John Slim, 2nd Viscount Slim

Colonel John Douglas Slim, 2nd Viscount Slim OBE, DL, FRGS ( born July 20, 1927) is a British peer and soldier. With the passing of the House of Lords Act 1999, he lost along with all other Erbpeers ( Hereditary peers) the automatic seat in the House of Lords. However, he was chosen as one of 92 selected Erbpeers that remained after the reform in the House. In 1970 he inherited the title Viscount Slim of his father William Joseph Slim, 1st Viscount Slim. He is a Cross Bencher.

He is the son of the British field marshal and the 13th Governor-General of Australia, William Slim, 1st Viscount Slim. He was educated at the Prince of Wales Royal Indian Military College at Dehra Dun in India. In 1944, Slim the 6th Gurkha Rifles British Indian Army stepped in and was transferred to the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in 1948. He served in 1952 in the Special Air Service. From 1961 he was a lecturer at the Staff College in Camberley and from 1964 at the Joint Services Staff College. In 1972 he retired from the armed forces with the rank of Lieutenant - Colonel and was later furthered the honorary Colonel. He was in the following year, Officer of the Order of the British Empire.

Slim was 1976-1991 Chairman of Peek plc, from 1991 to 1996 the Deputy Chairman and finally from 1996 to 2003 their advisors. He was also director of the travel agent Trailfinders and trustee of the Royal Commonwealth Ex - Services League ( RCEL ). Since 1971 he has been president of the Burma Star Association and since 2000 President of the SAS Association. He is also patron of Prospect Burma, a London-based charity that distributes the university grants to Burmese students. He was first chairman and later vice - president of the Britain- Australia Society. From 1977 to 1996 he was deputy chairman of the Arab- British Chamber of Commerce. In 1983 Slim was elected a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. Between 1995 and 1996 he was also a master of the Worshipful Company of Clothworkers. He serves as Honorary Chairman of the OSS Society.

Since 1958, he is married to Elisabeth Spinney. They have two sons, including his heiress for the title son Mark William Rawdon Slim, and a daughter.