107:
60:
480:
95:
77:
55:
376:, 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.
278:
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
330:(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,
279:
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."
379:
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:
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1331:
220:
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
318:, is accorded "the relative precedence" β the respect, courtesies and insignia, rather than the full powers and authority β of the rank of major general.
1189:
343:
1275:
292:
640:
1326:
349:
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
17:
310:, were major generals. Other, administrative, commands were also appointments for a major general. In addition, the senior officer of the
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1132:
1065:
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1117:
594:
505:
1043:
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350:
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983:
327:
225:
291:
is commanded by a major general. However, other appointments may also be held by major generals. For example, the
1252:
1177:
1162:
1095:
873:
418:
356:
As in the
British Army, a Royal Marines major general ranks below a lieutenant general and above a brigadier.
1110:
858:
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1157:
1090:
967:
914:
240:
232:
165:
140:
31:
953:
946:
1033:
1028:
866:
244:
175:
924:
1172:
1152:
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413:
339:
704:
373:
260:
618:
1142:
1075:
1023:
1013:
893:
532:
428:
1222:
485:
368:
briefly used the rank of major-general. The service was a wartime amalgamation of the Army's
1198:
1038:
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8:
288:
221:
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433:
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398:
315:
252:
184:
1217:
919:
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582:
458:
388:
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303:
256:
217:
188:
821:
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1207:
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974:
890:
738:
526:
453:
331:
82:
1315:
1232:
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1202:
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1055:
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438:
213:
205:
130:
112:
59:
35:
888:
448:
393:
335:
209:
100:
641:"Major General Gwyn Jenkins appointed new Vice Chief of the Defence Staff"
1242:
403:
298:
Until around the 1980s, the heads of each branch of service, such as the
993:
248:
179:
334:
assumed the office of CGRM; he was succeeded on 25 November 2022 by
54:
307:
530:, compare the entries in these two editions from 1979: firstly:
145:
137:
364:
From its foundation on 1 April 1918 to 31 July 1919, the
475:
293:Commandant of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
27:2-star rank in the British Army and Royal Marines
1313:
271:The rank insignia is the star (or 'pip') of the
693:(Supplement). 29 November 2022. p. 22839.
663:"Royal Marines appoint new Commandant General"
554:(Supplement). 27 November 1979. p. 14929.
34:. For other countries that use this rank, see
874:
30:For the 17th century Cromwellian regime, see
1332:Former military ranks of the Royal Air Force
266:
881:
867:
228:holds at least the rank of major general.
713:(Supplement). 9 April 2019. p. 6430.
703:
683:
544:
531:
496:British and U.S. military ranks compared
359:
216:. The rank was also briefly used by the
65:British Army and Royal Marines insignia.
587:
14:
1314:
541:(Supplement). 16 June 1979. p. 2.
501:British Army Other Ranks rank insignia
321:
862:
282:
224:commander. In the Royal Marines, the
338:, who already held the rank of full
1327:Military ranks of the Royal Marines
643:. Ministry of Defence. 27 July 2022
619:"New Head Royal Marines Takes Role"
24:
1322:Military ranks of the British Army
506:British Army officer rank insignia
409:The Honorable Sir Frederick Gordon
353:, with the rank of major general.
275:, over a crossed sword and baton.
25:
1353:
840:
332:Lieutenant General Robert Magowan
595:"Senior Royal Navy appointments"
478:
328:Commandant General Royal Marines
312:Royal Army Chaplains' Department
105:
93:
75:
58:
53:
806:
781:
756:
731:
344:Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff
231:A major general is senior to a
717:
697:
677:
665:. forces.net. 25 November 2022
655:
633:
611:
569:
518:
13:
1:
562:
1342:Royal Marines major generals
18:Major-General (British Army)
7:
1337:British Army major generals
621:. forces.net. 30 April 2021
469:
259:and the air forces of many
10:
1358:
1261:
239:. The rank is OF-7 on the
32:Rule of the Major Generals
29:
930:
908:
267:Insignia and nomenclature
171:
161:
151:
136:
126:
118:
88:
70:
51:
45:
511:
414:Frederick Heath-Caldwell
342:from his appointment as
1296:female senior officers
374:Royal Naval Air Service
287:In the British Army, a
789:"F C Heath-Caldwell_P"
486:United Kingdom portal
360:Royal Air Force usage
235:but subordinate to a
901:British Armed Forces
847:British Army Website
576:British Army Website
351:Standing Joint Force
300:Royal Armoured Corps
295:is a major general.
322:Royal Marines usage
1291:air chief marshals
1286:Army full generals
854:British Army Ranks
710:The London Gazette
690:The London Gazette
581:2009-12-14 at the
551:The London Gazette
538:The London Gazette
370:Royal Flying Corps
283:British Army usage
243:, equivalent to a
237:lieutenant general
226:Commandant General
156:Lieutenant general
1309:
1308:
1304:
1303:
434:Charles Longcroft
308:Corps of Infantry
273:Order of the Bath
195:
194:
16:(Redirected from
1349:
1281:RM full generals
1044:Adm of the Fleet
911:
910:
883:
876:
869:
860:
859:
834:
833:
831:
829:
820:. Archived from
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444:Geoffrey Salmond
399:Edward Ellington
316:Chaplain-General
253:air vice-marshal
185:Air vice-marshal
172:Equivalent ranks
152:Next higher rank
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81:
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63:
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42:
21:
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1348:
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1312:
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1310:
1305:
1300:
1253:Mshl of the RAF
1185:Royal Air Force
976:
969:
962:
955:
948:
926:
918:
904:
887:
843:
838:
837:
827:
825:
814:"E D Swinton_P"
812:
811:
807:
797:
795:
787:
786:
782:
772:
770:
762:
761:
757:
747:
745:
737:
736:
732:
725:"E B Ashmore_P"
723:
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718:
702:
698:
682:
678:
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583:Wayback Machine
574:
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523:
519:
514:
492:
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472:
459:Frederick Sykes
389:Sefton Brancker
372:and the Navy's
366:Royal Air Force
362:
324:
304:Royal Artillery
285:
269:
257:Royal Air Force
241:NATO rank scale
218:Royal Air Force
206:"two-star" rank
189:Royal Air Force
183:
162:Next lower rank
106:
104:
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94:
92:
76:
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66:
52:
47:
39:
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15:
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920:Service branch
915:NATO rank code
909:
906:
905:
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885:
878:
871:
863:
857:
856:
850:
849:
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841:External links
839:
836:
835:
824:on 1 July 2017
818:www.rafweb.org
805:
793:www.rafweb.org
780:
768:www.rafweb.org
755:
743:www.rafweb.org
739:"G C Cayley_P"
730:
716:
696:
676:
654:
632:
610:
586:
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527:London Gazette
516:
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461:
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454:Ernest Swinton
451:
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441:
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426:
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416:
411:
406:
401:
396:
391:
386:
384:Edward Ashmore
361:
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326:The office of
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90:
89:Service branch
86:
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83:United Kingdom
72:
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49:
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26:
9:
6:
4:
3:
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1354:
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1266:rear admirals
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1178:Field marshal
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1051:Royal Marines
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528:
521:
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494:
493:
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476:
465:
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460:
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455:
452:
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447:
445:
442:
440:
439:Godfrey Paine
437:
435:
432:
430:
429:Charles Lambe
427:
425:
422:
420:
417:
415:
412:
410:
407:
405:
402:
400:
397:
395:
394:George Cayley
392:
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246:
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234:
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215:
214:Royal Marines
211:
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199:
198:Major general
190:
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177:
174:
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131:Two-star rank
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113:Royal Marines
102:
91:
87:
84:
73:
69:
61:
56:
50:
46:Major general
44:
41:
37:
36:major general
33:
19:
1248:Air Chf Mshl
1118:British Army
903:
891:Commissioned
889:
826:. Retrieved
822:the original
817:
808:
796:. Retrieved
792:
783:
771:. Retrieved
767:
764:"F Gordon_P"
758:
746:. Retrieved
742:
733:
719:
708:
699:
688:
679:
667:. Retrieved
657:
645:. Retrieved
635:
623:. Retrieved
613:
601:. Retrieved
589:
571:
549:
536:
525:
520:
449:John Salmond
419:John Higgins
378:
363:
355:
348:
336:Gwyn Jenkins
325:
297:
286:
277:
270:
261:Commonwealth
245:rear admiral
230:
210:British Army
201:
197:
196:
176:Rear admiral
119:Abbreviation
101:British Army
40:
1111:Capt Gen RM
705:"No. 62610"
685:"No. 63889"
669:27 November
546:"No. 48015"
533:"No. 47869"
404:Philip Game
263:countries.
1316:Categories
994:Midshipman
984:Royal Navy
563:References
249:Royal Navy
180:Royal Navy
543:and then:
424:Mark Kerr
233:brigadier
166:Brigadier
141:rank code
1276:admirals
1243:Air Mshl
1233:Air Cdre
828:16 March
798:16 March
773:16 March
748:16 March
625:30 April
579:Archived
524:e.g. in
470:See also
306:and the
289:division
222:division
1228:Gp Capt
1218:Sqn Ldr
1203:Plt Off
1194:Off Cdt
1173:General
1163:Maj Gen
1153:Colonel
1106:General
1096:Maj Gen
1086:Colonel
1039:Admiral
1019:Captain
927:officer
925:student
899:of the
894:officer
647:27 July
340:general
255:in the
247:in the
208:in the
204:) is a
202:Maj Gen
122:Maj Gen
71:Country
1259:lists
1223:Wg Cdr
1213:Flt Lt
1208:Fg Off
1168:Lt Gen
1148:Lt Col
1101:Lt Gen
1081:Lt Col
1009:Lt Cdr
999:Sub Lt
603:20 May
314:, the
302:, the
251:or an
110:
98:
80:
1143:Major
1076:Major
977:β
β
β
β
β
975:OF-10
943:OF-5
940:OF-4
937:OF-3
934:OF-2
931:OF-1
897:ranks
598:(PDF)
512:Notes
1158:Brig
1138:Capt
1123:OCdt
1091:Brig
1071:Capt
1056:OCdt
1034:VAdm
1029:RAdm
1024:Cdre
970:β
β
β
β
968:OF-9
961:OF-8
954:OF-7
947:OF-6
830:2018
800:2018
775:2018
750:2018
671:2022
649:2022
627:2021
605:2016
212:and
146:OF-7
138:NATO
127:Rank
1238:AVM
1199:APO
1128:2Lt
1061:2Lt
1014:Cdr
963:β
β
β
346:.
1318::
1201:/
1192:/
1190:SO
1133:Lt
1066:Lt
1004:Lt
989:OC
956:β
β
816:.
791:.
766:.
741:.
707:.
687:.
548:.
535:.
949:β
917:/
882:e
875:t
868:v
832:.
802:.
777:.
752:.
727:.
673:.
651:.
629:.
607:.
200:(
191:)
187:(
182:)
178:(
38:.
20:)
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