Commandant General Royal Marines

Flag of the Commandant General Royal Marines

The Commandant General Royal Marines is the professional head of the Royal Marines. The title has existed since 1943. The Commandant General Royal Marines is responsible for advising the First Sea Lord, with professional responsibility for all Royal Marine units. He is assisted by a Deputy Commandant General, whose rank is brigadier.^[1] This position is not to be confused with Captain General Royal Marines, the ceremonial head. The Commandant General Royal Marines is the counterpart to the Commandant of the United States Marine Corps, although the latter is a full general.^[2]

History

The professional head of the Royal Marines was the Deputy Adjutant-General from 1825^[3] until 1914 when the post was re-designated the Adjutant-General:^[4][5] the post holder usually held the rank of full general.^[6] Since 1943 the professional head of the Royal Marines has been the Commandant-General who held the rank of full general until 1977, the rank of lieutenant general until 1996 and the rank of major-general since then.^[7]

Role as COMUKAMPHIBFOR

The appointment has been held concurrently with that of Commander United Kingdom Amphibious Forces (COMUKAMPHIBFOR) since the creation of the Fleet Battle Staff in 2001. COMUKAMPHIBFOR is one of two deployable two-star maritime operational commanders (the other being Commander UK Maritime Force (COMUKMARFOR),^[8] with particular responsibility for amphibious and littoral warfare.^[8] Unlike COMUKMARFOR, COMUKAMPHIBFOR is primarily configured to command as a combined joint task force and designed to support a single two star commander.^[8]

General Officers Commanding

General Officers Commanding have included:^[7]
Deputy Adjutant General Royal Marines

• Major-General Sir James Campbell 1825–1831
• Major-General Sir John Savage 1831–1836
• Lieutenant-General Sir John Owen 1836–1854
• Lieutenant-General Sir Robert Wesley 1854–1862
• General Sir George Langley 1862–1867
• General Samuel Lowder 1867–1872
• General Sir George Schomberg 1872–1875
• Lieutenant General George Rodney 1875–1878
• Major-General Sir Charles Adair 1878–1883
• General Sir John Williams 1883–1888
• General Sir Howard Jones 1888–1893
• General Sir Henry Tuson 1893–1900
• Lieutenant-General John Morris 1900–1902
• Lieutenant-General Sir William Wright 1902–1907
• General Sir William Adair 1907–1911
• General Sir William Nicholls 1911–1914

Adjutant General Royal Marines

• General Sir William Nicholls 1914–1916
• Major-General Sir David Mercer 1916–1920
• Major-General Gunning Campbell July 1920–November 1920
• General Sir Herbert Blumberg 1920–1924
• General Sir Alexander Hutchison 1924–1927
• General Sir Lewis Halliday 1927–1930
• General Sir Richard Ford 1930–1936
• General Sir William Godfrey 1936–1939
• General Sir Alan Bourne 1939-1943

Commandant General Royal Marines

• General Sir Thomas Hunton, 1943–1946
• General Sir Dallas Brooks, 1946–1949
• General Sir Leslie Hollis, 1949–1952
• General Sir John Westall, 1952–1955
• General Sir Campbell Hardy, 1955–1959
• General Sir Ian Riches, 1959–1962
• Lieutenant General Sir Malcolm Cartwright-Taylor, 1962–1965
• General Sir Norman Tailyour, 1965–1968
• General Sir Peter Hellings, 1968–1971
• General Sir Ian Gourlay, 1971–1975
• General Sir Peter Whiteley, 1975–1977
• Lieutenant General Sir John Richards, 1977–1981
• Lieutenant General Sir Steuart Pringle, 1981–1984
• Lieutenant General Sir Michael Wilkins, 1984–1987
• Lieutenant General Sir Martin Garrod, 1987–1990
• Lieutenant General Sir Henry Beverley, 1990–1994
• Lieutenant General Sir Robin Ross, 1994–1996
• Major General David Pennefather, 1996–1998
• Major General Robert Fulton, 1998–2001
• Major General Robert Fry, 2001–2002
• Major General Anthony Milton, 2002–2004
• Major General David Wilson, 2004
• Major General James Dutton, 2004–2006
• Major General Garry Robison, 2006–2009
• Major General Andy Salmon, 2009–2010
• Major General Buster Howes, 2010–2011
• Major General Ed Davis, 2011–2014^[9]
• Major General Martin Smith, 2014–2016
• Major General Robert Magowan, 2016–present

References

1. 08/11/2013 (2014-06-09). "Statement from Deputy Commandant General Royal Marines". Royal Navy. Retrieved 2014-06-14.
2. "Marine Corps Leadership". Marine Corps. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
3. "Royal Marines historical time line". Retrieved 27 May 2016.
4. "British Admiralty". Naval History. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
5. "Punch, or the London Charivari". 11 February 1914. Retrieved 27 May 2016.
6. "Navy List". Admiralty. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
7. "Senior Royal Navy appointments" (PDF). Retrieved 20 May 2016.
8. "Fleet Battle Staff". Royal Navy. Archived from the original on March 17, 2011. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
9. City brigadier will lead Royal Marines This is Plymouth, 5 November 2011.