Born, 1922; educated at Manchester Grammar School and Pembroke College, Oxford; Pilot, Royal Air Force, 1941-1946; Assistant Principal, Air Ministry, 1948; Private Secretary to Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Air, 1949-1951; Private Secretary to Permanent Under Secretary of State for Air, 1951-1953; Private Secretary to Chief of Air Staff, 1953-1955; Assistant Secretary, Head of the Air Staff, Secretariat, 1955-1960; Head of Cyprus Secretariat, including negotiations in Cyprus and responsibility for setting up Sovereign Base Area Administration in Cyprus, 1960-61; awarded CMG, 1961; Director of Accounts, Air Ministry, 1961-1962; Assistant Under Secretary of State, Air Ministry, 1962-1964; Assistant Under Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence, 1964-1968; Deputy Under Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence, 1968-1970; awarded CB, 1970; Deputy Secretary, Civil Service Department, 1970-1973; Permanent Under Secretary of State, Northern Ireland Office, 1973-1976; created KCB, 1974; Honorary Fellow, Pembroke College, Oxford, 1976; Permanent Under Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence, 1976-1982; appointed GCB, 1979; Member of Council, King's College London, 1981-1989; Honorary Consultant, Royal United Services Institute for Defence Studies, from 1982; Governor, Cranbrook School, 1982-1992; Director, Westland Helicopters, 1982-1985; Privy Councillor, 1983; Chairman, Delegacy, King's College Medical and Dental School, 1983-1989; Director, Babcock International Group, 1983-1990; Director, Morgan Crucible, 1983-1994; Member of Council, Imperial College, London, 1983-1996; Director, N M Rothschild and Sons, 1983-1996; published Communications in crisis management (Council for Arms Control, London, 1985); Chairman, United Scientific Holdings, 1985-1989; Chairman, Institute of Contemporary British History, 1986-1992; Chairman, High Integrity Systems Limited, 1986-1995; Fellow of King's College London, 1987; Chairman of Trustees, Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, King's College London, 1987-2002; Fellow of Imperial College London, 1988; Chairman of Council, Imperial College, London, 1988-1996; Member, Advisory Council on Public Records, 1989-1992. For further biographical information see the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.