Major General Susan Kerstin Ridge, CB (born 1962 or 1963) is a retired senior British Army officer and lawyer. From September 2015 to July 2019, she was Director General of the Army Legal Services Branch (DGALS). She was the first woman to hold the rank of major general in the British Army and the first to hold non-honorary general officer rank since the Second World War.
Susan Ridge | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service | British Army |
| Years of service | 1992–2019 |
| Rank | Major General |
| Service number | 539391 |
| Awards | Companion of the Order of the Bath |
Early life and education
editRidge was raised in the west of England and educated in Chester, Cheshire. She studied history at Bangor University, graduating in 1984.[1] She then completed a law conversion course at the College of Law, Chester Campus.[2]
In 1989, Ridge qualified as a solicitor after working as an articled clerk, and was admitted to the Law Society of England and Wales.[3] She worked as a lawyer at Swayne Johnson Wright in north Wales from 1986 to 1992, and specialised in real estate law.[2]
Military career
editRidge joined the British Army on a short service commission in February 1992. She became a captain in the Army Legal Services Branch of the Adjutant General's Corps, shortly before the Women's Royal Army Corps was dissolved.[2][4]
She was promoted to the rank of major on 26 February 1996,[5] to lieutenant colonel on 26 February 2002,[6] to colonel on 30 June 2008,[7] and to brigadier on 30 June 2012.[8]
On 20 September 2015, she was promoted to major general and appointed Director-General of the Army Legal Services Branch.[9] In the 2019 New Year Honours, she was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB).[10]
Ridge was succeeded by Major-General Alexander Taylor as Director-General, Army Legal Services on 5 July 2019.[11] Ridge retired from the British Army on 18 October 2019.[12]
She was appointed Lady Usher of the Scarlet Rod of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath in June 2023.[13]
Personal life
editHer husband is also an army officer. They have one son.[14]
In 2016, she was made an Honorary Fellow of Bangor University "for services to Law".[1]
See also
edit- Air Vice-Marshal Elaine West; first woman promoted to two-star rank in the British Armed Forces
References
edit- ^ a b "Honorary Fellows 2016". Bangor University. 2016. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
- ^ a b c Rayner, Jonathan (11 April 2016). "Interview: Susan Ridge". The Law Society Gazette. Retrieved 16 July 2017.
- ^ "Modern major general". The Law Society Gazette. 13 July 2015. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
- ^ "No. 52891". The London Gazette (Supplement). 13 April 1992. p. 6636.
- ^ "No. 54336". The London Gazette. 4 March 1996. p. 3331.
- ^ "No. 56519". The London Gazette (Supplement). 26 March 2002. p. 3736.
- ^ "No. 58752". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 July 2008. p. 9836.
- ^ "No. 60197". The London Gazette (Supplement). 3 July 2012. pp. 12689–12690.
- ^ "No. 61372". The London Gazette (Supplement). 6 October 2015. p. 18566.
- ^ "No. 62507". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 December 2018. p. N2.
- ^ "No. 62706". The London Gazette (Supplement). 9 July 2019. p. 12170.
- ^ "No. 62803". The London Gazette (Supplement). 22 October 2019. p. 18914.
- ^ "No. 64452". The London Gazette. 8 July 2024. p. 13158.
- ^ "MAJOR GENERAL SUSAN RIDGE". SSAFA the armed forces charity. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
External links
edit- British Army appoints first female general, The Guardian, 6 July 2015
- British Army appoints first female general, The Telegraph, 6 July 2015
- Meet Nicky Moffat, the highest ranked woman in the British army, The Guardian, 11 January 2012