General Officer Commanding, Ceylon

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General Officer Commanding, Ceylon (also known as Commander of Troops or Officer Commanding His/Her Majesties Troops, Ceylon) was the designation of the General Officer appointed to command all British Army units stationed in the island of Ceylon during the British colonial administration of the island.[1] The post was succeeded by the Commander of the Ceylon Defence Force.

History[]

The post entitled the holder a seat in the Executive Council of Ceylon and advised the Governor of Ceylon on military matters.

Apart from British Army units that were deployed for garrison duty in the island, the officer held command over the Ceylon Defence Force if mobilized. However mobilization could be carried out only under orders from the Governor.

Following independence in 1948, the command was split. With the creation of the Ceylon Army, it head had was referred to as the Commander of the Ceylon Army and the British troops in Ceylon came under the command of the Commander, Ceylon Garrison and UK troops in Ceylon until the withdrawal of British troops from the island.

Official Residence[]

The GOC Ceylon was entitled to a Class A Quarters issued to government officers for the use of his official residence in Colombo and had the General's House, Nuwara Eliya as a country house.

List of General Officers Commanding, Ceylon[]

No. Portrait Rank Name Appointment Left office Unit Decorations
1 Colonel James Stuart 1796
2 Major general Welbore Ellis Doyle 1 January 1797
3 Colonel Peter Bonnevaux 30 June 1797
4 Brigadier general Pierre Frédéric de Meuron 12 July 1797
5 Colonel Josiah Champagné February 1799
6 Major general Hay MacDowall 19 July 1799
7 Major general David Douglas Wemyss 1804
8 Maitland and Louverture.jpg Major general Sir Thomas Maitland 1805 62nd (Wiltshire) Regiment of Foot GCB, GCH
9 Major general John Wilson 1811
10 Robert Brownrigg.jpg Lieutenant general Sir Robert Brownrigg 1812 9th (East Norfolk) Regiment of Foot GCB
11 Major general Alexander Cosby Jackson 1812 66th (Berkshire) Regiment of Foot
12 Sir Edward Barnes by William Salter.jpg Major general Sir Edward Barnes 1820 47th (Lancashire) Regiment of Foot GCB
13 Major general Sir James Campbell 22 July 1822
14 Major general Sir Hudson Lowe 1826 GCMG, KCB
15 Major general Sir John Wilson 14 October 1831
16 General Sir Robert Arbuthnot.jpg Major general Sir Robert Arbuthnot 1839 76th Regiment of Foot KCB
17 Lieutenant general Sir Colin Campbell 16 April 1841 78th (Highlanders) Regiment of Foot KCB
18 Major general William Smelt 28 January 1847 CB
19 Major general Philip Bainbrigge 23 May 1852 CB
20 Major general Thomas Reed 13 September 1854 CB
21 Major general Henry Frederick Lockyer 1856 1860 CB, KH
22 Major general Terence O'Brien 1860 1865
23 Major general Studholme John Hodson 1865 1869 54th Regiment of Foot
24 Major general Henry Renny 1869 1874 81st Regiment of Foot CSI
25 Major general John Alfred Street 1874 1879 68th Regiment of Foot CB
26 Major general William Wilby 1879 1882 King's Own Royal Regiment CB
27 Major general Sir John Chetham McLeod 1882 1887 42nd Regiment of Foot KCB
28 Major general W. O. Lennox 1887 1888 Royal Engineers VC, CB
29 Major general W. G. Dunham 1888 1893 CB
30 Major general W. Clive-Justice 1893 1897 CMG
31 Major general F. T. Hobson 1897 1902
32 Major general Sir Hector MacDonald 1902 1903 92nd Gordon Highlanders KCB, DSO
33 Brigadier general G. L. C. Money 1903 1905 CB
34 Brigadier general R .C. B. Lawrence 1905 1909
35 Brigadier general A. J. Whitacre Allen 1909 1913 CB
36 Brigadier general H. H. L. Malcolm 1913 1915 Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders CB, DSO
37 Brigadier general F. Hackett-Thompson 1915 1918 CB
38 Brigadier general F. A. MacFarlane 1918 1920 CB
39 Colonel commandant Clifford Coffin 1920 1924 Royal Engineers VC, CB, DSO & Bar
40 Colonel commandant Harold Higginson 1924 1927 Royal Dublin Fusiliers CB, DSO & Bar
41 Brigadier A. C. Girdwood 1927 1931 CB, DSO
42 Brigadier E. F. Shewell 1931 1934 DSO
43 Brigadier C. A. Lyon 1934 1937 DSO
44 Brigadier (local rank) J. O. Thurburn[2] 1937 1941 Royal Artillery MC
45 Major general Tim Inskip 1941 1942 13th Frontier Force Rifles CB, CIE, DSO, MC
46 Lieutenant general Sir Henry Royds Pownall[3] 1942 1943 Royal Artillery KBE, DSO & Bar, MC
47 Major general Sir Francis Ivan Simms Tucker[4] March 1944 September 1944 Royal Sussex Regiment, 2nd Gurkha Rifles KCIE, CB, DSO, OBE

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "British Commanders". Ceylondatabase.net. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  2. ^ "THE LONDON GAZETTE, 30 JULY, 1937" (PDF). thegazette.co.uk. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  3. ^ "King's Collections : Archive Catalogues : POWNALL, Lt Gen Sir Henry Royds (1887-1961)". kingscollections.org. Kings College London. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
  4. ^ "Officers of the Indian Army 1939-1945 -- T". www.unithistories.com. Retrieved 17 March 2020.

External links[]

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