Commandant General Royal Marines is the professional head of the Royal Marines. The title has existed since 1943. The role is held by a General who is assisted by a Deputy Commandant General, with the rank of brigadier. 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.
History
In 1760 three naval captains were appointed colonels of marines. However, these were naval officers and it meant that the furthest a marine officer could advance was to lieutenant colonel. It was not until 1771 that commandants of the three divisions (Portsmouth, Plymouth and Chatham) were appointed. The first single professional head of the Royal Marine Forces was the Deputy Adjutant-General, a post which existed from 1825 until 1914 when the post was re-designated the Adjutant-General: the post holder usually held the rank of full general. 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, the rank of major general until April 2021, the rank of lieutenant general until November 2022, and the rank of full general since 2022. Lieutenant General Robert Magowan was the first person to assume the role twice, serving between 2016 and 2017 and again from 2021 to 2022.
On 25 November 2022 the Royal Marines announced that General Gwyn Jenkins, then Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff, would be concurrently appointed the new Commandant General Royal Marines, making him the first full general to occupy the role since 1977.
From 1825 until 1964 his headquarters office which changed location several times was known as the Royal Marine Office.
Role
The appointment had been held concurrently with that of Commander United Kingdom Amphibious Forces (COMUKAMPHIBFOR) since the creation of the Fleet Battle Staff in 2001. COMUKAMPHIBFOR was one of two deployable two-star maritime operational commanders (the other being Commander UK Maritime Forces (COMUKMARFOR), now Commander United Kingdom Strike Force, with particular responsibility for amphibious and littoral warfare.
In April 2021, the role passed to a more senior officer in a dual-hatted capacity, and the commandant general's role, as well as being the professional head of the Royal Marines, was identified as championing emerging concepts in amphibious warfare and maintaining critical ties with the US Marine Corps.
General Officers Commanding
General Officers Commanding have included:
- General Sir Richard Foster 1933–1936
- General Sir William Godfrey 1936–1939
- General Sir Alan Bourne 1939–1943
Commandant General Royal Marines
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan=2|
! rowspan=2| Portrait
! rowspan=2| Name<br />
! colspan=3| Term of office
! rowspan=2|
|-
! Took office
! Left office
! Time in office
|-
| 1
| 60px
| General<br />Sir Thomas Hunton<br />
| January 1943
| 1946
| years
| –
|-
| 2
|
| General<br />Sir Dallas Brooks<br />
| 1946
| May 1949
| years
| –
|-
| 3
| 60px
| General<br />Sir Leslie Hollis<br />
| 1949
| 1952
| years
| –
|-
| 4
|
| General<br />Sir John Westall<br />
| 1952
| 1955
| years
| –
|-
| 5
|
| General<br />Sir Campbell Hardy<br />
| 1955
| 1959
| years
| –
|-
| 6
|
| General<br />Sir Ian Riches<br />
| 1959
| 1962
| years
| –
|-
| 7
|
| General<br />Sir Malcolm Cartwright-Taylor<br />
| 1962
| 1965
| years
| –
|-
| 8
|
| General<br />Sir Norman Tailyour<br />
| 1965
| 1968
| years
| –
|-
| 9
|
| General<br />Sir Peter Hellings<br />
| 1968
| 1971
| years
| –
|-
| 10
|
| General<br />Sir Ian Gourlay<br />
| 1971
| 9 June 1975
| years
| –
|-
| 11
|
| General<br />Sir Peter Whiteley<br />
| 1975
| 1977
| years
| –
|-
| 12
|
| Lieutenant General<br />Sir John Richards<br />
| 1977
| 1981
| years
| –
|-
| 13
|
| Lieutenant General<br />Sir Steuart Pringle<br />
| 1981
| 1984
| years
| –
|-
| 14
| 60px
| Lieutenant General<br />Sir Michael Wilkins<br />
| 1984
| 1987
| years
| –
|-
| 15
|
| Lieutenant General<br />Sir Martin Garrod<br />
| 1987
| 1990
| years
| –
|-
| 16
|
| Lieutenant General<br />Sir Henry Beverley<br />
| 1990
| 1994
| years
| –
|-
| 17
|
| Lieutenant General<br />Sir Robin Ross<br />
| 1994
| 1996
| years
| –
|-
| 18
|
| Major General<br />David Pennefather<br />
| 1996
| 1998
| years
| –
|-
| 19
| 60px
| Major General<br />Robert Fulton<br />
| 1998
| 2001
| years
| –
|-
| 20
| 60px
| Major General<br />Robert Fry<br />
| 2001
| 2002
| years
| –
|-
| 21
|
| Major General<br /> Anthony Milton<br />
| May 2002
| February 2004
|
| –
|-
| 22
| 60px
| Major General<br />David Wilson<br />
| February 2004
| August 2004
|
| –
|-
| 23
| 60px
| Major General<br />James Dutton<br />
| August 2004
| June 2006
|
| –
|-
| 24
| 60px
| Major General<br />Garry Robison<br />
| June 2006
| June 2009
|
| –
|-
| 25
| 60px
| Major General<br />Andrew Salmon<br />
| 26 June 2009
| February 2010
|
| –
|-
| 26
| 60px
| Major General<br /> Francis Howes<br />
| February 2010
| December 2011
|
| –
|-
| 27
| 60px
| Major General<br />Edward Davis<br />
| December 2011
| 13 June 2014
|
|
|-
| 32
| 60px
| Lieutenant General<br />Robert Magowan<br />
| 30 April 2021
| 25 November 2022
|
|
|-
| 33
| 60px
| General<br />Sir Gwyn Jenkins
| 25 November 2022
| Incumbent
|
|
|}
List of Deputy Commandants General
The following have served as Deputy Commandant General:
- 2011–2013: Brigadier Bill Dunham
- 2014–2017: Brigadier Richard Spencer
- 2017–2020: Brigadier Haydn White
- 2020–2022: Brigadier Anthony R. Turner
- 2022-2025: Brigadier Neil Sutherland MBE
- 2025-Present: Major General Paul Maynard OBE