Citation for the award of the CBE to Brigadier Arthur Sisson

Brigadier Sisson has been closely involved with the Quarter-Master-General’s plans for the restructuring of the Department and the Q Services since October 1974, first as Secretary of the Somerville Committee (Colonel) (Oct 74-Mar 75); then as Head of the Logistic Executive Planning Staff until April 1976 when he was promoted and took up his present post.

Both appointments were unique involving perhaps the biggest reorganisation in the Q services since the War. As Secretary of the Somerville Committee he tackled a most difficult and controversial task involving skilful negotiation and tactful handling of the Services Directors. It is largely due to his determination and genuineness of purpose that the Committee achieved so many of its aims.

With scarcely a pause for breath he took on, as Head of the Logistic Executive Planning Staff, the task of organising the movement of COSLOG’s, DGO’s, DGTn’s and DGEME’s staff from London and the setting up of the QMG’s Logistic Headquarters at Andover. This in itself a most difficult task has been beset with many problems, not the least of which was a belated change of location. Brigadier Sisson throughout never faltered and applied his wide understanding of the Army and its logistic problems to achieving sensible, balanced solutions to the complex organisational problems with which he was faced.

In April 1976 he became D of Q (Org and Dev) at arguably, one of its most involved and delicately poised stages in the “Fair Value” negotiations to achieve QMG’s aim of reducing the Logistic staffs by 5,400 posts involving the closure and relocation of Service Installations without loss of efficiency. That these plans are moving to a successful conclusion is due in no small measure to Brigadier Sisson’s resoluteness of purpose.

Throughout this period Brigadier Sisson has never spared himself. His wide logistic experience is always at the service of others and his conscientious quest for accuracy in the solution of problems has made a noteworthy contribution to the forwarding of the Quarter-Master-General’s plans. Indeed it would be true to say that without his efforts it is doubtful they could have been achieved in such wide measure.