A Garrison Sergeant Major (GSM) in the British Army is the senior Warrant Officer of a Garrison and holds the rank of Warrant Officer Class 1. The Garrison Sergeant Major London District (GSM LONDIST), always a Warrant Officer from the Foot Guards, holds one of the four most senior WO1 appointments in the British Army and has military ceremonial responsibility for important state occasions such as Trooping the Colour.

London District

The post of GSM London District was established in the early 1940s with specific responsibilities as state ceremonial sergeant major. The first tasks of the new GSM were to organise the military ceremonial at the funeral of King George VI in 1952 and the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. The GSM also organised the military ceremonial at the state funeral of Elizabeth II on 19 September 2022.

{| class="wikitable sortable static-row-numbers static-row-numbers-center"

|+ List of GSMs London District

! Name

! Appointed

! Regiment

! class="unsortable" | Ref.

|-

| Thomas Courtney

| 1940

| Coldstream Guards

|

|-

| George Howe

| 1950

| Irish Guards

|

|-

| Frederick Thomas Aylen

| 1951

| Coldstream Guards

|

|-

| George Stone

| 1952

| Irish Guards

|

|-

| Tom Taylor

| 1965

| Grenadier Guards

|

|-

| Alex Dumon

| 1977

| Coldstream Guards

|

|-

| Alan G 'Perry' Mason

| 1987

| Coldstream Guards

|

|-

| Bill Mott

| 2002

| Welsh Guards

|

|-

| Vern Stokes

| 2015

| Coldstream Guards

|

|}

The GSM London District traditionally wore the same badge of rank as a Regimental Sergeant Major of Foot Guards, the large Royal Coat of Arms on the right upper sleeve. However, on 28 April 2011, the day before the wedding of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Ministry of Defence announced that, in recognition of the work done by garrison sergeant majors on behalf of the Royal Household, Queen Elizabeth II approved the revival of the original insignia worn by sergeant majors appointed to the court of King William IV in the early 19th century. It incorporates the large Royal Coat of Arms worn by selected warrant officers class 1 of the Household Division, placed over four chevrons sewn in gold thread, the traditional badge of the sergeant major, originally worn on both arms of their tunics.

! Unit

! Location

|-

| 29 (Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Search) Group Support Unit

| Saffron Walden

|-

| Attack Helicopter Force Headquarters

| Ipswich

|-

| Andover Support Unit

| Andover

|-

| Defence School of Communications and Information Systems Blandford Garrison Support Unit

| Blandford

|-

| Dhekelia Station

| Dhekelia

|-

| Episkopi Station

| Episkopi

|-

| European Support Group European Joint Support Unit Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe

| Casteau

|-

| Headquarters 15 North East Brigade Headquarters York Garrison

| York

|-

| Headquarters 2 (South East) Brigade

| Folkestone

|-

| Headquarters Aldershot Garrison

| Aldershot

|-

| Headquarters Bicester Garrison & Bicester Garrison Support Unit

| Bicester

|-

| Headquarters Catterick Garrison

| Catterick

|-

| Headquarters Colchester Garrison

| Colchester

|-

| Headquarters Edinburgh Garrison

| Edinburgh

|-

| Headquarters Land Warfare Centre

| Warminster

|-

| Headquarters Tidworth and Bulford Garrison

| Bulford

|-

| Joint Support Unit Corsham

| Corsham

|-

| Northern Ireland Garrison Support Unit

| Lisburn

|-

| The Armour Centre Establishment Support Group

| Wareham

|}

<gallery>

File:GSMBillyMotWindsorGS.png|GSM London District Bill Mott wearing the pre-2011 insignia

File:Coronation of Charles III and Camilla - Before King's Procession (097).jpg|GSM London District Vern Stokes wearing the post-2011 insignia

File:New GSM Rank Badge on WO1 Mott's Arm.jpg|GSM London District badge in full dress

</gallery>

Notes

References

  • Garrison Sergeant Majors Containing more detailed biographies and some video of recent holders of this post.