Detailed service history of Gen. Keith Spacie

General Keith Spacie – career biography main postings and ranks

1953                        Basic training

1954 - Aug 55          Sandhurst cadet

July 29, 1955            2nd Lieutenant

55-56                       Training post Sandhurst (YO courses) (Royal Lincolnshire)

Feb 56-58                Platoon Commander Malaya (MID Sep 30 1958)

1958?                      Aden (8 week tour with Lincolnshires)

November 1958       Seconded to the Parachute Regiment

December 9, 1958   Parachute jump training on course 480 (finished 16 January 1959)

Autumn 59-61          Parachute regiment selection and training

1960                        Transfer to Parachute Regiment

1960-61                   3 PARA Aldershot

March 1, 1961          Lieutenant 

July 29, 1961           Captain

late 61-62                 3 PARA Bahrain (8 months)

1962                         NATO training exercise in Greece

1962                         Staff officer (Adjutant at Aldershot Depot)

Jan 1964                  Command of 16th (Lincoln) Independent Company – Pathfinder

Sept 1965-1966        Year at Staff college Camberley 

1966                          Company Commander training with 3 Para in Aldershot

1966 and 1967          Training exercises in Libya and Mt Kenya

December 31, 1967  Major

1968-70                     16th Parachute Brigade DAA and QMG

1970                          Company Commander at Sandhurst

1971                          Chief Instructor role at Sandhurst

1972 (or 71?)             In the Summer acted as a replacement at short notice in NI working with Geoffrey Howlett 2 Para

October 1972             Course at National Defence College, Latimer

March 1973                Selected to command 3 PARA in NI (4 month tour)

June 30, 1973            Lieutenant Colonel

1974                           2nd NI tour (4 months)

January 7, 1975         OBE

1975                           Far East Jungle training in Malaya (2 months)

Summer 1975            MOD Main Building conducting a study (6 months)

May 1976- Sep 78     SHAPE (Special Assistant to Chief of Staff) 2.5 year posting

1979                           Instructor at National Defence College, Latimer

December 31, 1979   Brigadier

Dec 79-Jan 81           Commander 7 Field Force Colchester (Brigadier direct from Lt Col)

1982                          Royal College of Defence Studies 

March 83                   Trips to Asia (2 months)

April 1983 - June 84  Military Commissioner Falkland Islands (14 months) (act Major General)

August 7, 1983          Major General (substantive)

1984                          Led RCDS Far East Tour and visited Gambia as Army rep on training

Dec 84                       Director Army Training

Aug 87                       Left the army

87-89                         Cranfield University

89 onwards                Leadership consultancy work

1990 onwards several longitudinal combat stress studies on soldiers in NI conducted with Professor Dame Glynis Breakwell