Commandant General Royal Marines
Encyclopedia
The Commandant General Royal Marines is the professional head of the Royal Marines
. The title has existed since 1945 (before which time the Royal Marines were headed by the Adjutant-General Royal Marines). The Commandant General Royal Marines is the professional head of the Royal Marines, responsible for advising the First Sea Lord
, with line responsibility for all RM units.
, with particular responsibility for amphibious and littoral warfare. Unlike COMUKMARFOR, COMUKAMPHIBFOR is primarily configured to command as a CJTF and designed to support a single 2* commander.
. This has changed over the last 60 years in line with the reduction in the size of the Royal Marines.
This position is not to be confused with Captain General Royal Marines
, the ceremonial head.
This position is the counterpart to the Commandant of the United States Marine Corps, although the latter is a full general
.
Brigadier Ed Davis
will be Commandant General Royal Marines from December 2011.
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
. The title has existed since 1945 (before which time the Royal Marines were headed by the Adjutant-General Royal Marines). The Commandant General Royal Marines is the professional head of the Royal Marines, responsible for advising the First Sea Lord
First Sea Lord
The First Sea Lord is the professional head of the Royal Navy and the whole Naval Service; it was formerly known as First Naval Lord. He also holds the title of Chief of Naval Staff, and is known by the abbreviations 1SL/CNS...
, with line responsibility for all RM units.
Role as COMUKAMPHIBFOR
The appointment is held concurrently with that of Commander United Kingdom Amphibious Forces (COMUKAMPHIBFOR). Since the creation of Fleet Battle Staff in 2001, the role has been dual-hatted as Commander UK Amphibious Forces. COMUKAMPHIBFOR is one of two deployable two-star Maritime Operational Commanders (the other being Commander UK Maritime Force (COMUKMARFOR)Commander United Kingdom Maritime Forces
Commander United Kingdom Maritime Forces or COMUKMARFOR is a senior post in the Royal Navy. The post is the highest sea-going command in the Royal Navy and is part of the Fleet Battle Staff based in Portsmouth, part of Commander-in-Chief Fleet's staff...
, with particular responsibility for amphibious and littoral warfare. Unlike COMUKMARFOR, COMUKAMPHIBFOR is primarily configured to command as a CJTF and designed to support a single 2* commander.
History
Originally the Commandant General held the rank of a full GeneralGeneral
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
. This has changed over the last 60 years in line with the reduction in the size of the Royal Marines.
This position is not to be confused with Captain General Royal Marines
Captain General Royal Marines
The Captain General Royal Marines is the ceremonial head of the Royal Marines. The current incumbent is HRH the Duke of Edinburgh.The uniform and insignia are those of a Field Marshal....
, the ceremonial head.
This position is the counterpart to the Commandant of the United States Marine Corps, although the latter is a full general
General (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, general is a four-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. General ranks above lieutenant general and below General of the Army or General of the Air Force; the Marine Corps does not have an...
.
Commandant General Royal Marines
Commandants General included:- GeneralGeneralA general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Sir Thomas Hunton, 1945–1946 - General Sir Dallas BrooksDallas BrooksBrooks made his first-class debut for the Royal Navy against Cambridge University in 1919 as a right-handed batsman who bowled right-arm medium. The same season Brooks made his debut for Hampshire against Surrey in the County Championship...
, 1946–1949 - General Sir Leslie Hollis, 1949–1952
- General Sir John Westall, 1952–1955
- General Sir Campbell Hardy, 1955–1959
- General Sir Ian RichesIan RichesGeneral Sir Ian Hurry Riches KCB DSO RM is a former Commandant-General of the British Royal Marines.- Military career :...
, 1959–1962 - Lieutenant GeneralLieutenant GeneralLieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
Sir Malcolm Cartwright-Taylor, 1962–1965 - General Sir Norman TailyourNorman TailyourGeneral Sir Norman Hastings Tailyour KCB DSO was a Royal Marines officer who became Commandant General Royal Marines.-Military career:Tailyour was commissioned into the Royal Marines in 1933...
, 1965–1968 - General Sir Peter Hellings, 1968–1971
- General Sir Ian Gourlay, 1971–1975
- General Sir Peter WhiteleyPeter Whiteley (Royal Marines officer)General Sir Peter John Frederick Whiteley GCB OBE is a former Commander-in-Chief Allied Forces Northern Europe.-Military career:Educated at Bembridge School, Peter Whiteley was commissioned as a Royal Marine during World War II....
, 1975–1977 - Lieutenant General Sir John Richards, 1977–1981
- Lieutenant General Sir Steuart PringleSteuart PringleLieutenant-General Sir Steuart Robert Pringle, 10th Baronet, of Stichill KCB DSC is a former Royal Marines officer who became Commandant General Royal Marines and who was seriously injured by an IRA car bomb.-Military career:...
, 1981–1985 - Lieutenant General Sir Michael WilkinsMichael WilkinsLieutenant General Sir Michael Compton Lockwood Wilkins KCB OBE was a senior Royal Marines officer who became Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey.-Military career:Wilkins joined the Royal Marines in 1951...
, 1985–1987 - Lieutenant General Sir Martin Garrod, 1987–1990
- Lieutenant General Sir Henry Beverley, 1990–1994
- Lieutenant General Sir Robin Ross, 1994–1996
- Major GeneralMajor GeneralMajor general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
David Pennefather, 1996–1998 - Major General Robert Fulton, 1998–2001
- Major General Robert FryRobert FryLieutenant General Sir Robert Alan Fry KCB, CBE is Executive Chairman of the McKinney Rogers Group of companies. Before joining McKinney Rogers, Fry served over 30 years on military operations from Kosovo, the Gulf and Iraq and was later a Vice President of Hewlett Packard...
, 2001–2002 - Major General Anthony MiltonTony MiltonMajor-General Anthony Arthur Milton CB OBE is a Royal Marines officer who became Commandant General Royal Marines.-Military career:Educated at King Edward VI Grammar School in Chelmsford, Milton joined the Royal Marines in 1967 and subsequently became an equerry to the Duke of Edinburgh...
, 2002–2004 - Major General David WilsonDavid Wilson (Royal Marines officer)Major-General David Wilson CB CBE is a Royal Marines officer who became Commandant General Royal Marines.-Military career:Wilson joined the Royal Marines in 1969 and went on to serve in Northern Ireland where he was mentioned in despatches...
, 2004 - Major General James DuttonJames Dutton (Royal Marines officer)Lieutenant General Sir James Benjamin "Jim" Dutton, KCB, CBE, ADC is a retired Royal Marines officer. He held various staff positions in his early career, before commanding 40 Commando...
, 2004–2006 - Major General Garry RobisonGarry RobisonMajor-General Garry Stuart Robison, CB is a former Commandant-General of the British Royal Marines, and former Commander United Kingdom Amphibious Forces.-Early life :...
, 2006–2009 - Major General Andy SalmonAndy SalmonMajor General Andrew "Andy" Salmon CMG OBE was, until February 2010, the Commandant General Royal Marines.-Early life:Salmon was educated at the Royal Grammar School, Guildford before attending Godalming College to do his A-levels...
, June 2009 - Feb 2010 - Major General Buster HowesBuster HowesMajor-General Francis Hedley Robertson "Buster" Howes OBE is a Royal Marines officer who became Commandant General Royal Marines.-Military career:...
, Feb 2010–Present
Brigadier Ed Davis
Ed Davis (Royal Marines officer)
Brigadier Edward Grant Martin Davis OBE is a Royal Marines officer who will become Commandant General Royal Marines in December 2011.- Military career :...
will be Commandant General Royal Marines from December 2011.