Jump to content

Commander-in-Chief, Levant: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Content deleted Content added
AnomieBOT (talk | contribs)
Rescuing orphaned refs ("Royal Navy Med Fleet" from rev 861712375)
Rescuing 1 sources and tagging 0 as dead.) #IABot (v2.0.9.5
 
(41 intermediate revisions by 15 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|Former British Royal Navy Station}}
{{Infobox military unit
{{Infobox military unit
|unit_name=Levant Command
|unit_name=Commander-in-Chief, Levant
|image=Naval ensign of the United Kingdom.svg
|image=Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg
|image_size=130px
|image_size=130px
|caption=
|caption=
|dates=1943-1967
|dates=1943-late 1940s
|country=[[United Kingdom]]
|country=[[United Kingdom]]
|allegiance=[[British Empire]]
|allegiance=[[British Empire]]
Line 10: Line 11:
|type=
|type=
|role=
|role=
|size
|size=
|command_structure=
|command_structure= [[Mediterranean Fleet]]
*[[Mediterranean Station]] (1944-1946)
*[[Middle East Command]] (1946-1967)
|current_commander=
|current_commander=
|garrison= HMS Nile, [[Alexandria]], [[Egypt]], (1943-1946)<br/>[[HMS Jufair]], [[Manama]], [[Bahrain]], (1946-1959)<br/>[[HMS Sheba]], [[Tawahi (Aden)|Steamer Point]], [[Aden]], (1959-1967)
|garrison= HMS Nile, [[Alexandria]], [[Egypt]], (1943-1946)<br>HMS Stag and HMS Osiris (1948-1950ish)
|ceremonial_chief=
|ceremonial_chief=
|nickname=
|nickname=
Line 28: Line 27:
}}
}}


The '''Commander-in-Chief, Levant''' was a senior administrative shore commander of the Royal Navy whose post was established in February 1943. The British [[Chiefs of Staff Committee]] ordered at that time that the [[Mediterranean Fleet]] was to be divided into two commands; one responsible for naval operations involving ships, and the other administrative and support, responsible for shore establishments.<ref>{{cite book |last1=(Viscount) |first1=Andrew Browne Cunningham Cunningham of Hyndhope |title=The Cunningham Papers: Selections from the Private and Official Correspondence of Admiral of the Fleet Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope |date=2006 |publisher=Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. |location=Farnham, England |isbn=9780754655985 |page=69 |url=https://books.google.lk/books?id=MynRmONNSLcC&pg=PA69&lpg=PA69&dq=In+February+1943+the+Mediterranean+fleet+was+split+into+to+two+commands&source=bl&ots=3-aq4f5xQH&sig=AYzi0jEc1uAqYNl4nKa-9fr0XVE&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi-rrnfvoDcAhWKTn0KHRCuCJAQ6AEIUTAD#v=onepage&q=In%20February%201943%20the%20Mediterranean%20fleet%20was%20split%20into%20to%20two%20commands&f=false |language=en}}</ref> His subordinate establishments, and staff were sometimes informally known as the '''Levant Command''' or '''Levant Station''',<ref>{{cite book |last1=Stewart |first1=Ninian |title=The Royal Navy and the Palestine Patrol |date=2013 |publisher=Routledge |location=Cambridge, England |isbn=9781135283506 |page=178 |url=https://books.google.lk/books?id=RTj_AQAAQBAJ&pg=PA178&dq=Levant+Station+Royal+Navy&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiDk4vytILcAhWLXCsKHZjzAq0Q6AEIJTAA#v=onepage&q=Levant%20Station%20Royal%20Navy&f=false |language=en}}</ref> In December 1943 the title was changed to '''Flag Officer, Levant and East Mediterranean'''.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Roskill |first1=S.W. |title=The war at sea : 1939-1945 : history of the second world war |date=2004 |publisher=Naval and Military Press |location=Uckfield, Eng. |isbn=9781843428053 |page=422}}</ref> In January 1944 the two separate commands were re-unified into a single command with FOLEM merging back into [[Commander-in-Chief Mediterranean Fleet]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Stewart |first1=Ninian |title=The Royal Navy and the Palestine Patrol |date=2013 |publisher=Routledge |location=Cambridge, England |isbn=9781135283506 |page=27 |url=https://books.google.lk/books?id=RTj_AQAAQBAJ&pg=PA27&dq=the+Royal+Navy%27s+Levant+command+was+established+in&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjS48bT94HcAhWFfSsKHY2AA44Q6AEIKjAB#v=onepage&q=the%20Royal%20Navy's%20Levant%20command%20was%20established%20in&f=false |language=en}}</ref>
The '''Commander-in-Chief, Levant''' was a senior administrative shore commander of the Royal Navy. The post was established in February 1943 when the British [[Chiefs of Staff Committee]] ordered the [[Mediterranean Fleet]] to be divided into two commands. One was responsible for naval operations involving ships, and the other, administrative and support, was responsible for shore establishments.<ref>{{cite book |last1=(Viscount) |first1=Andrew Browne Cunningham Cunningham of Hyndhope |title=The Cunningham Papers: Selections from the Private and Official Correspondence of Admiral of the Fleet Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope |date=2006 |publisher=Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. |location=Farnham, England |isbn=9780754655985 |page=69 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MynRmONNSLcC&q=In+February+1943+the+Mediterranean+fleet+was+split+into+to+two+commands&pg=PA69 |language=en}}</ref> His subordinate establishments and staff were sometimes informally known as the '''Levant Command''' or '''Levant Station'''.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Stewart |first1=Ninian |title=The Royal Navy and the Palestine Patrol |date=2013 |publisher=Routledge |location=Cambridge, England |isbn=9781135283506 |page=178 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RTj_AQAAQBAJ&q=Levant+Station+Royal+Navy&pg=PA178 |language=en}}</ref> In December 1943 the title was changed to '''Flag Officer, Levant and East Mediterranean'''.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Roskill |first1=S.W. |title=The war at sea : 1939-1945 : history of the second world war |date=2004 |publisher=Naval and Military Press |location=Uckfield, Eng. |isbn=9781843428053 |page=422}}</ref> In January 1944 the two separate commands were re-unified into a single command merging back into [[Commander-in-Chief Mediterranean Fleet]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Stewart |first1=Ninian |title=The Royal Navy and the Palestine Patrol |date=2013 |publisher=Routledge |location=Cambridge, England |isbn=9781135283506 |page=27 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RTj_AQAAQBAJ&q=the+Royal+Navy%27s+Levant+command+was+established+in&pg=PA27 |language=en}}</ref>

In August 1946 the [[command (military formation)|command]]'s name was changed once again to '''Flag Officer, Middle East''' as part of a unified (air, army, navy) British [[Middle East Command]] (MEC) at Aden. In 1958 the [[East Indies Station]] was abolished in 1958 and its remaining units were transferred to MEC at Aden. In 1959 the former east indies [[Persian Gulf]] and [[Red Sea]] divisions were renamed the '''Arabian Seas and Persian Gulf Station''' <ref name="Seaforth Publishing">{{cite book |last1=Roberts |first1=John |title=Safeguarding the Nation: The Story of the Modern Royal Navy |date=2009 |publisher=Seaforth Publishing |location=Barnsley, England |isbn=9781848320437 |page=18 |url=https://books.google.lk/books?id=jNbZAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT17&lpg=PT17&dq=Arabian+Sea+and+Persian+Gulf+Station,+Royal+Navy&source=bl&ots=wj4xiBZfLw&sig=UBG8iBU0IXSlrghO8Y_SWvACRQI&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjS1vLmhYLcAhVZWX0KHQZsAowQ6AEIbDAL#v=onepage&q=Arabian%20Sea%20and%20Persian%20Gulf%20Station%2C%20Royal%20Navy&f=false |language=en}}</ref> until 1962 when the commands name was changed back to its previous name. In October 1967, MEC in Aden was abolished, and the remaining naval forces '[[East of Suez]]' were transferred to the [[Far East Fleet]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Peterson |first1=J. E. |title=Defending Arabia |date=2016 |publisher=Routledge |location=Cambridge, England |isbn=9781317229995 |page=106 |url=https://books.google.lk/books?id=RNfLDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA106&lpg=PA106&dq=October+1967+when+the+British+Middle+East+Command+in+Aden+was+abolished&source=bl&ots=xOC9zpEK2n&sig=Q_5MFHrTRa6eaaBsU81keT2I6dE&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj7t6iSioLcAhWMXCsKHZEcAY8Q6AEIZDAI#v=onepage&q=October%201967%20when%20the%20British%20Middle%20East%20Command%20in%20Aden%20was%20abolished&f=false |language=en}}</ref>


==History==
==History==
Shore-based naval area commands in the [[Mediterranean and Middle East theatre]] had historically reported to the [[Commander-in-Chief Mediterranean Fleet]].
In 1940, responsibility for the Red Seas area of operations was to be transferred from the [[Commander-in-Chief, East Indies]] to the Mediterranean Fleet and did not revert until 1942. Previously responsibility for shore-based area commands in the [[Mediterranean and Middle East theatre]] lay with the [[Commander-in-Chief Mediterranean Fleet]]. Following a meeting in London, the [[Chiefs of Staff Committee]] signaled on 2 February 1943 to Admiral [[Andrew Cunningham, 1st Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope|Sir Andrew Cunningham]] Naval Command, in the Mediterranean.<ref name="Ashgate Publishing, Ltd">{{cite book |last1=(Viscount) |first1=Andrew Browne Cunningham Cunningham of Hyndhope |title=The Cunningham Papers: Selections from the Private and Official Correspondence of Admiral of the Fleet Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope |date=2006 |publisher=Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. |location=Farnham, England |isbn=9780754655985 |pages=68–69 |url=https://books.google.lk/books?id=MynRmONNSLcC&pg=PA69&lpg=PA69&dq=In+February+1943+the+Mediterranean+fleet+was+split+into+to+two+commands&source=bl&ots=3-aq4f5xQH&sig=AYzi0jEc1uAqYNl4nKa-9fr0XVE&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi-rrnfvoDcAhWKTn0KHRCuCJAQ6AEIUTAD#v=onepage&q=In%20February%201943%20the%20Mediterranean%20fleet%20was%20split%20into%20to%20two%20commands&f=false |language=en}}</ref>

"A Flag Officer (Liaison), Rear-Admiral F. Elliott, had been appointed to co-ordinate matters of local defence [of Alexandria], and he was already the Fortress Commander in all but name. In war he was to be responsible to the General Officer Commanding [[British Troops in Egypt]] for the security of the Fortress, but was to meet the requirements of the Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean, in every possible way."<ref>I.S.O. Playfair, ''The Mediterranean and Middle East,'' Vol. I, p.36</ref>

In 1940, responsibility for the Red Sea area was transferred from the [[Commander-in-Chief, East Indies]] to the Mediterranean Fleet and did not revert until 1942. Following a meeting in London, the [[Chiefs of Staff Committee]] signaled on 2 February 1943 to Admiral [[Andrew Cunningham, 1st Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope|Sir Andrew Cunningham]], Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean, that:<ref name="Ashgate Publishing, Ltd">{{cite book |last1=(Viscount) |first1=Andrew Browne Cunningham Cunningham of Hyndhope |title=The Cunningham Papers: Selections from the Private and Official Correspondence of Admiral of the Fleet Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope |date=2006 |publisher=Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. |location=Farnham, England |isbn=9780754655985 |pages=68–69 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MynRmONNSLcC&q=In+February+1943+the+Mediterranean+fleet+was+split+into+to+two+commands&pg=PA69 |language=en}}</ref>


<blockquote>1). The Mediterranean will be divided into two commands:(a) the area to the west line A to B to be the Mediterranean command. (b) the area to the East of the above line to be the Levant command which will include the Red Sea. 2). For the present the line A to B will be the line running from the Tunisian/Tripolitanian border to a position in Latitude 35 degrees North, Longitude 60 degrees East, thence to Cape Spartivento (Italy).<ref name="Ashgate Publishing, Ltd"/></blockquote>
<blockquote>1). The Mediterranean will be divided into two commands:(a) the area to the west line A to B to be the Mediterranean command. (b) the area to the East of the above line to be the Levant command which will include the Red Sea. 2). For the present the line A to B will be the line running from the Tunisian/Tripolitanian border to a position in Latitude 35 degrees North, Longitude 60 degrees East, thence to Cape Spartivento (Italy).<ref name="Ashgate Publishing, Ltd"/></blockquote>
Between 1943 and 1945 its subordinate shore commands were Tunisia (1943); North Africa, (1943-1944), Sicily (July–September 1943); Taranto September 1943- May 1945; FO West Italy September 1943.43-October 1944; Northern Mediterranean October 1944; Western Mediterranean (January 1943- January 1944 & July 1944 -1945). [[British Forces Gibraltar|Gibraltar Dockyard]] and [[Malta Dockyard]] continued as major bases in support of the new organisation.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Watson |first1=Dr Graham |title=Royal Navy Orgnisation in World War 2, 1939-1945 |url=https://www.naval-history.net/xGW-RNOrganisation1939-45.htm#32 |website=naval-history.net |publisher=G. Smith, 19 September 2015 |accessdate=2 July 2018}}</ref> In December 1943 the command was renamed '''Levant and Eastern Mediterranean'''.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Grehan |first1=John |last2=Mace |first2=Martin |title=The War at Sea in the Mediterranean 1940-1944 |date=2014 |publisher=Pen and Sword |location=Barnsley, England |isbn=9781473837140 |page=xi |url=https://books.google.lk/books?id=ddKwBAAAQBAJ&pg=PR9&lpg=PR9&dq=In+December+1943+the+command+was+renamed+Levant+and+Eastern+Mediterranean.&source=bl&ots=vHA-tKaUbl&sig=1ApYVuKqRiwx--Lb8fiGWhbOaUk&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj4i8GW5IDcAhXSTn0KHVYSBwgQ6AEIOTAC#v=onepage&q=In%20December%201943%20the%20command%20was%20renamed%20Levant%20and%20Eastern%20Mediterranean.&f=false |language=en |chapter=Introduction}}</ref> Post World War Two further re-organization of this command continued. In August 1946 the command became a maritime component of unified the [[British Armed Forces|tri-services]] British [[Middle East Command]] with the naval element administered by the Flag Officer, Middle East until 1959.<ref>{{cite journal |title=The Western Powers and the ME |journal=Middle East Record |date=1961 |volume=2 |page=90 |url=https://books.google.lk/books?id=vzZ71Eh5QvMC&pg=PA90&lpg=PA90&dq=Flag+Officer,+Middle+East&source=bl&ots=uFZ-4NzeE5&sig=WVg0PaZCEg15f_Zm5dp-RsbJH1k&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjnusXpn4DcAhXBQ30KHYZkCEEQ6AEIRDAD#v=onepage&q=Flag%20Officer%2C%20Middle%20East&f=false |accessdate=2 July 2018 |publisher=The Moshe Dayan Center |language=en}}</ref>
Between 1943 and 1945 the shore commands reporting to C-in-C Levant were Tunisia (1943), North Africa (1943-1944), Sicily (July–September 1943); Taranto (September 1943 - May 1945), FO West Italy (September 1943 - October 1944), Northern Mediterranean (October 1944), and Western Mediterranean (January 1943 - January 1944) & (July 1944 - 1945). The dockyards at Gibraltar and [[Malta Dockyard|Malta]] continued as major bases supporting the new organisation.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Watson |first1=Graham |title=Royal Navy Organization in World War 2, 1939-1945 |url=https://www.naval-history.net/xGW-RNOrganisation1939-45.htm#32 |website=naval-history.net |publisher=G. Smith, 19 September 2015 |access-date=2 July 2018}}</ref> In December 1943 the command was renamed to '''Levant and Eastern Mediterranean'''.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Grehan |first1=John |last2=Mace |first2=Martin |title=The War at Sea in the Mediterranean 1940-1944 |date=2014 |publisher=Pen and Sword |location=Barnsley, England |isbn=9781473837140 |page=xi |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ddKwBAAAQBAJ&q=In+December+1943+the+command+was+renamed+Levant+and+Eastern+Mediterranean.&pg=PR9 |language=en |chapter=Introduction}}</ref>

In 1958 the post of [[Commander-in-Chief, East Indies]] was abolished, and his remaining naval forces were reassigned to the [[Joint warfare|joint]] services Middle East Command in Aden. In 1959, the naval forces of the [[Persian Gulf Division]] and Red Sea Division, previously administered by the East Indies command were merged to form the Arabian Seas and Persian Gulf Station.<ref name="Seaforth Publishing"/> In 1962 that station was re-titled back to Middle East and it existed until 1967. From that time, following the withdraw of all British Forces in the [[Arabian Sea]], [[Persian Gulf]], [[Red Sea]], the command was abolished.

==Levant Command, February to December 1943==
===Commander-in-Chief, Levant===


In August 1946 the command was retitled the [[Flag Officer, Middle East]], part of the tri-service British [[Middle East Command]], until 1959.<ref>{{cite journal |title=The Western Powers and the ME |journal=Middle East Record |date=1961 |volume=2 |page=90 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vzZ71Eh5QvMC&q=Flag+Officer%2C+Middle+East&pg=PA90 |access-date=2 July 2018 |publisher=The Moshe Dayan Center |language=en}}</ref>
Post holders included:<ref name="Mackie 2018">{{cite web |last1=Mackie |first1=Colin |title=Royal Navy Senior Appointments from 1865: Commander-in-Chief, Levant: Flag Officer, Middle East |url=http://www.gulabin.com/armynavy/pdf/Senior%20Royal%20Navy%20Appointments%201865-.pdf |website=gulabin,com |publisher=C. Mackie, p. 171, June 2018 |accessdate=3 July 2018}}</ref>


==Commanders in Chief==
{| class="wikitable" border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0"
{| class="wikitable"
! !! Rank !! Flag !! Name !! Term !! Notes/Ref
! !! Rank !! Flag !! Name !! Post Name !! Term !! Notes/Ref
|-
|-
| colspan="6" align="center" style="background:#dcdcfe;" | '''Commander-in-Chief, Levant''' <ref name="Watson 2015">{{cite web |last1=Watson |first1=Dr Graham |title=Royal Navy Orgnisation in World War 2, 1939-1945 |url=http://www.naval-history.net/xGW-RNOrganisation1939-45.htm |website=naval-history.net |publisher=Gordon Smith, 19 September 2015 |accessdate=3 July 2018}}</ref>
|1 ||Vice-Admiral ||[[File:Flag of Vice-Admiral - Royal Navy.svg|25px]] ||Vice Admiral [[Henry Harwood|Sir Henry Harwood]] ||Commander-in-Chief, Levant ||February – 5 June 1943||<ref name="Mackie 2018">{{cite web |last1=Mackie |first1=Colin |title=Royal Navy Senior Appointments from 1865: Commander-in-Chief, Levant: Flag Officer, Middle East |url=http://www.gulabin.com/armynavy/pdf/Senior%20Royal%20Navy%20Appointments%201865-.pdf |website=gulabin,com |publisher=C. Mackie, p. 171, June 2018 |access-date=3 July 2018}}</ref><ref name="Watson 2015">{{cite web |last1=Watson |first1=Graham |title=Royal Navy Organization in World War 2, 1939-1945 |url=http://www.naval-history.net/xGW-RNOrganisation1939-45.htm |website=naval-history.net |publisher=Gordon Smith, 19 September 2015 |access-date=3 July 2018}}</ref>
|-
|-
|1 ||Vice-Admiral ||[[File:Flag of Vice-Admiral - Royal Navy.svg|25px]] ||Vice Admiral [[Henry Harwood|Sir Henry Harwood]]||February – 5 June 1943||<ref name="Mackie 2018" />
|2 ||Admiral ||[[File:Flag of Admiral - Royal Navy.svg|25px]]||[[John Cunningham (Royal Navy officer)|Sir John Cunningham]] ||Commander-in-Chief, Levant||5 June 1943 – August 1943||<ref name="Mackie 2018" />
|-
|-
|2 ||Admiral ||[[File:Flag of Admiral - Royal Navy.svg|25px]]||[[John Cunningham (Royal Navy officer)|Sir John Cunningham]]||5 June 1943August 1943||<ref name="Mackie 2018" />
|3 ||Vice-Admiral ||[[File:Flag of Vice-Admiral - Royal Navy.svg|25px]] ||Vice Admiral [[Algernon Willis|Sir Algernon Willis]] ||Commander-in-Chief, Levant||14 OctoberDecember, 1943||<ref name="Mackie 2018" />
|-
|-
|3 ||Vice-Admiral ||[[File:Flag of Vice-Admiral - Royal Navy.svg|25px]] ||Vice Admiral [[Algernon Willis|Sir Algernon Willis]]||14 October December, 1943||<ref name="Mackie 2018" />
|4 ||Vice-Admiral ||[[File:Flag of Vice-Admiral - Royal Navy.svg|25px]]||[[Bernard Rawlings (Royal Navy officer)|Sir Bernard Rawlings]]|| Flag Officer, Levant and East Mediterranean || 28 December 1943 – -October 1944 || From January 1944 FOLEM was responsible to C-in-C Mediterranean.<ref name="Watson 2015" /><ref name="Mackie 2018" />
|-
|-
|5 ||Vice-Admiral ||[[File:Flag of Vice-Admiral - Royal Navy.svg|25px]]||[[William Tennant (Royal Navy officer)|Sir William G. Tennant]]||Flag Officer Levant and East Mediterranean||October 1944 - August 1946|| <ref>{{cite book |last1=Cook |first1=Chris |title=The Routledge Guide to British Political Archives: Sources Since 1945 |date=2006 |publisher=Routledge |location=Cambridge, England |isbn=9780415327404 |page=192 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=s8xRVoaiPlIC&q=Flag+Officer%2C+Levant+and+Eastern+Mediterranean&pg=PA192 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Mackie 2018" />
|}

==Levant and East Mediterranean Command December 1943 to August 1946==
===Flag Officer, Levant and East Mediterranean===
''Note:From January 1944 the post holder reported to the [[Commander-in-Chief Mediterranean Fleet]]''
{| class="wikitable" border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0"
! !! Rank !! Flag !! Name !! Term !! Notes/Ref
|-
| colspan="6" align="center" style="background:#dcdcfe;" | '''Flag Officer, Levant and East Mediterranean''' <ref name="Watson 2015" />
|-
|3 ||Vice-Admiral ||[[File:Flag of Vice-Admiral - Royal Navy.svg|25px]]||[[Bernard Rawlings (Royal Navy officer)|Sir Bernard Rawlings]]||28 December 1943 – -October 1944 ||<ref name="Mackie 2018" />
|-
|4 ||Vice-Admiral ||[[File:Flag of Vice-Admiral - Royal Navy.svg|25px]]||[[William Tennant (Royal Navy officer)|Sir William G. Tennant]]||October 1944 - August 1946|| <ref>{{cite book |last1=Cook |first1=Chris |title=The Routledge Guide to British Political Archives: Sources Since 1945 |date=2006 |publisher=Routledge |location=Cambridge, England |isbn=9780415327404 |page=192 |url=https://books.google.lk/books?id=s8xRVoaiPlIC&pg=PA192&lpg=PA192&dq=Flag+Officer,+Levant+and+Eastern+Mediterranean&source=bl&ots=FOkYYD8Dcl&sig=5uvPR7d3SEy5I-MNmMlJJSHpKik&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwii1KaN_P_bAhUHb30KHd-uDms4ChDoAQgsMAI#v=onepage&q=Flag%20Officer%2C%20Levant%20and%20Eastern%20Mediterranean&f=false |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Mackie 2018" />
|-
|-
|}
|}
Line 78: Line 63:
{{main|Naval Officer-in-Charge, Aden}}
{{main|Naval Officer-in-Charge, Aden}}


===Commander, Levant Area===
=== Commodore-in-Charge, Algiers ===
{{main|Commander, Levant Area}}
{{main|Commodore-in-Charge, Algiers}}

===Commodore, Algeria===

{| class="wikitable" border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0"
! !! Rank !! Flag !! Name !! Term !!Notes/Ref
|-
| colspan="6" align="center" style="background:#dcdcfe;" | '''Commodore, Algeria'''
|-
|1 ||Commodore ||[[File:UK-Navy-OF6-Flag.svg|25px]] ||[[John Anthony Vere|John A.V. Morse]]||February – 28 August 1943||retired<ref name="Royal Navy Med Fleet">{{cite web |last1=Niehorster |first1=Leo |title=World War II unit histories & officers |url=http://www.unithistories.com/units_index/default.asp?file=../units_index/units.asp |website=www.unithistories.com |publisher=L. Niehorster |accessdate=3 July 2018}}</ref>
|-
|2 ||Commodore ||[[File:UK-Navy-OF6-Flag.svg|25px]]||[[Fitzroy.Evelyn Patrick Hutton|Fitzroy.E.P. Hutton]]||28 August – April, 1944||ditto<ref name="Royal Navy Med Fleet" />
|-
|}


===Flag Officer, North Africa===
===Flag Officer, North Africa===


{| class="wikitable" border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0"
{| class="wikitable"
! !! Rank !! Flag !! Name !! Term !!Notes/Ref
! !! Rank !! Flag !! Name !! Term !!Notes/Ref
|-
|-
| colspan="6" align="center" style="background:#dcdcfe;" | '''Flag Officer, North Africa''' <ref name="Watson 2015" />
| colspan="6" align="center" style="background:#dcdcfe;" | '''Flag Officer, North Africa''' <ref name="Watson 2015" />
|-
|-
|1 ||Rear Admiral ||[[File:Flag of Rear-Admiral - Royal Navy.svg|25px]] ||Geoffrey Watkins||12 May – December, 1943|| retired<ref name="Royal Navy Med Fleet" />
|1 ||Rear Admiral ||[[File:Flag of Rear-Admiral - Royal Navy.svg|25px]] ||Geoffrey Watkins||12 May – December, 1943|| retired<ref name="Royal Navy Med Fleet">{{cite web |last1=Niehorster |first1=Leo |title=World War II unit histories & officers |url=http://www.unithistories.com/units_index/default.asp?file=../units_index/units.asp |website=www.unithistories.com |publisher=L. Niehorster |access-date=3 July 2018 |archive-date=17 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717163653/http://www.unithistories.com/units_index/default.asp?file=../units_index/units.asp |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|-
|-
|}
|}
Line 107: Line 79:
===Flag Officer, Northern Area, Mediterranean===
===Flag Officer, Northern Area, Mediterranean===


{| class="wikitable" border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0"
{| class="wikitable"
! !! Rank !! Flag !! Name !! Term !!Notes/Ref
! !! Rank !! Flag !! Name !! Term !!Notes/Ref
|-
|-
Line 119: Line 91:
===Flag Officer, Sicily===
===Flag Officer, Sicily===


{| class="wikitable" border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0"
{| class="wikitable"
! !! Rank !! Flag !! Name !! Term !!Notes/Ref
! !! Rank !! Flag !! Name !! Term !!Notes/Ref
|-
|-
Line 130: Line 102:
===Flag Officer, Taranto Area===
===Flag Officer, Taranto Area===


{| class="wikitable" border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0"
{| class="wikitable"
! !! Rank !! Flag !! Name !! Term !!Notes/Ref
! !! Rank !! Flag !! Name !! Term !!Notes/Ref
|-
|-
Line 143: Line 115:
===Flag Officer, Tunisia===
===Flag Officer, Tunisia===


{| class="wikitable" border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0"
{| class="wikitable"
! !! Rank !! Flag !! Name !! Term !!Notes/Ref
! !! Rank !! Flag !! Name !! Term !!Notes/Ref
|-
|-
Line 154: Line 126:
===Flag Officer, Western Italy===
===Flag Officer, Western Italy===


{| class="wikitable" border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0"
{| class="wikitable"
! !! Rank !! Flag !! Name !! Term !!Notes/Ref
! !! Rank !! Flag !! Name !! Term !!Notes/Ref
|-
|-
Line 165: Line 137:
===Flag Officer, Western Mediterranean===
===Flag Officer, Western Mediterranean===


{| class="wikitable" border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0"
{| class="wikitable"
! !! Rank !! Flag !! Name !! Term !!Notes/Ref
! !! Rank !! Flag !! Name !! Term !!Notes/Ref
|-
|-
Line 176: Line 148:
===Rear-Admiral, Alexandria===
===Rear-Admiral, Alexandria===
{{main|Rear-Admiral, Alexandria}}
{{main|Rear-Admiral, Alexandria}}
The Commander, Levant Area, was responsible to the Rear-Admiral, Alexandria.

==Middle East Command, 1946 to 1959==
===Flag Officer, Middle East===
Post holders included:

{| class="wikitable" border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0"
! !! Rank !! Flag !! Name !! Term !!Notes/Ref
|-
| colspan="6" align="center" style="background:#dcdcfe;" | '''Flag Officer, Middle East'''
|-
|1 ||Rear-Admiral ||[[File:Flag of Rear-Admiral - Royal Navy.svg|25px]]||[[Henry McCall|Henry W. U. McCall]] ||August 1946-September 1948 ||<ref name="Mackie 2018" />
|-
|2 ||Rear-Admiral ||[[File:Flag of Rear-Admiral - Royal Navy.svg|25px]] ||Albert L. Poland||September 1948-March 1950 ||<ref name="Mackie 2018" />
|-
|3 ||Rear-Admiral ||[[File:Flag of Rear-Admiral - Royal Navy.svg|25px]]|| [[Ian Campbell (Royal Navy officer)|Ian M.R. Campbell]]||March 1950-June 1952||<ref name="Mackie 2018" />
|-
|4 ||Rear-Admiral ||[[File:Flag of Rear-Admiral - Royal Navy.svg|25px]]||[[Graham Henry Stokes|Graham H. Stokes]] ||June 1952-April 1954 ||<ref name="Mackie 2018" />
|-
|5 ||Rear-Admiral ||[[File:Flag of Rear-Admiral - Royal Navy.svg|25px]] ||[[Patrick Willet Brock|Patrick W. Brock]]||April 1954-March 1956 ||<ref name="Mackie 2018" />
|-
|6 ||Rear-Admiral ||[[File:Flag of Rear-Admiral - Royal Navy.svg|25px]]|| [[Anthony Miers|Anthony C.C. Miers]]||March 1956 – 1958 ||<ref name="Mackie 2018" />
|-
|}

==Arabian Seas and Persian Gulf Station, 1959 to 1962==
===Flag Officer, Arabian Seas and Persian Gulf===
Post holders included:

{| class="wikitable" border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0"
! !! Rank !! Flag !! Name !! Term !! Notes/Ref
|-
| colspan="6" align="center" style="background:#dcdcfe;" | '''Flag Officer, Arabian Seas and Persian Gulf'''
|-
|1 ||Commodore ||[[File:UK-Navy-OF6-Flag.svg|25px]]||G. F. M. Best||October 1959 - August 1960 || <ref>{{cite journal |title=OP SHIPS |journal=Naval Review |date=1959 |volume=47 |page=105 |language=en}}</ref>
|-
|2 ||Rear-Admiral ||[[File:Flag of Rear-Admiral - Royal Navy.svg|25px]]|| [[Fitzroy Talbot|A.A. Fitzroy Talbot]]||August 1960 - August 1962 ||<ref name="Mackie 2018" />
|-
|}

==Middle East Command, 1962 to 1967==
===Flag Officer, Middle East===
Post holders included:<ref name="Mackie 2018" />

{| class="wikitable" border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0"
! !! Rank !! Flag !! Name !! Term !! Notes/Ref
|-
| colspan="6" align="center" style="background:#dcdcfe;" | '''Flag Officer, Middle East'''
|-
|1 ||Rear-Admiral ||[[File:Flag of Rear-Admiral - Royal Navy.svg|25px]]||John E. Scotland||August 1962-August 1964 ||<ref name="Mackie 2018" />
|-
|2 ||Rear-Admiral ||[[File:Flag of Rear-Admiral - Royal Navy.svg|25px]] ||[[Peter Norris Howes|Peter N. Howes]]||August 1964-September 1966 ||<ref name="Mackie 2018" />
|-
|3 ||Rear-Admiral ||[[File:Flag of Rear-Admiral - Royal Navy.svg|25px]]|| [[John Martin (Royal Navy officer)|John E.L. Martin]]||September 1966-September 1967 ||<ref name="Mackie 2018" />
|-
|}


==References==
==References==
Line 237: Line 155:
==Sources==
==Sources==
* Cook, Chris (2006). The Routledge Guide to British Political Archives: Sources Since 1945. Cambridge, England: Routledge. ISBN
* Cook, Chris (2006). The Routledge Guide to British Political Archives: Sources Since 1945. Cambridge, England: Routledge. ISBN
* Grehan, John; Mace, Martin (2014). "Introduction". The War at Sea in the Mediterranean 1940-1944. Barnsley, England: Pen and Sword. {{ISBN|9781473837140}}.
* Grehan, John; Mace, Martin (2014). "Introduction". The War at Sea in the Mediterranean 1940–1944. Barnsley, England: Pen and Sword. {{ISBN|9781473837140}}.
* Mackie, Colin. (2018) "Royal Navy Senior Appointments from 1865" (PDF). gulabin.com. C. Mackie.
* Mackie, Colin. (2018) "Royal Navy Senior Appointments from 1865" (PDF). gulabin.com. C. Mackie.
* Peterson, J. E. (2016). Defending Arabia. Cambridge, England: Routledge. {{ISBN|9781317229995}}.
* Peterson, J. E. (2016). Defending Arabia. Cambridge, England: Routledge. {{ISBN|9781317229995}}.
Line 244: Line 162:
* "The Western Powers and the ME". Middle East Record. The Moshe Dayan Center. 2: 90. 1961.
* "The Western Powers and the ME". Middle East Record. The Moshe Dayan Center. 2: 90. 1961.
* (Viscount), Andrew Browne Cunningham Cunningham of Hyndhope (2006). The Cunningham Papers: Selections from the Private and Official Correspondence of Admiral of the Fleet Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope. Farnham, England: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. {{ISBN|9780754655985}}.
* (Viscount), Andrew Browne Cunningham Cunningham of Hyndhope (2006). The Cunningham Papers: Selections from the Private and Official Correspondence of Admiral of the Fleet Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope. Farnham, England: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. {{ISBN|9780754655985}}.
* Watson, Dr Graham. "Royal Navy Orgnisation in World War 2, 1939-1945". naval-history.net. G. Smith, 19 September 2015.
* Watson, Dr Graham. "Royal Navy Organization in World War 2, 1939-1945". naval-history.net. G. Smith, 19 September 2015.


==External links==
{{Admiralty Department}}
{{Admiralty Department}}
{{Royal Navy fleets}}
{{Royal Navy fleets}}


[[Category:Commanders-in-chief of the Royal Navy|L]]
[[Category:1943 establishments in the British Empire]]
[[Category:1943 establishments in the British Empire]]
[[Category:1967 disestablishments]]
[[Category:Admiralty during World War II]]
[[Category:Fleets of the Royal Navy]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1943]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1943]]
[[Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1967]]
[[Category:Military units and formations of the Royal Navy in World War II]]
[[Category:Military units and formations of the Royal Navy in World War II]]
[[Category:Royal Navy appointments]]

Latest revision as of 12:19, 18 December 2023

Commander-in-Chief, Levant
Active1943-late 1940s
CountryUnited Kingdom
AllegianceBritish Empire
BranchRoyal Navy
Part ofMediterranean Fleet
Garrison/HQHMS Nile, Alexandria, Egypt, (1943-1946)
HMS Stag and HMS Osiris (1948-1950ish)

The Commander-in-Chief, Levant was a senior administrative shore commander of the Royal Navy. The post was established in February 1943 when the British Chiefs of Staff Committee ordered the Mediterranean Fleet to be divided into two commands. One was responsible for naval operations involving ships, and the other, administrative and support, was responsible for shore establishments.[1] His subordinate establishments and staff were sometimes informally known as the Levant Command or Levant Station.[2] In December 1943 the title was changed to Flag Officer, Levant and East Mediterranean.[3] In January 1944 the two separate commands were re-unified into a single command merging back into Commander-in-Chief Mediterranean Fleet.[4]

History[edit]

Shore-based naval area commands in the Mediterranean and Middle East theatre had historically reported to the Commander-in-Chief Mediterranean Fleet.

"A Flag Officer (Liaison), Rear-Admiral F. Elliott, had been appointed to co-ordinate matters of local defence [of Alexandria], and he was already the Fortress Commander in all but name. In war he was to be responsible to the General Officer Commanding British Troops in Egypt for the security of the Fortress, but was to meet the requirements of the Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean, in every possible way."[5]

In 1940, responsibility for the Red Sea area was transferred from the Commander-in-Chief, East Indies to the Mediterranean Fleet and did not revert until 1942. Following a meeting in London, the Chiefs of Staff Committee signaled on 2 February 1943 to Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham, Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean, that:[6]

1). The Mediterranean will be divided into two commands:(a) the area to the west line A to B to be the Mediterranean command. (b) the area to the East of the above line to be the Levant command which will include the Red Sea. 2). For the present the line A to B will be the line running from the Tunisian/Tripolitanian border to a position in Latitude 35 degrees North, Longitude 60 degrees East, thence to Cape Spartivento (Italy).[6]

Between 1943 and 1945 the shore commands reporting to C-in-C Levant were Tunisia (1943), North Africa (1943-1944), Sicily (July–September 1943); Taranto (September 1943 - May 1945), FO West Italy (September 1943 - October 1944), Northern Mediterranean (October 1944), and Western Mediterranean (January 1943 - January 1944) & (July 1944 - 1945). The dockyards at Gibraltar and Malta continued as major bases supporting the new organisation.[7] In December 1943 the command was renamed to Levant and Eastern Mediterranean.[8]

In August 1946 the command was retitled the Flag Officer, Middle East, part of the tri-service British Middle East Command, until 1959.[9]

Commanders in Chief[edit]

Rank Flag Name Post Name Term Notes/Ref
1 Vice-Admiral Vice Admiral Sir Henry Harwood Commander-in-Chief, Levant February – 5 June 1943 [10][11]
2 Admiral Sir John Cunningham Commander-in-Chief, Levant 5 June 1943 – August 1943 [10]
3 Vice-Admiral Vice Admiral Sir Algernon Willis Commander-in-Chief, Levant 14 October – December, 1943 [10]
4 Vice-Admiral Sir Bernard Rawlings Flag Officer, Levant and East Mediterranean 28 December 1943 – -October 1944 From January 1944 FOLEM was responsible to C-in-C Mediterranean.[11][10]
5 Vice-Admiral Sir William G. Tennant Flag Officer Levant and East Mediterranean October 1944 - August 1946 [12][10]

Sub-commands, 1943 to 1946[edit]

Naval Officer-in-Charge, Aden[edit]

Commodore-in-Charge, Algiers[edit]

Flag Officer, North Africa[edit]

Rank Flag Name Term Notes/Ref
Flag Officer, North Africa [11]
1 Rear Admiral Geoffrey Watkins 12 May – December, 1943 retired[13]

Flag Officer, Northern Area, Mediterranean[edit]

Rank Flag Name Term Notes/Ref
Flag Officer, Northern Area, Mediterranean [11]
1 Rear Admiral John A. V. Morse 25 October 1944 – August, 1945 [13]

Flag Officer, Sicily[edit]

Rank Flag Name Term Notes/Ref
Flag Officer, Sicily [11]
1 Rear Admiral Rhoderick McGrigor 13 July – September, 1943 [13]

Flag Officer, Taranto Area[edit]

Rank Flag Name Term Notes/Ref
Flag Officer, Taranto and Adriatic [11]
1 Rear Admiral Arthur Peters 13 September – 15 November 1943 and liaison Italy[13]
2 Rear Admiral Rhoderick McGrigor 15 November 1943 ditto[13]

Flag Officer, Tunisia[edit]

Rank Flag Name Term Notes/Ref
Flag Officer, Tunisia [11]
1 Admiral Sir Gerald C. Dickens 12 May – December, 1943 retired[13]

Flag Officer, Western Italy[edit]

Rank Flag Name Term Notes/Ref
Flag Officer, Western Italy [11]
1 Rear Admiral John A. V. Morse 30 July – August, 1943 [13]

Flag Officer, Western Mediterranean[edit]

Rank Flag Name Term Notes/Ref
Flag Officer, Western Mediterranean [11]
1 Rear Admiral Charles Morgan October 1943 - January, 1944 [13]

Rear-Admiral, Alexandria[edit]

The Commander, Levant Area, was responsible to the Rear-Admiral, Alexandria.

References[edit]

  1. ^ (Viscount), Andrew Browne Cunningham Cunningham of Hyndhope (2006). The Cunningham Papers: Selections from the Private and Official Correspondence of Admiral of the Fleet Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope. Farnham, England: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. p. 69. ISBN 9780754655985.
  2. ^ Stewart, Ninian (2013). The Royal Navy and the Palestine Patrol. Cambridge, England: Routledge. p. 178. ISBN 9781135283506.
  3. ^ Roskill, S.W. (2004). The war at sea : 1939-1945 : history of the second world war. Uckfield, Eng.: Naval and Military Press. p. 422. ISBN 9781843428053.
  4. ^ Stewart, Ninian (2013). The Royal Navy and the Palestine Patrol. Cambridge, England: Routledge. p. 27. ISBN 9781135283506.
  5. ^ I.S.O. Playfair, The Mediterranean and Middle East, Vol. I, p.36
  6. ^ a b (Viscount), Andrew Browne Cunningham Cunningham of Hyndhope (2006). The Cunningham Papers: Selections from the Private and Official Correspondence of Admiral of the Fleet Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope. Farnham, England: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. pp. 68–69. ISBN 9780754655985.
  7. ^ Watson, Graham. "Royal Navy Organization in World War 2, 1939-1945". naval-history.net. G. Smith, 19 September 2015. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
  8. ^ Grehan, John; Mace, Martin (2014). "Introduction". The War at Sea in the Mediterranean 1940-1944. Barnsley, England: Pen and Sword. p. xi. ISBN 9781473837140.
  9. ^ "The Western Powers and the ME". Middle East Record. 2. The Moshe Dayan Center: 90. 1961. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
  10. ^ a b c d e Mackie, Colin. "Royal Navy Senior Appointments from 1865: Commander-in-Chief, Levant: Flag Officer, Middle East" (PDF). gulabin,com. C. Mackie, p. 171, June 2018. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i Watson, Graham. "Royal Navy Organization in World War 2, 1939-1945". naval-history.net. Gordon Smith, 19 September 2015. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  12. ^ Cook, Chris (2006). The Routledge Guide to British Political Archives: Sources Since 1945. Cambridge, England: Routledge. p. 192. ISBN 9780415327404.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h Niehorster, Leo. "World War II unit histories & officers". www.unithistories.com. L. Niehorster. Archived from the original on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 3 July 2018.

Sources[edit]

  • Cook, Chris (2006). The Routledge Guide to British Political Archives: Sources Since 1945. Cambridge, England: Routledge. ISBN
  • Grehan, John; Mace, Martin (2014). "Introduction". The War at Sea in the Mediterranean 1940–1944. Barnsley, England: Pen and Sword. ISBN 9781473837140.
  • Mackie, Colin. (2018) "Royal Navy Senior Appointments from 1865" (PDF). gulabin.com. C. Mackie.
  • Peterson, J. E. (2016). Defending Arabia. Cambridge, England: Routledge. ISBN 9781317229995.
  • Roberts, John (2009). Safeguarding the Nation: The Story of the Modern Royal Navy. Barnsley, England: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 9781848320437
  • Roskill, S.W. (2004). The war at sea : 1939-1945 : history of the second world war. Uckfield, Eng.: Naval and Military Press. ISBN 9781843428053.
  • "The Western Powers and the ME". Middle East Record. The Moshe Dayan Center. 2: 90. 1961.
  • (Viscount), Andrew Browne Cunningham Cunningham of Hyndhope (2006). The Cunningham Papers: Selections from the Private and Official Correspondence of Admiral of the Fleet Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope. Farnham, England: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. ISBN 9780754655985.
  • Watson, Dr Graham. "Royal Navy Organization in World War 2, 1939-1945". naval-history.net. G. Smith, 19 September 2015.