John Harding, 1st Baron Harding of Petherton

Field Marshal The Right Honourable The Lord Harding of Petherton
Born	(1896-02-10)10 February 1896 South Petherton, Somerset, England
Died	20 January 1989(1989-01-20) (aged 92) Nether Compton, Dorset, England
Buried	Nether Compton (St. Nicholas) Churchyard, Nether Compton[1]
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1914–1955
Rank	Field Marshal
Service number	12247
Unit	London Regiment Machine Gun Corps Somerset Light Infantry
Commands held	Chief of the Imperial General Staff (1952–1955) British Army of the Rhine (1951–1952) Far East Land Forces (1948–1951) Southern Command (1947–1948) XIII Corps (1945) VIII Corps (1943–1944) 7th Armoured Division (1942–1943) 1st Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry (1939–1940)
Battles/wars	First World War Second World War Malayan Emergency Cyprus Emergency
Awards	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Commander of the Order of the British Empire Distinguished Service Order & Two Bars Military Cross Mentioned in Despatches Commander of the Legion of Merit (United States)
Relations	John Harding (son) Dido Harding (granddaughter)

Field Marshal Allan Francis Harding, 1st Baron Harding of Petherton, GCB, CBE, DSO & Two Bars, MC (10 February 1896 – 20 January 1989), known as John Harding, was a senior British Army officer who fought in both the First World War and the Second World War, served in the Malayan Emergency, and later advised the British government on the response to the Mau Mau Uprising. He also served as Chief of the Imperial General Staff (CIGS), the professional head of the British Army, and was Governor of Cyprus from 1955 to 1957 during the Cyprus Emergency. His administration of Cyprus was controversial for its authoritarian treatment of suspected insurgents and civilians.^[2]