Commander British Forces in Hong Kong

Structure

The Governor of Hong Kong, being a representative of the British sovereign, was the Commander-in-Chief of the British Forces and Vice Admiral in the Crown colony.

The Governor was advised by the Commander British Forces in Hong Kong (CBF) on all military actions. During the 1980s and 1990s, the CBF was normally a career Major General or Lieutenant General from the British Army. Until 1966, the CBF was an ex officio member of the Legislative Council.

Commanders

Commanders have included:
Commander British Forces in Hong Kong

1843–1848 Major-General George D'Aguilar

1848–1851 Major-General William Staveley

1851–1854 Major-General William Jervois

Commander British Troops in China and Hong Kong

1854–1857 Major-General Sir Robert Garrett

1857–1858 Major-General Thomas Ashburnham

1858–1859 Major-General Sir Charles van Straubenzee

1860–1861 Major-General Sir James Grant

1861–1862 Major-General Sir John Michel

1862–1863 Major-General Sir Charles Staveley

1863–1864 Major-General William Brown

1864–1867 Major-General Sir Philip Guy

1867–1869 Major-General James Brunker

Commander British Troops in China, Hong Kong, and the Straits Settlements

1869–1874 Major-General Henry Whitfield

1874–1878 Lieutenant General Sir Francis Colborne

1878–1882 Lieutenant General Edward Donovan

1882–1885 Lieutenant General John Sargent

1885–1889 Lieutenant General Sir William Cameron

Commander British Troops in China and Hong Kong

1889–1890 Major-General Sir James Edwards

1890–1895 Major-General Sir George Barker

1895–1898 Major-General Sir Wilsone Black

1898–1903 Major-General Sir William Gascoigne

Commander British Troops in South China

1903–1906 Major-General Villiers Hatton

1906–1910 Major-General Robert Broadwood

1910–1913 Major-General Sir Charles Anderson

1913–1915 Major-General Francis Kelly

Commander British Forces in China

1915–1921 Major-General Francis Ventris

1921–1922 Major-General George Kirkpatrick

1922–1925 Major-General Sir John Fowler

Commander British Troops in South China

1925–1929 Major-General Charles Luard

1929–1932 Major-General James Sandilands

Commander British Troops in China

1932–1935 Lieutenant-General Oswald Borrett

1935–1938 Major-General Arthur Bartholomew

1938–1941 Major-General Edward Grasett

Aug–Dec 1941 Major-General Christopher Maltby

Note from 1941 to 1945 Hong Kong was under Japanese control

Commander British Forces in Hong Kong

1945–1946 Major-General Sir Francis Festing

1946–1948 Major-General Sir George Erskine

1948–1949 Major-General Francis Matthews

Jun–Sep 1949 Lieutenant-General Sir Francis Festing

1949–1951 Lieutenant-General Sir Robert Mansergh

1951–1952 Major-General Geoffrey Evans

1952–1954 Major-General Terence Airey

1954–1955 Lieutenant-General Cecil Sugden

1955–1957 Lieutenant-General Sir William Stratton

1957–1960 Lieutenant-General Sir Edric Bastyan

1960–1961 Lieutenant-General Sir Roderick McLeod

1961–1963 Lieutenant-General Sir Reginald Hewetson

1963–1964 Lieutenant-General Sir Richard Craddock

1964–1966 Lieutenant-General Sir Denis O'Connor

1966–1968 Lieutenant-General Sir John Worsley

1968–1970 Lieutenant-General Sir Basil Eugster

1970–1973 Lieutenant-General Sir Richard Ward

1973–1976 Lieutenant-General Sir Edwin Bramall

1976–1978 Lieutenant-General Sir John Archer

1978–1980 Major-General Sir Roy Redgrave

1980–1982 Major-General John Chapple

1982–1985 Major-General Derek Boorman

1985–1987 Major-General Anthony Boam

1987–1989 Major-General Garry Johnson

1989–1992 Major General Peter Duffell

1992–1994 Major-General John Foley

1994–1997 Major-General Bryan Dutton

Residences

Flagstaff House 1840s–1978

Headquarters House 15 Barker Road 1978–1997