Captain-General - Definition and Overview

This is a list of senior officers of the British Army. See also Commander in Chief of the Forces, Chief of the General Staff, and Chief of the Imperial General Staff.

Captains-General of the British Army, 1660-1809

• George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle 1660-1670
• office vacant 1670-1678
• James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth 1678-1679
• office vacant 1679-1702
• John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough 1702-1711
• James Butler, 2nd Duke of Ormonde 1711-1714
• John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough 1714-1717
• office vacant 1717-1744
• Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland 1744-1757
• office vacant 1757-1799
• Prince Frederick, Duke of York 1799-1809

Commanders-in-Chief of the Forces, 1672-1904

• James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth 1674-1679
• office vacant 1679-1690
• John Churchill, 1st Earl of Marlborough 1690-1691
• Meinhard Schomberg, 1st Duke of Leinster 1691-1711
• James Butler, 2nd Duke of Ormond 1711-1714
• office vacant 1714-1744
• John Dalrymple, 2nd Earl of Stair 1744
• George Wade 1745-1748
• office vacant 1748-1757
• John Ligonier, 1st Earl Ligonier 1757-1759
• office vacant 1759-1766
• John Manners, Marquess of Granby 1766-1769
• office vacant 1769-1778
• Jeffrey Amherst, 1st Lord Amherst 1778-1782
• Henry Seymour Conway 1782-1783
• Jeffrey Amherst, 1st Lord Amherst 1783-1795
• Prince Frederick, Duke of York 1795-1809
• Sir David Dundas 1809-1811
• Prince Frederick, Duke of York 1811-1827
• Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington 1827-1828
• Rowland Hill, 1st Viscount Hill 1828-1842
• Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington 1842-1852
• Henry Hardinge, 1st Viscount Hardinge 1852-1856
• Prince George, 2nd Duke of Cambridge 1856-1895
• Garnet Wolseley, 1st Viscount Wolseley 1895-1900
• Frederick Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts 1900-1904

Chiefs of the General Staff, 1904-1908

• Sir Neville Lyttleton 1904-1908

Chiefs of the Imperial General Staff, 1908-1964

• Sir William Nicholson 1908-1912
• Sir John French 1912-1914
• Sir Charles Douglas 1914
• Sir James Murray 1914-1915
• Sir Archibald Murray 1915
• Sir William Robertson 1915-1918
• Field Marshal Sir Henry Wilson 1918-1922
• General the Earl of Cavan 1922-1926
• Field Marshal Sir George Milne 1926-1933
• Field Marshal Sir Archibald Montgomery-Massingberg 1933-1936
• Field Marshal Sir Cyril Deverell 1936-1937
• General the Viscount Gort 1937-1939
• General Sir Edmund Ironside 1939-1940
• Field Marshal Sir John Dill 1940-1941
• Field Marshal Sir Alan Brooke 1941-1946
• Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery 1946-1948
• Field Marshal Sir William Slim 1948-1952
• Sir John Harding 1952-1955
• Sir Gerald Templer 1955-1958
• Sir Francis Festing 1958-1961
• Sir Richard Hull 1961-1964

Chiefs of the General Staff, 1964-present

• Sir Richard Hull 1964-1965
• Sir James Cassels 1965-1968
• Sir Geoffrey Baker 1968-1971
• Sir Michael Carver 1971-1973
• Sir Peter Hunt 1973-1976
• Sir Roland Gibbs 1976-1979
• Sir Edwin Bramall 1979-1982
• Sir John Stanier 1982-1985
• Sir Nigel Bagnall 1985-1989
• Sir John Chapple 1989-1992
• Sir Peter Inge 1992-1994
• Sir Charles Guthrie 1994-1997
• Sir Roger Wheeler 1997-2000
• Sir Michael Walker 2000-2003
• Sir Michael Jackson 2003-present

Deputy Chiefs of the Imperial General Staff

• Sir Lancelot Kiggell 1914
• Major-General Robert Whigham 1915
• Sir Archibald Murray 1915
• Major-General Sir Charles Harington 1918 - 1920
• Lieutenant-General Sir Philip Chetwode, 1920-1922
• Major-General Hugh Massy 1939 - 1940
• Lieutenant-General Sir Ronald Weeks 15 June 1942 - 29 May 1945
• Lieutenant-Genaral Sir Sidney Kirkman 1945 - 1947
• General Sir Kenneth Crawford
• Sir Dudley Ward 1953 - 1956
• Sir Harold Pyman 1958 - 1961
• Lieutenant-General Sir John Anderson - 1963
• Sir John Hackett 1963 - 1964

Vice Chiefs of the Imperial Staff

• Lieutenant-General Sir Robert Haining 27 May 1940 - 19 May 1941
• Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Pownall 19 May 1941 - 5 December 1941
• Lieutenant-General Sir Archibald Nye 5 December 1941 -

Adjutant-General to the Forces

• General Sir Robert Gordon-Finlayson 1 Jul 1939 - 10 June 1940
• Lieutenant-General H Colville Wemyss 10 June 1940 - 3 June 1941
• Lieutenant-General Sir Ronald Adam 3 June 1941 -

Quartermaster-General to the Forces

• Lieutenant-General Sir Walter Venning 2 February 1939 - 14 August 1942
• General Sir Thomas Riddell-Webster 14 August 1942 -