List of Royal Marines full generals

This is a list of full generals in the Royal Marines. The rank of general (or full general to distinguish it from the lower general officer ranks) is the highest rank currently achievable by serving officers in the Royal Marines although no dedicated Royal Marines full general posts currently exist, unless they serve in tri-service positions. The Commandant General Royal Marines, a professional post created in 1943, is often – but not exclusively (not 1977 to 2022, see list) – held by a full general, including incumbents of a lower general officer rank promoted to general during their tenure in that post.

Promoted Name Born Died Notes
1838[1] James Meredyth 1841
1854[2] Walter Tremenheere 1761 1855 placed on the Retired List 1855[3]
1855[2] Edward Nicolls 1779 1865 promoted while on the Retired List[3]
1855[3] George Jones 1857
1855[3] George Beatty 1857
1857[4] Thomas Parke 1780 1858
1857[5] Sir Charles Menzies 1783 1866
1858 John Rawlins Coryton 1791 1867
1862 Sir Samuel Ellis 1787 1865
1866[6] Henry Ivatt Delacombe 1790 1878
1866 Fortescue Graham 1794 1880
1867 John Tatton Brown 1795 1880
1870[7] Sir Anthony Stransham 1805 1900
1870 Alexander Anderson 1807 1877
1870[8] Thomas Holloway 1875
1875[9] John Gascoigne 1811[10] 1893[10]
1875[11] Henry Carr Tate
1897[12] Sir Howard Jones 1835 1912[13] placed on the Retired List 1900[14]
Frederick Gasper Le Grand 1837 1905 placed on the Retired List 1901[15]
1900[14] Samuel James Graham
1901[15] Ardley Henry Falwasser Barnes 1838 1910 placed on the Retired List 1902[16]
1902[16] Edward Lee Rose 1842 1903
1912[17] Sir William Thompson Adair 1850 1931[18]
1912[19] Henry Cecil Eagles (1855–1927)?
1914[20] James Henry Bor 1857 1914[21]
1914[22] William Inglefield Eastman 1856 1941[23]
1928 Sir Lewis Halliday 1870 1966 Recipient of the Victoria Cross
1945[24] Sir Thomas Hunton 1885 1970 Commandant General Royal Marines 1943–46
1948 Sir Dallas Brooks 1896 1966 Commandant General Royal Marines 1946–49 (promoted while in the post),
19th Governor of Victoria 1949–63
1951[24] Sir Leslie Hollis 1897 1963 Commandant General Royal Marines 1949–52
Sir John Westall 1901 1986 Commandant General Royal Marines 1952–55
Sir Campbell Hardy 1906 1984 Commandant General Royal Marines 1955–59
1961[25] Sir Ian Riches 1908 1996 Commandant General Royal Marines 1959–62
1964[26] Sir Malcolm Cartwright-Taylor 1911 1969 Commandant General Royal Marines 1962–65
1967[27] Sir Norman Tailyour 1914 1979 Commandant General Royal Marines 1965–68
1970[28] Sir Peter Hellings 1916 1990 Commandant General Royal Marines 1968–71 (promoted while in the post)
1973[29] Sir Ian Gourlay 1920 2013 Commandant General Royal Marines 1971–75 (promoted while in the post)
1977[30] Sir Peter Whiteley 1920 2016 Commandant General Royal Marines 1975–77,
Commander-in-Chief Allied Forces Northern Europe 1977–79
2016[31] Sir Gordon Messenger 1962 Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff 2016–19,
Rear-Admiral of the United Kingdom since 2021,
Constable of the Tower since 2022
2022[32] Gwyn Jenkins Commandant General Royal Marines since 2022,
Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff 2022–24
  1. ^ Haydn, Joseph (1851). The Book of Dignities. London: Longman, Brown, Green and Longmans. p. 323. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
  2. ^ a b "No. 21637". The London Gazette. 5 December 1854. p. 3956.
  3. ^ a b c d "No. 21735". The London Gazette. 26 June 1855. p. 2457.
  4. ^ "No. 21966". The London Gazette. 10 February 1857. p. 472.
  5. ^ "No. 22019". The London Gazette. 7 July 1857. p. 2376.
  6. ^ The London Gazette: The Appointed Organ for All Announcements of the Executive. 6 September 1866. p. 4918.
  7. ^ "No. 23603". The London Gazette. 1 April 1870. p. 2005.
  8. ^ "Page 2005 | Issue 23603, 1 April 1870 | London Gazette | the Gazette".
  9. ^ "No. 24286". The London Gazette. 21 January 1876. p. 256.
  10. ^ a b Gosnell, Chris (2013). "John Hawkins Gascoigne". The Gascoigne Family. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
  11. ^ No. 4072 The London Gazette
  12. ^ "No. 26851". The London Gazette. 11 May 1897. p. 2603.
  13. ^ "General Sir Howard S. Jones (Obituaries)". The Times. No. 40078. 10 December 1912. p. 11.
  14. ^ a b "No. 27164". The London Gazette. 13 February 1900. p. 999.
  15. ^ a b "No. 27387". The London Gazette. 13 December 1901. p. 8838.
  16. ^ a b "No. 27428". The London Gazette. 25 April 1902. p. 2791.
  17. ^ "No. 28583". The London Gazette. 23 February 1912. p. 1343.
  18. ^ "Adair, Sir William Thompson". Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives. 2013. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
  19. ^ "No. 28598". The London Gazette. 12 April 1912. p. 2639.
  20. ^ "No. 28838". The London Gazette. 9 June 1914. p. 4536.
  21. ^ "Bor, James Henry". Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives. 2013. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
  22. ^ "No. 28940". The London Gazette. 16 October 1914. p. 8249.
  23. ^ "Eastman, William Inglefield". Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives. 2013. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
  24. ^ a b Houterman, Hans; Koppes, Jeroen (2013). "Royal Marine (RM) officers 1939–1945 (Haines–Hunton)". unithistories.com. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
  25. ^ "No. 42295". The London Gazette. 7 March 1961. p. 1729.
  26. ^ "No. 43280". The London Gazette. 24 March 1964. p. 2680.
  27. ^ "No. 44267". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 March 1967. p. 2883.
  28. ^ "No. 45240". The London Gazette (Supplement). 27 November 1970. p. 13109.
  29. ^ "No. 46138". The London Gazette (Supplement). 26 November 1973. p. 14082.
  30. ^ "No. 47160". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 March 1977. p. 2826.
  31. ^ "General Sir Gordon Messenger KCB DSO* OBE ADC". gov.uk. UK Ministry of Defence. 11 November 2020. Retrieved 11 November 2020. Vice Chief of the Defence Staff 2016 to 2019
  32. ^ "No. 63818". The London Gazette (Supplement). 20 September 2022. p. 17754.