Former military men named as new Deputy Lieutenants

Published on Wednesday 4 November 2009 08:54

THE city's Lord Provost, George Grubb, has appointed two more Deputy Lieutenants of Edinburgh.

In a ceremony at the City Chambers, Colonel Martin Gibson, OBE, and Thomas Martin became the latest chosen to hold the role, joining the likes of Ian Rankin, Sir Tom Farmer and Shaheen Unis.

Colonel Gibson, 63, is a former Commanding Officer of The Royal Scots, which entailed leading 850 soldiers with 450 million armoured fighting vehicle fleet, specialist equipment and integral logistic support.

On leaving the army in 1995 he became chief executive of Erskine, the major Scottish ex-service care charity, and only retired from Erskine earlier this year.

He has been a director of Veterans Scotland since 2000.

Mr Martin, 73, was a Royal Air Force apprentice and served in the RAF from 1956 until 1974.

During that time he was an aircraft engine fitter, a mechanics training instructor, an aeronautical inspection service inspector, and a flight engineer on both Shackleton and Nimrod aircraft.

A former president of Central Scotland Chamber of Commerce, Mr Martin became a member of Queensferry and District Community Council in 2001 and since 2005 has been its chairman.

The Lord Provost said: "It's an honour to appoint Colonel Martin Gibson and Mr Tom Martin as Deputy Lieutenants of Edinburgh. Both are outstanding individuals in their respective fields and I'm sure they will perform their new roles with dignity and aplomb."