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.
+ List of GSMs London District Name Appointed Regiment 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 'Senior Army NCO gives action figures authentic voice' (Ministry of Defence, 10 June 2011) (Accessed 10 March 2015) 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.
Other garrisons
+ List of other British Army garrisons and installations which have a garrison sergeant major as of 2018 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
References
External links Garrison Sergeant Majors Containing more detailed biographies and some video of recent holders of this post.