Battles/wars |
Bosnian War War in Afghanistan |
| Awards | Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service |
Nicholas Welch (born c. 1964) is a retrospectively dismissed British Army major general who served as the Assistant Chief of the General Staff. In March 2021 he became the highest ranked British officer to be convicted at a court martial in over 200 years. [2]
Military career
Welch was commissioned into the Gloucestershire Regiment on 20 April 1984. [3] His deployments included Berlin, Northern Ireland and Belize. [4]
Welch became commanding officer of the 1st Battalion, the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment in 2002 and, [5] having been promoted to colonel on 30 June 2006, [6] he became commander of 7 Armoured Brigade based in Bergen-Hohne, Germany in March 2009. [7] He was deployed with 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade as the deputy commander of Regional Command (South West) in Afghanistan in September 2011, [8] and briefly served as Deputy Director of Strategic Studies in the Ministry of Defence before becoming Director Army Division at the Joint Services Command and Staff College in August 2012. [9] He went on to be Chief of Staff, Allied Rapid Reaction Corps in July 2014, [7] and Assistant Chief of the General Staff in December 2015. [10] [11]
Welch was awarded the Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service for service in the former Yugoslavia in March 2005. [12] He was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2001 New Year Honours [13] and promoted to Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2006 New Year Honours. [14] The award of the OBE was annulled and cancelled in August 2023. [15]
After leaving the army, Welch became Chief Operating Officer of Arts University Bournemouth. [16]
In 2020, Welch became the most senior officer to face a court martial since 1815 over accusations that he fraudulently claimed monetary expenses. [17] He was found guilty of fraud in March 2021, [18] sentenced to 21 months in a civilian prison [19] and retrospectively dismissed from the army. [20]
References
- ^ Morris, Steven (25 March 2021). "Senior army officer convicted of £48,000 Dorset boarding school fee fraud". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
- ^ Brown, Larisa. "Major general convicted of fraud over £48,000 claim for private school fees". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
- ^ "No. 49813". The London Gazette (Supplement). 23 July 1984. p. 10102.
- ^ "Shedhead Major General returns to Gloucestershire as chief of staff for ARRC – with one eye on Gloucester vs Bath". Gloucester Citizen. 12 November 2014. Archived from the original on 28 March 2015. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
- ^ "Why do regiments matter?". BBC. 6 December 2004. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
- ^ "No. 58034". The London Gazette (Supplement). 4 July 2006. p. 9061.
- ^ a b "Senior Army appointments" (PDF). Retrieved 28 February 2016.
- ^ "Brigadier General Nick Welch steps into top Afghanistan role". Bournemouth Daily Echo. 25 September 2011. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
- ^ "Ministry of Defence and Senior Tri-Service Appointments" (PDF). Retrieved 28 February 2016.
- ^ "Major General Nick Welch". Corenet. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
- ^ "Annual Newsletter" (PDF). Regimental Association of The Rifles and The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment. 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
- ^ "No. 57588". The London Gazette (Supplement). 18 March 2005. p. 3372.
- ^ "No. 56070". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 2000. p. 6.
- ^ "No. 57855". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2005. p. 5.
- ^ "No. 64152". The London Gazette. 23 August 2023. p. 16878.
- ^ "University pledges action after senior officer's fraud conviction". Times Higher Education. 25 March 2021. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
- ^ "Civilians may be called up to court martial of Major General Nick Welch". The Times. 11 December 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
- ^ Brown, Faye (25 March 2021). "Major General found guilty of swindling £48,000 to pay for kids' boarding school". Retrieved 25 March 2021.
- ^ "Major general jailed for Dorset school fees fraud". BBC News. 26 March 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
- ^ "No. 63351". The London Gazette (1st supplement). 18 May 2021. p. 8884.
- 1964 births
- Living people
- British Army major generals
- British Army personnel of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
- Gloucestershire Regiment officers
- NATO personnel in the Bosnian War
- People stripped of a British Commonwealth honour
- Recipients of the Commendation for Valuable Service
- People associated with Arts University Bournemouth
- British people convicted of fraud
- British prisoners and detainees
- Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment officers
- British Army personnel who were court-martialled
- Prisoners and detainees of the British military
- 20th-century British Army personnel