Appendix 9: Principal Commanders and Staff Officers in the Mediterranean and Middle East
(The ranks given are in some cases ‘acting’ ranks)
Royal Navy
Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean: Admiral Sir Andrew B. Cunningham
Chief of Staff: Rear-Admiral A. U. Willis
Additional Chief of Staff R.N., at Middle East H. Q., Cairo (also represented Commander-in-Chief East Indies): Commodore H. G. Norman (from Sept. 1940)
1 V.A. Light Forces and Second-in-Command Mediterranean Fleet: Vice-Admiral J. C. Tovey; Vice-Admiral H. D. Pridham-Wippell (from Oct. 1940)
R.A. 1st Battle Squadron: Rear-Admiral H. D. Pridham-Wippell; Rear-Admiral H. B. Rawlings (from Oct. 1940)
R.A. Mediterranean Aircraft Carriers: Rear-Admiral A. L. St. G. Lyster
Admiral Commanding 3rd Cruiser Squadron: Rear-Admiral E. de F. Renouf
Vice-Admiral in charge, Malta: Vice-Admiral Sir Wilbraham T. R. Ford
Senior British Naval Officer, Suez Canal Area: Vice-Admiral (retd.) Sir James Pipon
R.A. Alexandria: Rear-Admiral (retd.) F. Elliott
Flag Officer Force H: Vice-Admiral Sir James F. Somerville
Commander-in-Chief, East Indies: Vice-Admiral R. Leatham
Senior Officer, Red Sea Force: Rear-Admiral A. J. L. Murray
The Army
Commander-in-Chief: General Sir Archibald Wavell
Principal Staff Officers
General Staff branch: Major-General A. F. Smith.
Quarter-Master-General’s branch: Major-General B. O. Hutchison
Adjutant-General’s branch: Brigadier R. M. Scobie (from 13th May 1940) Major-General N. W. Napier-Clavering (from 11th Sept. 1940)
British Troops in Egypt
Lieutenant-General Sir H. Maitland Wilson (to 4th Feb. 1941)
Lieutenant-General R. N. O’Connor (from 4th Feb.-Apr. 1941)
Western Desert Force (became 13th Corps on 1st Jan. 1941)
Lieutenant-General R. N. O’Connor (to 4th Feb. 1941)
Cyrenaica Command
Lieutenant-General Sir H. Maitland Wilson (Feb. 1941)
Lieutenant-General P. Neame (Feb.-Apr. 1941)
Palestine, Transjordan and Cyprus
Lieutenant-General M. G. H. Barker
Lieutenant-General P. Neame (Aug. 1940-Feb. 1941)
Sudan
Lieutenant-General W. Platt
East Africa Force
Lieutenant-General D. P. Dickinson
Lieutenant-General A. G. Cunningham (from 1st Nov. 1940)
Formations
7th Armoured Division: Major-General M. O’Moore Creagh
1st Cavalry Division Major-General J. G. W. Clark
4th Indian Division: Major-General P. Neame; Major-General N. M. de la P. Beresford-Peirse (from Aug. 1940)
5th Indian Division: Major-General L. M. Heath; Major-General A. G. O. M. Mayne (from Apr. 1941)
1st Australian Corps: Lieutenant-General Sir Thomas Blarney
6th Australian Division: Major-General I. G. Mackay
1st South African Division: Major-General G. L. Brink
11th African Division: Major-General H. E. de R. Wetherall
12th African Division: Major-General A. R. Godwin-Austen
New Zealand Division: Major-General B. C. Freyberg
2nd Armoured Division: Major-General J. C. Tilly (to 16th Jan. 1941)
Malta
Governor and Commander-in-Chief: General Sir Charles Bonham-Carter (until Oct. 1940); Lieutenant-General Sir William Dobbie (from 11th Oct. 1940; acting from May-Oct. 1940)
Royal Air Force
Command Headquarters
Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief: Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur M. Longmore
Deputy Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief: Air Marshal A. W. Tedder (from 29th Nov. 1940)
Senior Air Staff Officer: Air Vice-Marshal R. M. Drummond
Air Officer-in-Charge of Administration: Air Vice-Marshal A. C. Maund
Egypt and the Western Desert Air Commodore R. Collishaw No. 202 Group. Group Captain H. W. G. J. Penderel No. 201 Group, Alexandria
Cyrenaica
Group Captain L. O. Brown (from 19th Feb. 1941)
Greece
Air Vice-Marshall J. H. D’Albiac (from 5th Nov. 1940)
Palestine and Transjordan
Air Commodore J. H. D’Albiac (until 4th Nov. 1940) Air Commodore J. W. B. Grigson (from 1st Dec. 1940)
Iraq
Air Vice-Marshal H. G. Smart
Aden
Air Vice-Marshal G. R. M. Reid (also Commander of all British Forces)
East Africa
Air Commodore W. Sowrey
Sudan
Air Commodore L. H. Slatter No. 203 Group
Malta
Air Commodore F. H. M. Maynard