A FORMER King's School student, who commanded the first troops to land in Iraq, has been promoted to a prestigious position in the British Marines.

Brigadier James Benjamin Dutton CBE ADC, formerly of Curzon Park, Chester, will become Major General and Commander of the UK Amphibious Forces and Commandant General Royal Marines from early next year. He will take over from Major General AA Milton on his return from winter training in Norway in March.

Earlier in the year Brig Dutton was awarded a CBE for service on and in support of Operation Telic (Iraq) between March 19 and April 19 this year.

He also holds the title of ADC (Aide de camp to HM the Queen), largely an honorary position, which can involve duties for the Queen but up until now, his services have not been required.

Although due to return to the King's School, Chester, two years ago for the first time since he left in 1972, world events delayed the visit from being carried out. He is now due to speak to the school next April in between his return from winter training and assuming his new role.

He said: 'They asked me two years ago to come and talk about British defence policy in the modern world. The subject title is the same but policy has changed since September 11, so what I was going to talk about has changed.'

Present King's School head Tim Turvey said: 'I was delighted to hear of Brig Dutton's promotion. This news reached us after he had kindly agreed to visit King's to talk to the sixth form.

'It is hard not to feel some pride that one of our former pupils has reached a position of such national and indeed international significance. We very much look forward to welcoming General Dutton to King's and to hearing what he has to say. We have a thriving Combined Cadet Force and a number of pupils regularly proceed to university cadetships and into the armed services.'

Now living in Plymouth with his wife of 25 years, Brig Dutton is in his 31st year of service. His mother, Aileen Starr, who says she is proud of her son's achievements, still lives in Chester.

His full CV includes service in Northern Ireland, The Falklands War (1982), several MOD jobs, and providing reserve support during the handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997.

During the recent war in Iraq Brig Dutton oversaw 3 commando brigade, and was in charge of more than 6,000 troops, for which he received the CBE.

He said: 'We were under the command of the US marines. Our role was to be the first conventional force to arrive in Iraq on the Al-Faw peninsula, to seize the oil and prevent Iraqis blowing it and then to secure Um Qasr for humanitarian aid. Three commando is familiar with the desert and served in Afghanistan.'

Brig Dutton will be taking on important operational duties in his new role as well as overseeing the integration and modernisation of amphibious shipping within the forces.

He said: 'This is something of a golden age for amphibious expeditions. The royal marines have been leading in an expeditionary role amphibiously since the cold war. It's a great privilege to be the commander of these forces and therefore potentially a two operational commander at this level. It can be extraordinarily high profile.'

Brig Dutton is currently spending two weeks on his flagship, the HMS Albion, which is affiliated to the City of Chester.

Looking back on his 31 years of service, he said: 'I have enjoyed my work and have had interesting jobs. I would have been surprised if I had know at 18 that I would reach this position. I suppose most people joining don't really believe they would make it to the top, but they might think that they would like to.'