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Ed Butler

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For the baseball player, see Ed Butler (baseball).
Edward Butler
Born (1962-02-27) 27 February 1962 (age 63)
Allegiance United Kingdom
Branch British Army
Years of service1984−2008
RankBrigadier
Service number520039
UnitRoyal Green Jackets
Commands22 Special Air Service
16 Air Assault Brigade
Task Force Helmand
Battles / warsThe Troubles
Bosnian War
Sierra Leone Civil War
War in Afghanistan
AwardsCommander of the Order of the British Empire
Distinguished Service Order

Brigadier Edward Adam Butler CBE DSO (born 27 February 1962) is a former British Army officer who commanded Task Force Helmand, and serves as Prime Warden Goldsmith for 2025/26.[1]

Early life

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The younger son of the Rt Hon. Sir Adam Butler DL MP and Felicity Molesworth-St Aubyn, his grandfather was the prominent Conservative politician "Rab" Butler (later Lord Butler of Saffron Walden KG).[2]

Butler was educated at Eton College[2] before going up to read Politics and International Relations at the University of Exeter (graduating BA in 1983).[3] He later pursued postgraduate studies at Cranfield University (taking an MA in 2003).[4]

Military career

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In August 1984, Butler was commissioned into the Royal Green Jackets.[5] He was mentioned in dispatches while on active service in Northern Ireland in November 1991[6] and twice received the Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service; first for his service in the former Republic of Yugoslavia in the Autumn of 1997[7] and again for his service in Sierra Leone in summer 2000.[8]

He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his actions in Afghanistan as the Commanding Officer of 22 Special Air Service during 2001 and 2002.[9][10] He became Commander of 16 Air Assault Brigade in 2004, in which role he was deployed as Commander of Task Force Helmand in April 2006.[11] He went on to be Chief, Joint Force Operations at Permanent Joint Headquarters in December 2006 before retiring in December 2008, citing family reasons.[12]

After leaving the British Army Butler became Chief Executive of Corporates for Crisis (2008−11), a business providing advice for companies operating in difficult places,[13] and then Chairman of and latterly Senior Advisor to S-RM,[14] an intelligence and risk consulting business.[15] In July 2019 he was interviewed for a BBC Radio 4 Analysis programme, as Head of Risk Analysis (Chief Resilience Officer) at Pool Re, working there until 2022.[16][17] Since 2016 Butler has served as a Senior Independent Advisor to EDF Energy Nuclear Generation, and as a Senior Advisor to reinsurance brokers Northcourt Ltd[18] and Gallos Technologies since 2022.[19]

Personal life

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On 7 September 1991 he married Sophie Rose, granddaughter of Sir Alec Rose.

Brigadier Butler and his wife have two children:[20]

  • Robin, born 1994;
  • Octavia, born 1996.

His family descends in the male line from Sir Philip Butler MP (1489−1545), progenitor of the Barons Boteler.[21]

Honours and arms

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Brigadier Butler has received numerous honours, decorations and appointments, including:

Coat of arms of Brigadier Ed Butler
Crest
A Falcon rising belled and jessed the dexter leg resting on a Covered Cup all Or
Escutcheon
Gules on a Chevron cottised between three Covered Cups all Or a Cross couped Azure
Motto
Audentior [24]
Orders
Surrounding the Shield the circlet of the Order of the British Empire
Other elements
As Prime Warden Goldsmith, Brigadier Butler can impale the Goldsmiths' arms (dexter) with those of his family (sinister)[25]
Previous versions

Arms of his grandfather, the Lord Butler of Saffron Walden KG

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Brigadier Ed Butler CBE DSO appointed 698th Prime Warden". Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  2. ^ a b Gall, Sandy (2013). War Against the Taliban: Why It All Went Wrong in Afghanistan. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 96.
  3. ^ "Profile: Brigadier Ed Butler". The Daily Telegraph. 1 August 2008.
  4. ^ "Security & Resilience SIG with Brigadier Edward Butler CBE, DSO". South West Regional Defence and Security Cluster. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  5. ^ "No. 49904". The London Gazette (Supplement). 22 October 1984. p. 14274.
  6. ^ "No. 52705". The London Gazette (Supplement). 5 November 1991. p. 16848.
  7. ^ "No. 55120". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 May 1998. p. 5195.
  8. ^ "No. 57588". The London Gazette (Supplement). 18 March 2005. p. 3377.
  9. ^ Gall, Sandy (2013). War Against the Taliban: Why It All Went Wrong in Afghanistan. Bloomsbury Paperbacks. ISBN 978-1408822340.
  10. ^ "Ed Butler". London Speaker Bureau. Archived from the original on 17 September 2016. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
  11. ^ "UK military 'made wrong calculations' on Afghanistan". BBC. 23 October 2014. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
  12. ^ "Senior Tri-Service and Ministry of Defence appointments" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
  13. ^ "Brigadier Ed Butler: My son told me he didn't want a part-time dad". The Daily Telegraph. 2 August 2008. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
  14. ^ "About us". Salamanca Group. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  15. ^ "Ed Butler". S-RM. Archived from the original on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
  16. ^ "Analysis - Understanding the risks of terrorism - BBC Sounds". BBC.
  17. ^ "The Team | Pool Reinsurance Company LTD".
  18. ^ "About us". Northcourt. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  19. ^ "Nurturing Security Innovation". Gallos Technologies. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  20. ^ "The NS interview: Ed Butler". New Statesman. 13 August 2009.
  21. ^ Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, vol. 1, ed. Charles Mosley, Burke's Peerage Ltd, 2003, p. 616
  22. ^ "Freedom of the City". City of London. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  23. ^ "Governance". Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  24. ^ Debrett's Peerage & Baronetage. 1973.
  25. ^ "Impaling Arms of Office". College of Arms. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
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