Please see "major general" for other countries which use this rank

Major general (Maj Gen) is a 2 star rank in the British Army^[1] and Royal Marines. The rank was used by the Royal Air Force from 1918 to 1919. In the British Army, a division is commanded by a major general. In the Royal Marines the Commandant General holds the rank of major general.

A major general is superior to a brigadier but subordinate to lieutenant general. The rank has a NATO rank code of OF-7, equivalent to a rear admiral in the Royal Navy or an air vice-marshal in the Royal Air Force or the air forces of many Commonwealth countries.

The rank insignia is a pip over a crossed sword and baton.

Contents 1 British Army usage 2 Royal Marines usage 3 Royal Air Force usage 4 External links 5 References

British Army usage []

In the British Army, a division is commanded by a major general. However, many other appointments exist for major generals. The most senior officer of the Royal Army Chaplains Department, the chaplain-general, holds the rank of major general.

Royal Marines usage []

The Commandant General Royal Marines has held the rank of major general since 1996 when the post was downgraded from lieutenant general. As in the British Army, a Royal Marines major general ranks below lieutenant general and above brigadier and is thus the lowest of the general officer ranks.

Royal Air Force usage []

From the foundation of the Royal Air Force on 1 April 1918 to 31 July 1919, the RAF maintained a rank of major general. The rank insignia was derived from that of a Royal Navy rear admiral and featured a broad gold stripe on the cuff below one narrow gold stripe. The two stripes were surmounted by an eagle (volant and affronty) under a king's crown. The RAF replaced its rank of major general with the rank of air vice-marshal on the 1 August 1919. The following officers held the rank of major general in the RAF:

• Edward Ashmore
• Sefton Brancker
• George Cayley^[2]
• Edward Ellington
• Philip Game
• The Honorable Sir Frederick Gordon^[3]
• Frederick Heath-Caldwell^[4]
• John Higgins
• Mark Kerr
• Charles Lambe
• Charles Longcroft
• Godfrey Paine
• Geoffrey Salmond
• John Salmond
• Ernest Swinton^[5]
• Frederick Sykes
• Hugh Trenchard