Gerald Templer - Later Military Career

Later Military Career

Advanced to GCB in the Queen's Birthday Honours 1955, Templer was appointed Chief of the Imperial General Staff on 29 September 1955. In this capacity he advised the British Government on the response to the Suez Crisis. He was promoted to field marshal on 27 November 1956 and retired on 29 September 1958.

Templer was also appointed Colonel of the Royal Irish Fusiliers from 1946, Colonel of the Malay Federation Regiment from 1954, Colonel of the 7th Duke of Edinburgh's Own Gurkha Rifles from 25 May 1956, Colonel of the Royal Horse Guards from 1963 and Colonel of the Blues and Royals from 1969.

In retirement Templer focussed on his main passion which was establishing the National Army Museum in London. The Malaysian Government conferred on him the award of Grand Commander of the Order of the Defender of the Realm, which carries with it the title Tun, on 13 October 1960. He also appointed a Knight of the Garter on 16 September 1963 and Constable of the Tower on 1 August 1965. He chaired a committee of the rationalisation of air power in 1965 and was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Greater London on 28 December 1966. He died of cancer of the lung at his home in Chelsea in London on 25 October 1979.

In 1982 the University of Birmingham Centre for First World War Studies established the Templer Medal to commemorate his life and achievements and to mark his Presidency of the Society for Army Historical Research between 1965 and 1979.