Sir Maurice is made a CVO (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Sir Maurice is made a CVO

FORMER Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire Sir Maurice Johnston has been made a CVO - Commander of the Royal Victorian Order - in the New Year Honours List.

Sir Maurice (75), who lives at Worton, near Devizes, was Lord Lieutenant - a role in which he served as the Queen's official representative in Wiltshire - for eight years, from 1996 until last October.

He had previously served as High Sheriff of Wiltshire from 1993-94.

He was educated at Wellington College and the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, and commissioned into the Royal Artillery in 1949. Five years later he transferred to The Queen's Bays and went on to see service in Germany, Egypt, Jordan, Libya, Northern Ireland and Borneo before becoming an instructor at the Army Staff College from 1965-67.

He later went on to become commanding officer of The Queen's Dragoon Guards and commander of 20th Armoured Brigade before taking on senior staff appointments at United Kingdom Land Forces headquarters.

He was awarded the OBE in 1971 and knighted in 1982.