49:
96:
469:
84:
66:
44:
365:, so the ranks were a compromise between these two traditions. The insignia of the rank was derived from that of a Royal Navy rear-admiral and featured a broad gold stripe on the cuff below one narrow gold stripe. The two stripes were surmounted by an eagle (volant and affronty) under a King's crown. The RAF replaced the rank of major-general with the rank of air vice-marshal on 1 August 1919.
267:
In terms of orthography, compound ranks were invariably hyphenated prior to about 1980. Nowadays the rank is almost equally invariably non-hyphenated. When written as a title, especially before a person's name, both words of the rank are always capitalised, whether using the "traditional" hyphenated
319:(CGRM), the professional head of the Royal Marines, was created at the rank of full general in 1943. In 1977, the rank was downgraded to lieutenant general, and it was further reduced to of major general in 1996. On 30 April 2021,
268:
style or the modern un-hyphenated style. When used as common nouns, they might be written in lower-case: "Major
General Montgomery was one of several major generals to be promoted at this time."
1284:
1320:
368:
Despite the short duration, the significance of the RAF to modern warfare was indicated by the number of senior officers who did hold the rank of major-general in the RAF:
332:
1264:
281:
1315:
209:
for a year and a half, from its creation in April 1918 until August 1919. In the
British Army, a major general is the customary rank for the appointment of
1310:
1121:
1054:
307:, is accorded "the relative precedence" – the respect, courtesies and insignia, rather than the full powers and authority – of the rank of major general.
1279:
869:
412:
1126:
1059:
484:
397:
489:
452:
629:
1330:
372:
1325:
338:
Royal
Marines in tri-service roles may still hold the rank of major general: in April 2019, James Morris was appointed as commander of the
299:, were major generals. Other, administrative, commands were also appointments for a major general. In addition, the senior officer of the
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1136:
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651:
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225:
144:
1274:
1106:
494:
1032:
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339:
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316:
214:
1241:
1166:
1151:
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1099:
835:
567:
583:
1146:
1079:
903:
229:
221:
154:
129:
20:
280:
is commanded by a major general. However, other appointments may also be held by major generals. For example, the
1022:
1017:
855:
233:
164:
1161:
1141:
1094:
1074:
402:
328:
345:
As in the
British Army, a Royal Marines major general ranks below a lieutenant general and above a brigadier.
362:
249:
1131:
1064:
1012:
1002:
882:
847:
417:
1211:
956:
949:
942:
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1187:
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889:
288:
673:
534:
277:
210:
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358:
607:
521:
1236:
1201:
1173:
1116:
1049:
992:
913:
422:
261:
357:
briefly used the rank of major-general. The service was a wartime amalgamation of the Army's
1226:
432:
387:
304:
241:
173:
48:
1206:
908:
571:
447:
377:
354:
292:
245:
206:
177:
1196:
987:
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777:
515:
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320:
71:
1304:
1221:
1216:
1191:
1182:
1111:
1044:
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202:
194:
119:
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24:
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89:
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1231:
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43:
727:
982:
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237:
168:
564:
630:"Major General Gwyn Jenkins appointed new Vice Chief of the Defence Staff"
296:
287:
Until around the 1980s, the heads of each branch of service, such as the
323:
assumed the office of CGRM; he was succeeded on 25 November 2022 by
519:, compare the entries in these two editions from 1979: firstly:
134:
126:
851:
353:
From its foundation on 1 April 1918 to 31 July 1919, the
160:
150:
140:
125:
115:
107:
77:
59:
34:
282:Commandant of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
16:2-star rank in the British Army and Royal Marines
260:The rank insignia is the star (or 'pip') of the
682:(Supplement). 29 November 2022. p. 22839.
652:"Royal Marines appoint new Commandant General"
543:(Supplement). 27 November 1979. p. 14929.
23:. For other countries that use this rank, see
863:
19:For the 17th century Cromwellian regime, see
8:
1321:Former military ranks of the Royal Air Force
870:
856:
848:
217:holds at least the rank of major general.
702:(Supplement). 9 April 2019. p. 6430.
899:
485:British and U.S. military ranks compared
205:. The rank was also briefly used by the
54:British Army and Royal Marines insignia.
557:
506:
530:(Supplement). 16 June 1979. p. 2.
490:British Army Other Ranks rank insignia
31:
213:commander. In the Royal Marines, the
7:
327:, who already held the rank of full
1316:Military ranks of the Royal Marines
632:. Ministry of Defence. 27 July 2022
608:"New Head Royal Marines Takes Role"
1311:Military ranks of the British Army
495:British Army officer rank insignia
398:The Honorable Sir Frederick Gordon
342:, with the rank of major general.
264:, over a crossed sword and baton.
14:
321:Lieutenant General Robert Magowan
584:"Senior Royal Navy appointments"
467:
317:Commandant General Royal Marines
301:Royal Army Chaplains' Department
94:
82:
64:
47:
42:
333:Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff
220:A major general is senior to a
654:. forces.net. 25 November 2022
1:
1331:Royal Marines major generals
1326:British Army major generals
610:. forces.net. 30 April 2021
248:and the air forces of many
1349:
1250:
228:. The rank is OF-7 on the
21:Rule of the Major Generals
18:
919:
897:
256:Insignia and nomenclature
40:
403:Frederick Heath-Caldwell
331:from his appointment as
1285:female senior officers
363:Royal Naval Air Service
276:In the British Army, a
778:"F C Heath-Caldwell_P"
475:United Kingdom portal
349:Royal Air Force usage
224:but subordinate to a
890:British Armed Forces
836:British Army Website
565:British Army Website
340:Standing Joint Force
289:Royal Armoured Corps
284:is a major general.
311:Royal Marines usage
1280:air chief marshals
1275:Army full generals
843:British Army Ranks
699:The London Gazette
679:The London Gazette
570:2009-12-14 at the
540:The London Gazette
527:The London Gazette
359:Royal Flying Corps
272:British Army usage
232:, equivalent to a
226:lieutenant general
215:Commandant General
145:Lieutenant general
1298:
1297:
1293:
1292:
423:Charles Longcroft
297:Corps of Infantry
262:Order of the Bath
184:
183:
1338:
1270:RM full generals
1033:Adm of the Fleet
900:
872:
865:
858:
849:
823:
822:
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818:
809:. Archived from
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511:
477:
472:
471:
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433:Geoffrey Salmond
388:Edward Ellington
305:Chaplain-General
242:air vice-marshal
174:Air vice-marshal
161:Equivalent ranks
141:Next higher rank
100:
98:
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52:
51:
46:
32:
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1242:Mshl of the RAF
1174:Royal Air Force
965:
958:
951:
944:
937:
915:
907:
893:
876:
832:
827:
826:
816:
814:
803:"E D Swinton_P"
801:
800:
796:
786:
784:
776:
775:
771:
761:
759:
751:
750:
746:
736:
734:
726:
725:
721:
714:"E B Ashmore_P"
712:
711:
707:
692:
691:
687:
672:
671:
667:
657:
655:
650:
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582:
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572:Wayback Machine
563:
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520:
512:
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503:
481:
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448:Frederick Sykes
378:Sefton Brancker
361:and the Navy's
355:Royal Air Force
351:
313:
293:Royal Artillery
274:
258:
246:Royal Air Force
230:NATO rank scale
207:Royal Air Force
195:"two-star" rank
178:Royal Air Force
172:
151:Next lower rank
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947:
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909:Service branch
904:NATO rank code
898:
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877:
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874:
867:
860:
852:
846:
845:
839:
838:
831:
830:External links
828:
825:
824:
813:on 1 July 2017
807:www.rafweb.org
794:
782:www.rafweb.org
769:
757:www.rafweb.org
744:
732:www.rafweb.org
728:"G C Cayley_P"
719:
705:
685:
665:
643:
621:
599:
575:
556:
555:
553:
550:
547:
546:
516:London Gazette
505:
504:
502:
499:
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497:
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487:
479:
478:
463:
462:
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457:
456:
455:
453:Hugh Trenchard
450:
445:
443:Ernest Swinton
440:
435:
430:
425:
420:
415:
410:
405:
400:
395:
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385:
380:
375:
373:Edward Ashmore
350:
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315:The office of
312:
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257:
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182:
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78:Service branch
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72:United Kingdom
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1260:vice admirals
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1255:rear admirals
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1167:Field marshal
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1040:Royal Marines
1038:
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434:
431:
429:
428:Godfrey Paine
426:
424:
421:
419:
418:Charles Lambe
416:
414:
411:
409:
406:
404:
401:
399:
396:
394:
391:
389:
386:
384:
383:George Cayley
381:
379:
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371:
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366:
364:
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348:
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231:
227:
223:
218:
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208:
204:
203:Royal Marines
200:
196:
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188:
187:Major general
179:
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163:
159:
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120:Two-star rank
118:
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103:
102:Royal Marines
91:
80:
76:
73:
62:
58:
50:
45:
39:
35:Major general
33:
30:
26:
25:major general
22:
1237:Air Chf Mshl
1107:British Army
892:
880:Commissioned
878:
815:. Retrieved
811:the original
806:
797:
785:. Retrieved
781:
772:
760:. Retrieved
756:
753:"F Gordon_P"
747:
735:. Retrieved
731:
722:
708:
697:
688:
677:
668:
656:. Retrieved
646:
634:. Retrieved
624:
612:. Retrieved
602:
590:. Retrieved
578:
560:
538:
525:
514:
509:
438:John Salmond
408:John Higgins
367:
352:
344:
337:
325:Gwyn Jenkins
314:
286:
275:
266:
259:
250:Commonwealth
234:rear admiral
219:
199:British Army
190:
186:
185:
165:Rear admiral
108:Abbreviation
90:British Army
29:
1100:Capt Gen RM
694:"No. 62610"
674:"No. 63889"
658:27 November
535:"No. 48015"
522:"No. 47869"
393:Philip Game
252:countries.
1305:Categories
983:Midshipman
973:Royal Navy
552:References
238:Royal Navy
169:Royal Navy
532:and then:
413:Mark Kerr
222:brigadier
155:Brigadier
130:rank code
1265:admirals
1232:Air Mshl
1222:Air Cdre
817:16 March
787:16 March
762:16 March
737:16 March
614:30 April
568:Archived
513:e.g. in
459:See also
295:and the
278:division
211:division
1217:Gp Capt
1207:Sqn Ldr
1192:Plt Off
1183:Off Cdt
1162:General
1152:Maj Gen
1142:Colonel
1095:General
1085:Maj Gen
1075:Colonel
1028:Admiral
1008:Captain
916:officer
914:student
888:of the
883:officer
636:27 July
329:general
244:in the
236:in the
197:in the
193:) is a
191:Maj Gen
111:Maj Gen
60:Country
1248:lists
1212:Wg Cdr
1202:Flt Lt
1197:Fg Off
1157:Lt Gen
1137:Lt Col
1090:Lt Gen
1070:Lt Col
998:Lt Cdr
988:Sub Lt
592:20 May
303:, the
291:, the
240:or an
99:
87:
69:
1132:Major
1065:Major
966:★★★★★
964:OF-10
932:OF-5
929:OF-4
926:OF-3
923:OF-2
920:OF-1
886:ranks
587:(PDF)
501:Notes
1147:Brig
1127:Capt
1112:OCdt
1080:Brig
1060:Capt
1045:OCdt
1023:VAdm
1018:RAdm
1013:Cdre
959:★★★★
957:OF-9
950:OF-8
943:OF-7
936:OF-6
819:2018
789:2018
764:2018
739:2018
660:2022
638:2022
616:2021
594:2016
201:and
135:OF-7
127:NATO
116:Rank
1227:AVM
1188:APO
1117:2Lt
1050:2Lt
1003:Cdr
952:★★★
335:.
1307::
1190:/
1181:/
1179:SO
1122:Lt
1055:Lt
993:Lt
978:OC
945:★★
805:.
780:.
755:.
730:.
696:.
676:.
537:.
524:.
938:★
906:/
871:e
864:t
857:v
821:.
791:.
766:.
741:.
716:.
662:.
640:.
618:.
596:.
189:(
180:)
176:(
171:)
167:(
27:.
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