Ұлыбритания теңіз жаяу әскерлерінің бас қолбасшысы

Head of the Royal Marines

The 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.

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 for the first time since 1977, that a full general would be taking over the role, that person being General Gwyn Jenkins. From 1825 until 1964 his headquarters office which changed location several times was known as the Royal Marine Office.

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.

No. (Number) Portrait Name Term of office Ref. (Refences) Took office Left office Time in office 1 GeneralSir Thomas Hunton January 1943 1946 years – 2 GeneralSir Dallas Brooks 1946 May 1949 years – 3 GeneralSir Leslie Hollis 1949 1952 years – 4 GeneralSir John Westall 1952 1955 years – 5 GeneralSir Campbell Hardy 1955 1959 years – 6 GeneralSir Ian Riches 1959 1962 years – 7 GeneralSir Malcolm Cartwright Taylor 1962 1965 years – 8 GeneralSir Norman Tailyour 1965 1968 years – 9 GeneralSir Peter Hellings 1968 1971 years – 10 GeneralSir Ian Gourlay 1971 9 June 1975 years – 11 GeneralSir Peter Whiteley 1975 1977 years – 12 Lieutenant GeneralSir John Richards 1977 1981 years – 13 Lieutenant GeneralSir Steuart Pringle 1981 1984 years – 14 Lieutenant GeneralSir Michael Wilkins 1984 1987 years – 15 Lieutenant GeneralSir Martin Garrod 1987 1990 years – 16 Lieutenant GeneralSir Henry Beverley 1990 1994 years – 17 Lieutenant GeneralSir Robin Ross 1994 1996 years – 18 Major GeneralDavid Pennefather 1996 1998 years – 19 Major GeneralRobert Fulton 1998 2001 years – 20 Major GeneralRobert Fry 2001 2002 years – 21 Major GeneralTony Milton May 2002 February 2004 – 22 Major GeneralDavid Wilson February 2004 August 2004 – 23 Major GeneralJames Dutton August 2004 June 2006 – 24 Major GeneralGarry Robison June 2006 June 2009 – 25 Major GeneralAndy Salmon 26 June 2009 February 2010 – 26 Major GeneralBuster Howes February 2010 December 2011 – 27 Major GeneralEd Davis December 2011 13 June 2014 32 Lieutenant GeneralRobert Magowan 30 April 2021 25 November 2022 33 GeneralGwyn Jenkins 25 November 2022 Incumbent