Adjutant-General to the Forces facts for kids

The Adjutant-General to the Forces (often called the Adjutant-General or AG) was a very important officer in the British Army for over 250 years. This role was mainly about looking after the Army's people. The Adjutant-General helped create rules for soldiers and supported them.

Usually, the Adjutant-General was a high-ranking officer, like a general or lieutenant general. Even though the job was about managing people, the Adjutant-General almost always came from a fighting part of the Army, not from a support team.

History of the Adjutant-General

The Adjutant-General started as the main staff officer for the Commander-in-Chief of the Forces. This job was first mentioned in 1673. It became a permanent role in the English Army in 1680.

For a while, there were two Adjutants-General: one for foot soldiers and one for horse soldiers. But in 1701, these two roles combined into one for "the Forces." Before the Acts of Union, there were also separate Adjutants-General for the Scottish and Irish armies. Sometimes, a special Adjutant-General was appointed for armies sent overseas.

In the 1700s, the Adjutant-General's job was to give orders to the Army. They also collected reports from regiments every month. They managed officers' appointments and leave of absence. Plus, they oversaw military drills, exercises, and discipline.

By the early 1800s, the Adjutant-General was in charge of "all things about the Army's discipline, equipment, and how well it worked." They also became responsible for finding new soldiers. About 100 years later, the AG was described as "a general officer leading a department in the War Office, handling all duties related to personnel."

In the 1900s, the Adjutant-General was the Second Military Member of the Army Council and later the Army Board. The Adjutant-General's main office was at a place called Trenchard Lines in Upavon, Wiltshire.

On April 1, 2008, this office joined with HQ Land Command. They formed a new group called HQ Land Forces. In December 2009, the Adjutant-General also took on the duties of the Commander Regional Forces. This meant they were responsible for both personnel and support for the Army.

In 2015, the job title changed to Commander Personnel and Support Command. The next year, it was renamed Commander Home Command. The Chief of the General Staff explained in 2016 that the Adjutant-General role was no longer needed. He said: "I am the Adjutant-General. People are so important to me that I have made that my main focus."

The role of a Deputy Adjutant-General was first recorded in 1757. Assistant Adjutants-General started being appointed from 1806.

Past Adjutants-General to the Forces

Here are some of the people who held this important job:

• 1743–1748 Colonel Charles Ingram
• 1763–1778 Lieutenant-General Edward Harvey
• 1778–1781 Lieutenant-General William Amherst
• 1781–1799 General Sir William Fawcett
• 1799–1820 Lieutenant-General Sir Harry Calvert
• 1820–1828 Major-General Sir Henry Torrens
• 1828–1830 Lieutenant-General Sir Herbert Taylor
• 1830–1850 Lieutenant-General Sir John Macdonald
• 1850–1853 General Sir George Brown
• 1853–1854 General Sir George Cathcart
• 1854–1860 General Sir George Weatherall
• 1860–1865 General Sir James Yorke Scarlett
• 1865–1870 General Lord William Paulet
• 1870–1876 General Sir Richard Airey
• 1876–1882 General Sir Charles Ellice
• 1882–1890 General Lord Wolseley
• 1882 Lieutenant-General Sir Richard Taylor
• 1890–1897 Lieutenant-General Sir Redvers Buller
• 1897–1901 Lieutenant-General Sir Evelyn Wood
• 1901–1904 Lieutenant-General Sir Thomas Kelly-Kenny
• 1904–1909 Lieutenant-General Sir Charles Douglas
• 1909–1910 Lieutenant-General Sir Ian Hamilton
• 1910–1914 Lieutenant-General Sir Spencer Ewart
• 1914–1916 Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Sclater
• 1916–1918 Lieutenant-General Sir Nevil Macready
• 1918–1922 Lieutenant-General Sir George Macdonogh
• 1922–1923 Lieutenant-General Sir Philip Chetwode
• 1923–1927 Lieutenant-General Sir Robert Whigham
• 1927–1931 General Sir Walter Braithwaite
• 1931–1933 General Sir Archibald Montgomery-Massingberd
• 1933–1935 General Sir Cecil Romer
• 1935–1937 General Sir Harry Knox
• 1937–1939 General Sir Clive Liddell
• 1939–1940 General Sir Robert Gordon-Finlayson
• 1940–1941 Lieutenant-General Colville Wemyss
• 1941–1946 General Sir Ronald Forbes Adam
• 1946–1947 General Sir Richard O'Connor
• 1947–1950 General Sir James Steele
• 1950–1953 General Sir John Crocker
• 1953–1956 General Sir Cameron Nicholson
• 1956–1959 General Sir Charles Loewen
• 1959–1960 General Sir Hugh Stockwell
• 1960–1963 General Sir Richard Goodbody
• 1963–1964 General Sir James Cassels
• 1964–1967 General Sir Reginald Hewetson
• 1967–1970 General Sir Geoffrey Musson
• 1970–1973 General Sir John Mogg
• 1973–1976 General Sir Cecil Blacker
• 1976–1978 General Sir Jack Harman
• 1978–1981 General Sir Robert Ford
• 1981–1984 General Sir George Cooper
• 1984–1986 General Sir Roland Guy
• 1986–1988 General Sir David Mostyn
• 1988–1990 General Sir Robert Pascoe
• 1990–1993 General Sir David Ramsbotham
• 1993–1995 General Sir Michael Wilkes
• 1995–1997 General Sir Michael Rose
• 1997–2000 General Sir Alexander Harley
• 2000–2003 Lieutenant-General Sir Timothy Granville-Chapman
• 2003–2005 Lieutenant-General Sir Alistair Irwin
• 2005–2008 Lieutenant-General Sir Freddie Viggers
• 2008–2009 Lieutenant-General Sir William Rollo
• 2009–2012 Lieutenant-General Sir Mark Mans
• 2012–2015 Lieutenant-General Sir Gerald Berragan

For later similar roles, see Commander Home Command.

Deputy Adjutants-General to the Forces

• 1900 to 1902 Major-General Joseph Henry Laye
• 1902 to 1903 Major-General Arthur Wynne

See Also

• Adjutant general
• Adjutant General's Corps