Educated at Wellington College and Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, Ross joined the Royal Marines in 1957. He became Commanding Officer of 40 Commando in 1979, Commander of 3 Commando Brigade in 1986 and Commander, Training and Reserves in 1988. He was appointed Commander, Commando Forces in 1990 in which capacity he led an Anglo-Dutch Force which took part in a humanitarian operation to protect the Kurdish people in Northern Iraq in 1991, before becoming Commandant General Royal Marines in 1994. He retired in 1996.
In 1965 he married Sara Curtis; they had one son and one daughter.
