General Officer Commanding, Ceylon
Encyclopedia
General Officer Commanding, Ceylon was the designation of the General Officer appointed to command all British Army
units stationed in the island of Ceylon during the British colonial administration of the island.
and 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 mobilized 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 British troops from the island.
to form a unified command for all British military, naval and air units in Ceylon. The first to be appointed to this post was Admiral
Sir
Geoffrey Layton
, whose powers exceeded that of the Governor, in 1942. He was succeed by Lieutenant General
Sir Harry Wetherall
in 1945.
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
units stationed in the island of Ceylon during the British colonial administration of the island.
History
The post entitled the holder a seat in the Executive Council of CeylonExecutive Council of Ceylon
The Executive Council of Ceylon was the Executive Council created in Ceylon by the British colonial administration on the recommendations of the Colebrooke-Cameron Commission along with the Legislative Council of Ceylon on March 13, 1833....
and 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 mobilized 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
Commander of the Army (Sri Lanka)
Commander of the Army is the title of the professional head of the Sri Lanka Army. The current Commander of the Army is Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya...
and the British troops in Ceylon came under the command of the Commander, Ceylon Garrison and UK troops in Ceylon until the withdrawal British troops from the island.
Former General Officers Commanding, Ceylon
- Brigadier General Smelt
- Brigadier General Alfred James Whitacre Allen
- Brigadier General Henry Huntly Leith Malcolm
- Lieutenant General Sir Henry PownallHenry Royds PownallLieutenant General Sir Henry Royds Pownall KCB, KBE, DSO was a British general, who held several important command and Staff appointments during World War II. In particular, he was Chief of Staff to the British Expeditionary Force in France and Belgium until the fall of France in May 1940...
(1942–1943) - Lieutenant General Sir Francis TukerFrancis TukerLieutenant General Sir Francis Ivan Simms Tuker KCIE CB DSO OBE was a British Indian Army officer.-Military career:...
(1944) - Lieutenant General Sir Harry WetherallHarry Edward de Robillard WetherallLieutenant General Sir Harry Edward de Robillard Wetherall KBE CB DSO MC was an officer in the British Army during World War I and World War II.-Military career:Wetherall was commissioned into the Gloucestershire Regiment in 1909....
(1943–1945)
Commander-in-Chief, Ceylon
The above post should not be confused with that of Commander-in-Chief, Ceylon that was created during World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
to form a unified command for all British military, naval and air units in Ceylon. The first to be appointed to this post was Admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
Sir
Sir
Sir is an honorific used as a title , or as a courtesy title to address a man without using his given or family name in many English speaking cultures...
Geoffrey Layton
Geoffrey Layton
Admiral Sir Geoffrey Layton GBE, KCB, KCMG, DSO , was a British Royal Navy officer.-Early life and career:...
, whose powers exceeded that of the Governor, in 1942. He was succeed by Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
Sir Harry Wetherall
Harry Edward de Robillard Wetherall
Lieutenant General Sir Harry Edward de Robillard Wetherall KBE CB DSO MC was an officer in the British Army during World War I and World War II.-Military career:Wetherall was commissioned into the Gloucestershire Regiment in 1909....
in 1945.