in 1973. Vincent obviously found his niche in the academic area of military life, as he became Military Director of Studies at the Royal Military College of Science in January 1974. Promoted to colonel on 30 June 1974 and to brigadier on 30 June 1975, he became commander of 19th Airportable Brigade in December 1975 and then attended the Royal College of Defence Studies in Belgrave Square, London in 1978. He became Deputy Military Secretary at the Ministry of Defence in January 1979 and following promotion to major general on 1 April 1980, he became Commandant of the Royal Military College of Science in July 1980. He was appointed promoted to lieutenant general on appointment as Master-General of the Ordnance at the Ministry of Defence on 1 September 1983. He was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in the 1984 New Year Honours. Promoted to full general on 3 November 1986, he went on to be Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff in October 1987. He was advanced to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire in the 1990 New Year Honours. Vincent was promoted to field marshal and became Chief of the Defence Staff on 2 April 1991 in the aftermath of the Gulf War. His final appointment was as Chairman of the NATO Military Committee in October 1993, before retiring from the British Army in 1996. He was also Colonel Commandant of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) from 1981 until 1987, Colonel Commandant of the Royal Artillery from 1983 until 2000, Colonel Commandant of the Royal Horse Artillery from 1996 until the his death in 2018 and Honorary Colonel of 100th (Yeomanry) Regiment Royal Artillery from 1982 until 1991. Later career In retirement Vincent became Chairman of Hunting Defence Limited and a Non-Executive Director of Vickers Defence Systems Limited. He was ennobled in the 1996 Birthday Honours, being created life peer on 3 September 1996 with the title Baron Vincent of Coleshill, of Shrivenham in the County of Oxfordshire, and he held the ceremonial role of Master Gunner, St. James's Park from 1996 until 2000. He retired from the House of Lords on 9 March 2016. Vincent was Chancellor of Cranfield University, with which the Defence College of Management and Technology had an academic partnership, from 1998 to 2010. His interests included looking after his seven grandchildren. He died on