John MacMillan (British Army officer)

Not to be confused with John MacMillan (rower).

Lieutenant General Sir John Richard Alexander MacMillan, KCB, CBE (born 8 February 1932) is a Scottish officer in the British Army who served as General Officer Commanding Scotland. While he was at university, he was a rower and represented Great Britain at the 1952 Summer Olympics.

Sir John MacMillan
MacMillan in 2012
Born	8 February 1932 (1932-02-08) (age 93) St George Hanover Square, London
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Branch	British Army
Years of service	1953–1991
Rank	Lieutenant General
Service number	431870
Unit	Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Gordon Highlanders
Commands	General Officer Commanding Scotland Eastern District 39th Infantry Brigade 1st Battalion, Gordon Highlanders
Battles / wars	Operation Banner
Awards	Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Relations	Sir Gordon MacMillan (father)
Sports career
Sport	Rowing
Club	Cambridge University Boat Club

Early life and education

MacMillan was born in London on 8 February 1932, the son of Captain (later General Sir) Gordon MacMillan and Marion Blakiston-Houston.^[1] He was educated at Eton College and Trinity College, Cambridge.^[2]

Rowing

While at Trinity College, MacMillan was a member of the Cambridge University Boat Club. He competed in the men's double sculls event at the 1952 Summer Olympics, with Peter Brandt as his rowing partner. They were eliminated in the first repechage.^[3]

MacMillan competed in The Boat Race 1953, a side-by-side rowing race in eights between crews from the universities of Oxford and Cambridge along the River Thames. Cambridge won by eight lengths.^[4]

Military career

MacMillan was commissioned into the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in 1953.^[2] He was appointed commanding officer of 1st Battalion the Gordon Highlanders in 1971,^[2] and commander of the 39th Infantry Brigade, a unit permanently stationed in Northern Ireland, in 1977.^[2] He was given the colonelcy of the Gordon Highlanders from 1978 to 1986.^[5]

MacMillan became General Officer Commanding Eastern District in 1982, Assistant Chief of the General Staff in 1984 and General Officer Commanding Scotland and Governor of Edinburgh Castle in 1988.^[2] He retired in 1991.^[2]

In 1995, MacMillan became Chairman of the Erskine Hospital in Renfrewshire.^[6]

Honours

On 19 February 1973, MacMillan was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for "distinguished services in Northern Ireland during the period 1 May to 31 July 1972"; during that time, Bloody Friday and Operation Motorman happened.^[7] On 12 December 1978, MacMillan was promoted to Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) "in recognition of distinguished service in Northern Ireland during the period 1 May to 31 July 1978.^[8]

In the 1988 Birthday Honours, MacMillan was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB).^[9]

Family

In 1964, MacMillan married Belinda Webb, daughter of Lieutenant Colonel Richard Henry Lumley Webb. They have one son and two daughters.^[1]