Introduction
General Sir John Finlay Willasey Wilsey GCB CBE DL (born 18 February 1939) is a former Commander-in-Chief, Land Forces.
Army career
Educated at Sherborne School, John Wilsey was commissioned into the Devonshire and Dorset Regiment in 1959. He served in Northern Ireland between 1976 and 1977 where he was mentioned in despatches. In 1978 he attended the Army Staff College at Camberley. He was Commanding Officer of 1st Bn Devonshire and Dorset Regiment from 1979 to 1982. He commanded 1st Infantry Brigade from 1984 to 1986. He was Chief of Staff UK Land Forces from 1988 to 1989.
He went on to become General Officer Commanding Northern Ireland from 1990 to 1993. It was in this capacity that he oversaw the merger between the Ulster Defence Regiment and the Royal Irish Rangers to form the Royal Irish Regiment.
He 1993 he was appointed Joint Commander of Operations in the Former Republic of Yugoslavia. He served as the last Commander in Chief, UK Land Forces from 1993 to 1995 and then the first Commander-in-Chief, Land Command from 1995 to 1996.
Later career
Wilsey is the author of H. Jones VC: The Life and Death of an Unusual Hero a book about his great friend Lt Colonel 'H'. Jones who was killed in the Falklands War. He also became Chairman of Western Provident Association and Vice-Chairman of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Having settled in southern Wiltshire, in July 1996 he was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of the county.