Miles Hunt-Davis

Brigadier Sir Miles Hunt-Davis GCVO CBE
Born	1938 Johannesburg, Union of South Africa
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1960–1961 1962–1991
Rank	Brigadier
Service number	466744
Commands held	Brigade of Gurkhas
Awards	Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Other work	Private Secretary to the Duke of Edinburgh (1991–2010)

Brigadier Sir Miles Garth Hunt-Davis GCVO CBE (born 1938) is a retired British Army brigadier and the Private Secretary to His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh until 2010.

He was born in Johannesburg, Union of South Africa, and educated at St Andrew's College, South Africa. After attending the Mons Officer Cadet School, he was commissioned a probationary second lieutenant in the Queen's Brigade of the Territorial Army on 5 August 1960,^[1] and relinquished his commission on 16 November 1961.^[2] He joined the 6th Queen Elizabeth's Own Gurkha Rifles as a second lieutenant (direct-entry) holding a short-service commission on 14 April 1962.^[3] On 16 October 1963, he was granted a regular commission in the same regiment with the rank of second lieutenant (seniority 14 April 1962).^[4]

He served in Borneo and Malaysia 1964–1966, and was promoted to lieutenant on 14 April 1965.^[5] Promoted captain on 14 April 1968, from 1969–1970 he attended the Canadian Land Forces Command and Staff College.^[6] and was promoted to major on 31 December 1971.^[7] From 1974–1976 he was Brigade Major of the 48th Gurkha Infantry Brigade. Promoted lieutenant-colonel on 30 June 1976, he commanded 7th Duke of Edinburgh's Own Gurkha Rifles from 25 September.^[8][9] In 1979–1980 he was the Chief Instructor, Tactics Wing, of the School of Infantry, and 1980–1982 General Staff Officer Grade 1 (GSO1) Tactics at the School. From 1982–1983 he was instructor at the Staff College, Camberley (psc), and was promoted to colonel on 30 June 1984.^[10] In 1985–1987 he was Commander British Gurkhas, Nepal. Promoted to brigadier on 31 December 1987 (seniority 30 June), from 1987–1990, based in Hong Kong, he commanded the Brigade of Gurkhas.^[11] He retired on 1 August 1991.^[12]

Since leaving the British Army Brigadier Hunt-Davis has been Colonel of the 7th Duke of Edinburgh's Gurkha Rifles (1991^[13]-1994^[14]), and Chairman of the Gurkha Brigade Association (1991–2003). Hunt-Davis joined the Household of the Duke of Edinburgh as Assistant Private Secretary in 1991. He was promoted to Private Secretary in 1993. He retired in 2010.

Hunt-Davis was made a MBE in 1977, and advanced to CBE^[15] in 1990. He was made a CVO^[16] in 1998 and promoted to KCVO^[17] in 2003 and GCVO in 2010.^[18]

References

1. The London Gazette, 16 September 1960
2. The London Gazette, 23 January 1962
3. The London Gazette, 15 June 1962
4. The London Gazette, 13 December 1963
5. The London Gazette, 13 April 1965
6. The London Gazette, 16 April 1968
7. The London Gazette, 4 January 1972
8. The London Gazette, 6 July 1976
9. The London Gazette, 27 June 1978
10. The London Gazette, 17 July 1984
11. The London Gazette, 12 January 1988
12. "Viewing Page 11969 of Issue 52623". London-gazette.co.uk. 1991-08-05. Retrieved 2012-04-09.
13. "Viewing Page 55 of Issue 52784". London-gazette.co.uk. 1992-01-03. Retrieved 2012-04-09.
14. "Viewing Page 11657 of Issue 53762". London-gazette.co.uk. 1994-08-15. Retrieved 2012-04-09.
15. "Viewing Page 5 of Issue 52173". London-gazette.co.uk. 1990-06-15. Retrieved 2012-04-09.
16. "Viewing Page 4 of Issue 54993". London-gazette.co.uk. 1997-12-30. Retrieved 2012-04-09.
17. "Viewing Page 3 of Issue 56963". London-gazette.co.uk. 2003-06-14. Retrieved 2012-04-09.
18. The London Gazette: no. 59640. p. 24421. 21 December 2010. Retrieved 21 December 2010.