Major general (United Kingdom) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Major General
British Army and Royal Marines insignia.
Country	United Kingdom
Service branch	British Army  Royal Marines
Abbreviation	Maj Gen
Rank	Two-star rank
NATO rank	OF-7
Next higher rank	Lieutenant general
Next lower rank	Brigadier
Equivalent ranks	Rear admiral (Royal Navy) Air vice-marshal (Royal Air Force)

A Major General (often shortened to Maj Gen) is a very important rank in the British Army and Royal Marines. It's known as a "two-star" rank because of the two stars often seen on their uniform.

This rank was also used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) for a short time. This was from April 1918, when the RAF was created, until August 1919. In the British Army, a Major General usually leads a large group of soldiers called a division. In the Royal Marines, the person in charge, called the Commandant General, holds at least the rank of Major General.

A Major General is a higher rank than a Brigadier. However, they are a lower rank than a Lieutenant General. This rank is known as OF-7 on the NATO rank scale. This means it's similar to a Rear Admiral in the Royal Navy. It's also like an Air Vice-Marshal in the Royal Air Force. Many other countries in the Commonwealth use similar ranks too.

What Does a Major General Wear?

The special symbol for a Major General's rank is a star. This star is from the Order of the Bath, which is a British award. Below the star, there is a crossed sword and a baton. These symbols show their high position.

When you write the rank, like "Major General Smith," both words are always capitalized. This is true whether it's the older style with a hyphen or the modern style without one. If you're talking about them in general, like "several major generals," the words might be written in lower-case.

Major Generals in the British Army

In the British Army, a Major General typically commands a division. A division is a very large military unit. However, Major Generals also hold other important jobs. For example, the leader of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst is a Major General. This academy is where army officers are trained.

Years ago, until about the 1980s, the leaders of different army branches were Major Generals. These branches included the Royal Armoured Corps and the Royal Artillery. Other important administrative jobs were also held by Major Generals. Even the senior officer for army chaplains, called the Chaplain-General, is treated with the same respect as a Major General.

Major Generals in the Royal Marines

The top job in the Royal Marines is the Commandant General Royal Marines (CGRM). This role was created in 1943 with the rank of a full general. In 1977, the rank for this job was changed to Lieutenant General. It was then lowered again to Major General in 1996.

On April 30, 2021, Lieutenant General Robert Magowan became the CGRM. He was followed by Gwyn Jenkins on November 25, 2022. Gwyn Jenkins already held the rank of a full General. This was because he was also the Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff.

Royal Marines who work in jobs that involve all three military services (Army, Navy, Air Force) can still be Major Generals. For example, in April 2019, James Morris became the commander of the Standing Joint Force Headquarters. He held the rank of Major General. Just like in the British Army, a Royal Marines Major General ranks below a Lieutenant General. They are also above a Brigadier.

Major Generals in the Royal Air Force

When the Royal Air Force (RAF) was formed on April 1, 1918, it used the rank of Major General. This lasted until July 31, 1919. The RAF was created by combining the Army's Royal Flying Corps and the Navy's Royal Naval Air Service. So, their ranks were a mix of both traditions.

The Major General's symbol in the RAF was based on a Royal Navy Rear Admiral's. It had a wide gold stripe on the cuff with a narrow gold stripe below it. Above these stripes was an eagle under a King's crown. On August 1, 1919, the RAF changed the rank of Major General to Air Vice-Marshal.

Even though the rank was used for a short time, many important officers held it. This showed how important the RAF was becoming in modern warfare. Some of these officers included:

• Edward Ashmore
• Sefton Brancker
• George Cayley
• Edward Ellington
• Philip Game
• The Honorable Sir Frederick Gordon
• Frederick Heath-Caldwell
• John Higgins
• Mark Kerr
• Charles Lambe
• Charles Longcroft
• Godfrey Paine
• Geoffrey Salmond
• John Salmond
• Ernest Swinton
• Frederick Sykes
• Hugh Trenchard

See also

• British and U.S. military ranks compared
• British Army Other Ranks rank insignia
• British Army officer rank insignia