Commander of the British Army in Ceylon until World War II
General Officer Commanding, Ceylon (also known as Commander of Troops Officer Commanding His/Her Majesties Troops, Ceylon General Officer appointed to command all British Army units stationed in the island of Ceylon during the British colonial administration of the island.[ 1]
The post entitled the holder a seat in the Executive Council of Ceylon and the Legislative Council of Ceylon , advised the Governor of Ceylon on military matters.
Apart from British Army units that were deployed for garrison duty in the island, the officer held command over the Ceylon Defence Force if mobilized. However mobilization could be carried out only under orders from the Governor .
Following independence in 1948, the command was split. With the creation of the Ceylon Army , it head had was referred to as the Commander of the Ceylon Army and the British troops in Ceylon came under the command of the Commander, Ceylon Garrison and UK troops in Ceylon until the withdrawal of British troops from the island.
The GOC Ceylon was entitled to a Class A Quarters issued to government officers for the use of his official residence in Colombo and had the General's House, Nuwara Eliya as a country house .
[ edit ] Portrait Rank Name Appointment Left office Unit Decorations Captain Patrick Alexander Agnew 31 August 1795 1 March 1796 Madras European Regiment Major-General James Stuart 1 March 1796 1 January 1797 78th Regiment of Foot Major-General Welbore Ellis Doyle 1 January 1797 2 July 1797 14th Regiment of Foot Lieutenant-Colonel Peter Bonnevaux 2 July 1797 12 July 1797 10th Madras Native Infantry Major-General Pierre Frédéric de Meuron 12 July 1797 12 October 1798 Regiment de Meuron Colonel Josiah Champagné 14 March 1799 22 July 1799 80th Regiment of Foot GCH Colonel Hay MacDowall 22 July 1799 March 1804 78th Regiment of Foot Major-General David Douglas Wemyss March 1804 19 July 1805 18th Regiment of Foot Major-General Thomas Maitland 19 July 1805 19 March 1811 62nd Regiment of Foot GCB , GCMG , GCH , PC Major-General John Wilson 19 March 1811 11 March 1812 5th Garrison Battalion General Sir Robert Brownrigg 11 March 1812 1 February 1820 Coldstream Guards GCB Major general Edward Barnes 1820 47th (Lancashire) Regiment of Foot GCB Major general James Campbell 22 July 1822 94th Regiment of Foot Major general Hudson Lowe 1826 50th Foot GCMG , KCB Major general John Wilson 14 October 1831 28th Foot Major general Robert Arbuthnot 1839 76th Regiment of Foot KCB Lieutenant general Colin Campbell 16 April 1841 78th (Highlanders) Regiment of Foot KCB Major general William Smelt 28 January 1847 103rd Regiment of Foot CB Major general Philip Bainbrigge 23 May 1852 7th Regiment of Foot CB Major general Thomas Reed 13 September 1854 12th Light Dragoons CB Major general Henry Frederick Lockyer 1856 1860 97th (The Earl of Ulster's) Regiment of Foot CB , KH Major general Terence O'Brien 1860 1865 Major general Studholme John Hodgson 1865 1869 54th Regiment of Foot Major general Henry Renny 1869 1874 81st Regiment of Foot CSI Major general John Alfred Street 1874 1879 68th Regiment of Foot CB Major general William Wilby 1879 1882 King's Own Royal Regiment CB Major general John Chetham McLeod 1882 1887 42nd Regiment of Foot KCB Major general Wilbraham Lennox 1887 1888 Royal Engineers VC , CB Major general William Massy 1888 1893 19th Regiment of Foot CB Major general W. Clive-Justice 1893 1897 75th Regiment of Foot CMG Major general F. T. Hobson 1897 1902 Major general Hector MacDonald 1902 1903 92nd Gordon Highlanders KCB , DSO Brigadier general G. L. C. Money 1903 1905 Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders CB , DSO Brigadier general R .C. B. Lawrence 1905 1909 1st King's Dragoon Guards Brigadier general A. J. Whitacre Allen 1909 1913 The Buffs CB Brigadier general Henry Huntly Leith Malcolm 1913 1915 Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders CB , DSO Brigadier general F. Hackett-Thompson 1915 1918 Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders CB Brigadier general F. A. MacFarlane 1918 1920 CB Colonel commandant Clifford Coffin 1920 1924 Royal Engineers VC , CB , DSO & Bar Colonel commandant Harold Higginson 1924 1927 Royal Dublin Fusiliers CB , DSO & Bar Brigadier Austin Claude Girdwood 1927 1931 Northumberland Fusiliers CB , CMG , DSO & Bar[ 2] Brigadier E. F. Shewell 1931 1934 Royal Artillery CMG , DSO [ 3] Brigadier C. A. Lyon 1934 1937 Royal Artillery DSO [ 4] Brigadier (local rank)J. O. Thurburn [ 5] 1937 1941 Royal Artillery MC Major general Tim Inskip 1941 1942 13th Frontier Force Rifles CB , CIE , DSO , MC Lieutenant general Henry Pownall [ 6] 1942 1943 Royal Artillery KBE , DSO & Bar, MC Major general Francis Tuker [ 7] March 1944 September 1944 Royal Sussex Regiment , 2nd Gurkha Rifles KCIE , CB , DSO , OBE
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