Watts, Sir John Peter Barry Condliffe, son of Leonora Emily Condliffe, draper’s shop asst., of Portsmouth, Hants; stepson of Gerald Walter Watts, civil engineer, whose surname he adopted; b. 27 Aug. 1930; adm. from Sheikh Bagh Sch. Srinagar, Kashmir, India, Mar. 1944 (B); left July 1947; Phillips Academy, Andover, USA; RMA Sandhurst; commissioned Roy. Ulster Regt. 1951 (Roy. Irish Rangers 1968); served Hong Kong, Malaya (despatches), Cyprus, Oman, BAOR, Borneo and Saudi Arabia; commanded SAS unit which stormed Jebel Akbar, stronghold of Omani rebels, Jan. 1959; MC 1960; 48 Gurkha Infantry Brigade 1967-9; CO, 22 SAS Regt. 1970-2; directing staff, Staff Coll. Camberley 1972-4; MOD 1974; commander, SAS Group 1975-8; Maj. -Gen. 1979; commander Sultan of Oman’s Land Forces 1979-84, chief of Defence Staff 1984-7; Lieut. -Gen. 1984; OBE 1972, CBE 1979, CB 1985; retd. Dec. 1987; KBE 1988; m. 1st, 11 Dec. 1954 (div. 1986) Mary Elizabeth Gertrude, d. of Thomas Flynn, postal clerk; 2nd, 13 Feb 1986 Diana Merran Watts, formerly Walker, d. of Lieut. -Col. Reginald Steward; d. 10 Dec. 2003.