Colonel Lucy Margaret Giles CBE (born 1969) is a former British Army officer. In 2016, she was the first woman appointed as a College Commander at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, and was later President of the Army Officer Selection Board and Colonel Commandant of the Royal Logistic Corps. Early life Born in Yeovil, Somerset, in June 1969,"Lucy Margaret Giles", Companies House, accessed 27 March 2026 Giles was educated at King Arthur's School, Wincanton, and then in the sixth form of Sexey's School, Bruton. She studied Biology at the University of Exeter, where she joined the Officers' Training Corps. On 29 September 1989, while at Exeter, she was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant into the Territorial Army and the Women's Royal Army Corps.The London Gazette, Supplement 51942, 20 November 1989, p. 13428 Career On 5 January 1991, Giles transferred as a 2nd Lieutenant to the Regular Army's Royal Corps of Transport.The London Gazette, Supplement 52885, 6 April 1992, p. 6177 She was promoted to Captain in the Royal Logistic Corps in April 1995.The London Gazette, Supplement 54160, 18 September 1995, p. 12685 In June 2011, she was promoted from Major to Lt. Colonel,The London Gazette, Supplement59840, 5 July 2011, p. 12725 and then in December 2018 to full Colonel.The London Gazette, Supplement 62519, 2 January 2019, p. 23735
In the British Army, Giles served on operations in Sierra Leone, East Timor, Bosnia, Iraq, Northern Ireland, and Afghanistan. Soon after a tour of Northern Ireland, she took a short maternity leave, and within a year became the first woman given command of 47 Air Despatch Squadron, a unit transporting supplies by air to British troops around the world. In January 2016, she was appointed as college commander at Sandhurst, commanding New College, where Officer Cadets spend the second and third terms of their three-term Commissioning Course. This was not the post of Commandant of Sandhurst, at the time held by Major General Paul Nanson."Army Commands", Gulabin, accessed 27 Match 2026
From 2019 to 2022, Giles was President of the Army Officer Selection Board at Westbury, Wiltshire.
On 1 January 2025, Giles became Colonel Commandant of the Royal Logistic Corps.The London Gazette, Supplement 64665, 25 February 2025, p. 3483 She retired from the army as a Colonel on 5 January 2026.The London Gazette, Supplement 64955, 6 January 2026, p. 69
Personal life In 1998, Giles married a Royal Artillery officer, Nicholas Pond, now a retired Brigadier. They have a son and a daughter."Lucy M Giles" in England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005, accessed 25 March 2026"Joint Forces Command Operational Honours announced", gov.uk, accessed 25 March 2026
Honours 2017: Honorary degree, University of Exeter 1 August 2021: Honorary Colonel of the Exeter University Officers Training Corps (succeeding Lieutenant-General Sir Christopher Tickell)The London Gazette, Supplement 63432, 3 August 2021, p. 13649 2024 New Year Honours: Commander of the Order of the British Empire (Military Division).London Gazette, "Order of the British Empire: Colonel Lucy Margaret GILES", 29 December 2023, accessed 25 March 2026 References