John Acland

Major-General Sir John Hugh Bevil Acland, KCB, CBE, DL (26 November 1928 – 17 November 2006) was a senior British Army officer. Early life Acland was born on 26 November 1928, the elder son of Peter Acland and Bridget Susan Acland (née Barnett). His younger brother Antony went on to become head of Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service and British Ambassador in Washington. He was educated at Eton College. Military career Having attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Acland was commissioned into the Scots Guards as a second lieutenant on 22 December 1948, with seniority from that date. He was given the service number 397794. He was promoted to lieutenant on 22 December 1950. He fought in the Malayan Emergency. He was promoted to captain on 22 December 1954. With his regiment, he was involved in the Cyprus Emergency of 1957. Subsequently, he was nominated equerry to Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, a post he held for the next two years. Acland attended Staff College, Camberley and was promoted to major on 22 December 1961. He then took part in the combats of the Mau Mau Uprising in Kenya. Following the Zanzibar Revolution in 1964, he was appointed brigade major of 4th Guards Brigade in the British Army of the Rhine and was promoted to lieutenant-colonel in 1967. He became commanding officer of the 2nd Battalion, Scots Guards in 1968 and led it in the Northern Ireland riots of August 1969.